*  «*•  *  *  •*, 


I*     ANDREW  HERON,     v 

*'-*•  A    I 

Rockbndge  County,    -j 

** 


•;  A^O. 


^Vv.  **%/%.  VS I 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


GIFT  OF 

JAMES  J.   Iv'C 


THE 


HISTORY 

o  F 

ENGLAND, 

FROM 

THE    REVOLUTION 

T  O     T  H  E 

END  OF  THE  AMERICAN  WAR, 

AND 

PEACE  OF  VERSAILLES  IN   1783. 

IN    SIX    VOLUMES. 
DESIGNED  JS  A   CONTINUATION  OF   MR.   HUME's   HISTORY. 

BY  T.  SMOLLETT,  M.  D.  AND  OTHERS 
VOL.    I. 

A    NEW    EDITION, 

WITH  CORRECTIONS  AND  IMPROVEMENTS. 
I 

PHILADELPHIA: 

PRINTED    FOR   ROBERT   CAMPBELL  &C0. 

BY    HENRY    SWEITZER. 

M.DCC.XCVI. 


IDA 


ADVERTISEMENT. 

NX.    I 

THE  Hiftory  of  England,  by  D.  Hume,  Efq;  has 
been  held  in  fuch  general  eftimation,  that,  to  fay  any 
thing  in  its  commendation  is  altogether  unneceflary,  and 
might  be  confidered  as  impertinent.  It  is  a  work  which 
will  continue  to  be  read  while  there  remain  any  traces  of 
literature,  oftafte,  or  of  the  Englifh  language.  It  is  on 
ly  to  be  regretted,  that  this  elegant  writer  had  proceeded 
no  further  than  to  the  Revolution  in  1688,  fo  as  that  the 
Public  might  have  had  a  complete  Hiftory  of  Great  Bri 
tain  upon  the  fame  plan. 

To  fupply  this  defect,  Dr.  Smollett's  Hiftory  from  that 
period  has  been  reprinted  in  four  volumes,  bringing  down 
the  Hiftory  of  Britain  to  the  death  of  Geo.  II.  in  1760. 
Had  Dr.  Smollett  lived,  he  no  doubt  would  have  continu 
ed  his  work  to  the  prefent  time;  but  it  was  otherwife  de 
termined,  this  gentleman  having  died  in  the  year  1771,  in 
the  5ift  year  of  his  age.  [See  the  Short  Account  of  his  Life 
hereto  annexed]  The  Doctor,  however,  brought  down 
his  Hiftory  to  the  year  1765  ;  and  it  is  much  to  be  lament 
ed,  that  his  country  was  fo  early  deprived  of  the  further 
productions  of  fo  able  a  pen  :  for  it  will  be  readily  admit 
ted,  that  the*  works  of  Dr.  Smollett  poflefs  an  uncommon 
degree  of  genius  and  fpirit,  nor  perhaps  was  there  any 
perfon  more  fit  to  write  a  Continuation  of  Mr.  Hume's 
Hiftory. 

The  period  fince  his  death  has  been  productive  of  more 
important  events  than  perhaps  any  other  of  the  fame  extent 
in  the  hiftory  of  Great  Britain;  and  thefe  being  fo  very 
recent,  muft  proportionally  the  more  engage  the  public  at 
tention.  The  revolt  of  the  Thirteen  Colonies  of  Ameri 
ca  —  the  rife,  progrefs,  and  conclufion  of  the  war  —  and  the 
fubfequent  independence  of  the  United  States,  are  fub- 
jedls  not  only  highly  intercfting  to  Britain,  but  to  the 
world  at  large. 

The  Public  will  therefore  not  be  difpleafed  to  be  in 
formed,  that  they  can  now  be  furnifhed  with  a  complete 
and  uniform  Hiftory  of  Great  Brjpin,  from  the  earli- 
accounts  to  the  end  of  the  American  war  in  1783,  the 
whole  being  comprifed  in  twelve  volume?,  the  firft  fix 
by  Mr.  Hume,  and  the  four  following  by  Dr.  Smollet. 

It  would  ill  become  the  writers  of  the  two  bft  volumes 
to  offer  any  thing  in  favour  of  their  own  performance. 
Suffice  it  to  fay,  they  have  been  at  the  greateft  pains  to 
procure  information  —  they  have  ftudied  to  relate  fa&s  with 
the  utrnoft  brevity,  freedom,  and  impartiality  —  »and  with 

947642- 


refpeft  to  the  divifion  of  their  work  into  chapters,  &c. 
they  have  endeavoured,  to  the  beft  of  their  abilities,  to 
follow  Mr.  Hume's  manner,  fo  as  the  whole  may  be  con- 
fidered  as  one  entire  work.  How  far  they  have  fucceeded 
the  Public  muft  determine.  They  hope  for  the  greater  in 
dulgence,  when  it  is  confidered,  how  difficult  a  tafk  it  is, 
if  not  impoflible,  to  write  with  accuracy  a  hiftory  of  re 
cent  events,  the  fecret  caufes  of  which  can  only  be  deve 
loped  at  an  after-period.  In  this  refpecT:,  Dr.  Smollett  la 
boured  under  fimilar  difadvantages  ;  on  which  account  the 
editors  have  made  a  very  few  alterations  in  the  latter  part 
of  his  work,  which  the  author  would  have  been  under  the 
neceflity  of  doing  himfelf,  had  he  ftill  furvived. 


SKETCH 

OF    THE 

LIFE  OF 
DR.     SMOLLETT. 


TOBIAS   SMOLLETT  was  born    at   Dalquhurn, 
on  the  banks  of  the   Leven,  in  D unbar tonfhi re,  in 

the  year  1720.  His  father  was  the  youngeft  fon  of  Sir 
James  Smollett  of  Bonhill.  FJis  mother's  name  was  Cun 
ningham^  the  daughter  of  a  refpeclable  family  in  Renfrew- 
fhire.  In  the  flight  fketch  which  follows  a  minute  detail 
is  not  to  be  expected  :  for,  though  it  has  been  obferved  of 
our  author,  that  his  life  forms  an  exception  to  that  of  the 
generality  of  literary  men,  from  the  variety  of  adventures 
he  underwent,  and  the  different  fituations  of  life  which  he 
experienced  ;  yet,  however  true  the  obfervation  may  be, 
fb  little  of  thefe  occurrences  is  now  accurately  known,  that 
the  only  unerring  mark  of  his  progrefs  through  life  is  to  be 
found  in  his  writings. 

After  the  ordinary  courfe  of  education,  he  was  put  appren 
tice  to  a  furgeon  in  Glafgow,  and  afterwards  attended  the 
medical  clafles  in  Edinburgh.  He  then  went  to  London  ; 
and  his  firit  outfet  appears  to  have  been  as  a  furgcon's 
mate  in  the  navy,  in  which  capacity  he  ferved  at  the  fiege 
of  Carthagena;  but  he  continued  only  a  fhort  time  in  this 
line,  being  difgufted  at  the  fervice*.  It  was  here  he  ac 
quired  his  knowledge  of  fea  characters,  which  he  has 
drawn  in  a  manner  fo  excellent,  and  at  the  fame  time  f«> 
technically  true,  as  to  excite  general  admiration;  and  they 
have  fince  continued  the  model  for  dramatics  and  novel- 
writers  to  copy. 

About  the  year  1747,  he  prefented,  for  performance,  nt 
Drury-lane  theatre,  a  tragedy  (written  in  his  eighteenth 
year)  called  The  Regicide,  founded  on  the  afla /filiation  of 
James  I.  of  Scotland.  On  this  occafion,  he  experienced 
the  treatment  which  young  authors  generally  meet  with 

*  In  hii  Roderick  Random,  he  gives  an  account  of  the  management  of 
that  ill-condufted  expedition,  which  he  cenfares  in  the  warmeft  terms,  and 
from  circumftznces  which  fell  under  his  own  particular  obfervatio;:.  He  is 
fuppcfed  to  have  been  the  editor  of  "  A  compendium  of  Authentic  Voyages, 
digefted  in  a  chronological  feries,"  7  vol.  izmo.  published  in  1756  ;  amongit 
•which  is  inferted  a  fhort  narrative  of  the  expedition  to  Cr.rtha^na,  1741, 
written  with  great  fnirir,  but  abounding  with  acrimony. 


VI  SKETCH    OF    THE    LIFE 

from  managers  and  would-be  patrons  after  being  buoyed  ; 
up  and  flattered  for  a  coufiderable  time,  his  tragedy  was 
finally  rejected.  The  fpirit  of  Smollett  could  jll  brook 
fuch  ufage,  and  he  refented  the  injury  by  ievere  retalia 
tion  in  his  future  writings  *. 

*  Lord  Lyttle'on  and  Mr.  Gnrri;k  were  the  principal  obje&s  of  his  re- 
fentment  ;  but,  on  cool  reflection,  he  feems  to  have  r^rctte.i  his  warmth,  and 
retracted,  in  handfome  terms,  the  haily  effaiions  of  his  d;fappoin;rncnt.  De- 
fiK-Ls,  "  of  doing  juftice  i.i  a  w.,rk  or  truth  to.  wrongs  done  in  a  work  of 
fiction'  (to  ufe  his  .<\vn  exprejfion),  in  giv.ng  a  /ketch  of  the  lioeral  atu  in 
his  iftory  of  England,  he  remarked,  "  the.  ex  ibitions  of  the  ftage  were  im 
proved  to  the  molt  cxquifite  entertaintment  oy  tr.L  talents  and  n<anagcmcnt  of 
Carrie k,  who  greatly  furpafTed  all  hi*  predeceffors  o.  this,  aad  perhaps  every 
ether  nation,  i:i  his  genius  for  a£hng,  Li  the  Iweetnefs  and  variety  .>f  his 
tone::,  tru,  irroilfti.-ile  magic  of  his  eye,  the  fire  and  vivacity  of  nis  atlion,  the 
elegance  of  attitude,  and  the  whole  pathos  of  exprcllion. 

"  Candidates  for  literary  fame  appeared  even  in  the  higher  fph  re  of  life, 
embelliihed  by  the  nervous  fenfe  and  extenlive  erudition  of  a  Corke,  oy  the 
dclirate  taft  ,  the  poliihed  mufe,  and  tender  feelings  of  a  Ly  .tleto::,' 

Nnt  fatisfied  with  this  public  declaration  of  his  lentiments,  ne  wrote  in  ftill 
ftrunger  terms  to  Mr.  Garrick  : 

"  DC  AX  SIR,  Chelfea,  Jan.  27     1762. 

/  "  I,  this  morning,  received  your  Winter's fTale,  and  a  :  agreeably  flatter 
ed  by  this  mark  of  your  attention.  What  I  have  laid  of  .Mr.  Garrkk,  \  •.  the 
Kiftory  of  England,  was  I  proteft,  the  language  of  my  heart.  I  fhall  r  joke 
if  he  f.'inkv  1  have  done  him  barely  juftice.  I  am  fare  tiie  Public  wil  Jiink 
I  have  done  no  .nove  than  juftice.  in  giving  a  ihort  (ketch  of  t  e  iib-'ral  arts, 
I  could  not,  with  a>iy  propriety,  forbear  mentioning  a  gentleman  fo  emi  'en  ly 
diftirguifh-id  by  a  genius  that  has  no  rival.  Befides,  I  thought  it  was  a  duty 
incumbent  on  me  in  particular  to  iaake  a  public  atonement  in  a  Wj.k  of  truth 
for  wrongs  done  him  ia  a  work  of  ficlion. 

"  rnong  the  other  inconveniences  arifing  from  ill  health,  I  deeply  regret 
my  being  difabled  from  A  perfonal  cultivation  of  your  good  wiij,  and  the  un- 
fpeakuble  :njoyment  I  lliould  fomt-iimes  derive  from  your  private  conversation, 
as  -.v-.  1!  as  from  the  public  exertion  of  your  talents  ;  but,  fi-queftered  as  I  am 
from  the  worLi  of  entertainment,  the  confcioufnefs  of  ftanding  well  in  your 
opinion  will  ever  afford  iingular  fatisfa&ion  to, 

DEAR  SIR, 

Your  very  hum-ble  fervant, 

T.  SMOLLETT," 

In  the  year  1757,  his  Comedy  of  the  Reprif.ils,  an  after  piece  of  two  ails, 
was  p.i formed  at  Drury  Lane  Theatre.  H  acknowledged  himfelf  "  highly 
obliged  for  the  friendly  care  Mr.  G.  exerted  in  pu  paring  it  for  the  ftage ; 
and  ftill  more  for  his  acting  the  part  of  Lufignan,  in  Zara,  for  his  benefit,  on 
the  lixth,  inftcad  of  the  ninth  night,  to  which  he  was  only  entitled  by  the 
cuftom  of  the  Theatre."  Being  informed  attempts  had  been  made  to  em 
broil  him  on  this  occafion  with  Mr.  G.  he  wrote  to  that  gentleman. 

SIR, 

"  Underftancling,  from  Mr.  Derrick,  that  fome  officious  people  have 
circulated  reports  in  my  name,  with  a  view  to  prejudice  me  in  your  opinion, 
],  in  juftice  to  niyfelf,  take  the  liberty  to  allure  you,  that  if  any  perioa  ac- 
cciT-s  me  of  havin;;  fpoken  difrefpt&fully  of  Mr.  Garrick,  of  having  hinted 
t:at  he  folicued  for  my  farce,  or  had  interefrcd  views  in  bringing  it  upon  the 
ftago,  he  does  me  wrong,  upon  the  word  of  a  gentleman.  The  imputation  is 
aitogeth-jr  fulfe  and  rrjaiicious.  Exdufive  of  other  confideratiens,  1  could  net 


OF       DR.       SMOLLETT.  Vil 

The  adventures  of  Roderick  Random,  a  work  which 
!aid  the  foundation  of  his  fame,  appeared  in  1748  :  The  fuc- 
ctfs  attending  this  nov?l  encouraged  him  to  proceed  in  the 
fame  line;  and,  in  1751,  he  publiflied  the  Adventures  of 
Peregrine  Pickle,  in  which  the  memoirs  of  a  woman  of 
quality  (Lady  Vane)  excited  much  attention.  The  Ad 
ventures  of  Ferdinand  Count  Fathom  and  Sir  Launcelot 
Greave?  followed,  but  with  inf  i  ior  fuccefs.  In  moft  of 
thefe  performances  but  particularly  the  firft,  our  author 
has  drawn  many  of  hi  characters  from  real  life,  and  the 
originals  were  in  his  own  time  known  and  pointed  out; 
but,  fhort  as  the  time  is  fince  their  publication,  his  works 
at  prefent  derive  no  advantage  from  that  fource,  and  owe 
tluir  celebrity  to  their  intrinfic  merit  alone  *. 

In  1756,  he  began  the  Critical  Review,  a  work  which 
he  conduited  with  much  ability,  but  with  a  degree  of  acri 
mony,  in  fome  inftances,  that  involvrd  him  in  a  variety 
of  difputes.  The  moft  ferious  of  thefe  was  with  Admiral 
Kr.owles,  who  had  publiftied  a  pamphlet  in  defence  of  his 
condudl  on  the  expedition  to  Rochfort  f.  On  this  per- 

be  fuch  an  ideot  to  talk  in  that  ftrain  when  my  own  intered  fo  immediately 
required  a  different  fort  of  sor.duci.  Perhaps  the  fame  infidious  methods  have 
been  taken  to  inflame  former  aiiiinofities,  which,  on  my  part,  are  forgotten 
and  felf-condemned.—  I  mud  own  you  have  afted  in  this  arr.iir  of  the  fa'^i 
with  that  candour,  opennefs,  and  corrialify,  which  even  mortify  my  pride, 
while  they  lay  me  under  the  moft  fenfible  obligation  ;  and  I  (hall  not  relt  fa- 
tisfied  until  I  have  an  opportunity  to  convinc  Mr.  Garrick,  that  my  grati 
tude  is  at  leaft  as  warm  as  any  other  of  my  pafiions.  Meanwhile,  I  prof;,  is 
myfelf, 

S    I     R, 

Your  moft  humble  frrvant, 

T.  SMOLLETT. 

*  It  would  he  no  very  difficult  matter,  even  now,  to  appropriate  the  different 
characters  to  the  originals  :  but  the  ta/k  would  be  invidious.  Squire  Gawky, 
Strap,  Crab,  Potion,  Morgan,  in  Roderick  Random  ;  the  Doctor,  Joltcr, 
Pallet,  in  Peregine  Pickle,  &c.  were  all  well  known  at  the  time.  He  has 
alfo  introduced  his  own  chava&er  in  Humphrey  Ciinker  as  Mr.  Searle,  and  in 
the  dedication  to  Count  Fathom. — The  lateft  editions  of  fofne  of  his  work; 
(which  are  followed  in  this  collection)  have  undergone  confiderable  alter 
ations. 

f  The  Dodlor,  defirousof  co-rp  omiilng  this  unlucky  difpute  in  an  amica 
ble  manner,  applied  to  his  friend  Mr.  Wilkes,  to  interpofe  his  good  offices 
with  his  opponent,  in  the  following  letter  : 

"  DZAR  SIR,  CMJfj,  March    24,  1759. 

"  Ecceiterum  Criftirms. — Your  geaerofity  with  refpcft  to  Johnfon  (a)  fliall 
oe  the  therre  of  our  applaufe  and  thankigiving.  I  ihall  be  very  proud  to  find 
myf  If  comprehended  in  ;.  our  league  offrniive  and  dtfer.five  ;  ri.y  I  confidsr 
myfelf  already  as  a  contracting  party,  and  have  recourfe  to  the  affiflance  of 
my  allies.  It  is  not  I  believe,  unknown  to  you,  that  Admiral  Knowlcs  h;< 
Uiken  exception  at  a  paragraph  in  the  Critical  Review  of  hft  May,  and  com- 

(,-)  Mr.  Wilkes,  a:  the  interceffion  of  Dv.  Smollett,  had  procured  th?  li 
berty  of  Dr.  Johnlbrj's  feivant,  who  had  beenimnrcfTct. 


viii  SKETCH    OF    THE    LIFE 

formancc,  the  Doctor  was  fo  particularly  and  unguarded 
ly  feverc,  that  the  Admiral  commenced  a  profecution 
agair.ft  the  printer,  and  fentence  was  on  the  point  of  being 
pronounced,  when  the  Doctor  came  forward,  avowed  him 
felf  die  author  of  the  criticifm,  and  offered  the  Admiral 
any  fatisfa&ion  he  might  require.  The  confequence  was, 
that  a  profecution  was  immediately  commenced  againft 
him,  and  he  was  fined  jool.  and  fentenced  to  three  months 
confinement  in  the  King's  Bench  prifon  *. 

rncnced  a  prckcution  againft  tlie  printer.  Now,  whatever  teimination  the 
tiial  may  have,  we  fliall  infallibly  be  expofed  to  a  confidetablc  expence,  and 
therefore  i  with  to  ice  the  profecution  quafhed.  Some  gentlemen,  who  are  my 
friends,  have  undertaken  t9  find  out,  and  talk,  with  thofe  who  are  fuppofc.l 
to  have  influence  with  the  faid  Admiral.  May  I  beg  the  favour  of  you  and 
your  friends  ?  The  trial  will  come  on  in  the  beginning  of  May  ;  and,  if  the 
affair  cannot  be  co-npromifjj,  we  intend  to  kick  up  a  dull,  and  die  hard. 
In  a  word,  if* that  fooliih  Admiral  has  any  regard  to  his  own  character,  he 
will  be  quiet,  rather  than  provoke  further  the  refentment  of, 

DEAR   SIR,  &c. 

T.  SMOLLETT." 

*  This  was  not  the  only  difpute  the  Doftor  was  involved  in. — On  the  pub 
lication  of  the  Rofciad,  the  author,  confiderinp  himfelf  and  fomc  of  his  friends 
very  iujurioufly  treated  in  the  Review  of  that  work,  and  imagining  Dr.  Smol 
lett  the  author  of  the  offenlive  article,  retorted  with  great  fpirit  in  his  excel 
lent  poem,  entitled  An  Apology  to  the  Critical  Reviewers.  It  apppears, 
however,  he  was  miftaken  in  his  fufpicion  ;  for  Dr.  Smollet,  hearing  that 
Mr.  Colman  had  alfo  accufed  him  of  having  made  an  attack  on  his  moral 
character  in  the  Review,  the  Dodlor  exculpated  himfelf  from  the  charge,  in 
a  letter  to  Mr.  G. 

"  DEAR   SIR,  Chelfea,  Apnl  5,    1761. 

"  I  fee  Mr.  Colman  has  taken  offence  at  the  article  in  the  Critical  Review 
which  treats  of  the  Rofciad,  and  I  underftand  he  fufpected  me  to  be  the  author 
of  that  article.  Had  he  afked  me  the  qucftion,  I  fnould  have  freely  told  him 
I  \vas  not  the  author  of  the  oflenfive  article,  and  readily  contributed  to  any 
decent  fcheme  which  might  have  been  propofed  for  his  fatisfaftion.  But  as 
he  has  appealed  to  the  Public,  I  fhall  leave  him  and  the-real  author  to  fet 
•tlf  the  matter  between  themfelves,  and  content  myfelf  with  declaring  to  you, 
and  that  upon  my  honour,  that  I  did  not  wiite  one  word  of  tne  article  upon 
the  Rofciad  ;  that  I  have  no  ill-will  nor  envy  to  Mr.  Colman,  whom  I 
have  always  velpccted  as  a  man  of  genius,  and  whofe  genius  1  ihall  always  be 
ready  and  pli.-afed  to  acknowledge  either  in  private  or  public.  I  envy  no  man 
of  merit,  and  1  can  fafely  fay  1  do  not  even  repine  at  the  fuccefs  of  thofe  whj 
have  no  merit,  lain  old  enough  to  hav?  feen  and  oMerved  that  we:  are  al  1 
play-things  of  fortune  :  and  that  it  depends  upon  foirething  as  infignilkant 
and  precarious  as  the  tolling  up  of  a  half-penny,  whether  a  "-man  rifcs  to  af 
fluent:  and  honours,  or  continues  to  his  dying  day  ftruggling  with  tlie  diffi 
culties  and  dif^races  of  life.  I  defire  to  live  quietly  with  all  mankind,  and, 
if  poflible,  to  bo  upon  good  terms  with  al!  thofe  who  have  diftinguifned  thcm- 
felves  by  their  extraordinary  merit.  I  mud  own,  that,  if  I  had  ex^minej  the 
article  upon  the  Rofciad  before  it  was  fent  to  the  prefs,  I  ihould  have  put  my 
ne  ;ativo  on  feme  expreifions  in  it,  though  I  cannot  fee  in  it  any  reflection  to 
the  prejudice  of  Mr.  Cohr.an's  moral  character  but  I  have  been  fo  hurried 
lince  m,  enlargement,  that  I  had  not  time  to  write  one  article  in  the  Critical 
Review,  except  th.it  on  Bower's JHiftory,  and  perhaps  I  ihall  not  write  another 
thefcr  fix  rr  en  '  s  That  hurry  and  n  bad  ilate  of  health  have  prevented  me 
from  r.-'.'Ti-in.;  i:j  pcrLn  the  viiic  you  favoured  me  with  in  the  King's  Bench. 


OF    DR.       SMOLLETT.  JX 

Having  been  unfuccefsful,  or  perhaps  too  foon  difcou- 
raged  in  his  attempts  to  eftablifh  himfclf  as  a  phyfician  *, 
he  relinquifhed  the  practice  altogether,  and  dedicated  the 
whole  of  his  time  to  literature.  In  this  fituation,  his  ge 
nius  and  induftry  were  equally  confpicious.  Bcfidcs  his 
Hiftory  of  England  f,  the  merit  of  which  is  well  known, 
he  wrote  and  compiled  a  number  of  works  for  the  bookfel- 
lers,  to  which  his  name  does  not  appear.  He  alfo  tranf- 
lated  Gil  Bias,  Don  Quixote,  &c.  &c. 

When  Lord  Bute,  in  1762,  aflumed  the  management 
of  public  affairs,  Dr.  Smollet  was  one  of  the  principal 
writer's  in  defence  of  his  meafures.  The  vehicle  he  chofe 
for  this  purpofe  was  a  paper  called  The  Briton.  This 
was  foon  followed,  on  the  other  fide,  by  the  famous 
North  Briton  (written  by  Mr.  Wilkes),  which  com 
pletely  defeated  its  opponent  •,  and  the  acrimony  of  thefe 
papers  is  faid  to  have  dilTolved  a  friendfhip  which  had  long 
fubfifted  between  their  refpective  authors  J.  When  Lord 
Bute  refigned,  the  writers  who  efpoukd  his  caufe  are  faid 
VOL.  I.  B 

I  beg  you  will  accept  this  letter  in  lieu  of  it,  and  believe  that  no  man  rofyects 
Mr.   Garrick  more  th.m  he  i.s  refpe<i.V:d  by  his  obliged  humble  fervant, 

T.   SMOLLETT." 

Betides  thefe,  many  other  difputes  arofe  with  different  writers,  who  c,m,~- 
dered  themfclves  injured  by  the  feverity  of  the  Doctor's  criticifms  ;  indeed,  it 
may  be  affirmed,  that  feldom  a  month  parted  without  a  complaint  on  that 
head,  and  thofe  not  often  couched  in  th:  moil  decent  terms. 

*  It  has  been  faid,  that  the  Doctor's  not  fucceeding  as  a  phy/ician  was  owing 
to  his  failing  to  rr.ake  himfelf  agreeable  to  the  women  ;  but  his  fiijare  ana 
addrefs,  both  of  which  were  excellent,  renders  this  highly  improbable.  It  is 
more  likely  that  this  irritable  and  impatient  temper,  and  want  of  lupplenefs, 
were  the  real  caufesof  his  failure. 

•J-  The  fale  of  this  work  was  very  extenfive,  and  the  Doilor  is  faid  to 
have  cleared  2000  1.  by  it  and  the  Continuation. 

J  Two  months  before  the  firft  number  of  the  Briton  appeared,  Dr.  Smollett 
wrote  the  following  letter  to  ?vir.  Wilkes  : 

"  DEAR  SIR,  CMfia  RLirtb  aS,   1762. 

"  My  \varmell  regard,  affection,  and  attachment,  you  have  long  ago  fe- 
cured.  My  fecrecy  you  may  depend  upon  (a]. — V/ii  n  1  prcfamc  ta  differ 
from  you  in  any  point  of  opinion,  I  fliall  always  do  it  with  diffidence  and  de 
ference.  I  have  been  ill  thefe  three  months,  but  hope  i";;on  to  be  in  a  condi 
tion  to  pay  my  refpects  to  Mr.  Wilkes  in  perfon.  Mean  while,  I  muft  bej 
leave  to  trouble  him  with  another  piuk;  t,  \\v-Lh  he  will  be  I'D  good  as  to  con- 
Kcrutcat  his  leifure.  Tint  he  may  continue  to  enjoy  his  happy  flow  of  fpi- 
rit*,  and  proceed  through  lif-  with  a  flowing  fail  of  prof  parity  and  rcpnutijn, 
is  the  v.'iJ;,  aad  thihope,  and  the  confident  expectation  of 

Kb  rr.uJi  obliged. 

Humbls  fervan", 

T.  SMOLLETT." 

(j)-  Relative  re  Mr.  Wilkei's  obfervatijcs  on  the  Spanilh  papers. 


SKETCH    OF    THE    LIFE 

to  have  been  totally  negle£ted.  Our  author,  though,  it 
would  feem,  born  to  meet  with  difappointments,  poflefled 
a  temper  by  no  means  calculated  to  bear  them.  Neglect 
and  ingratitude  made  a  deep  impreffion  on  his  mind  *  ; 
and  this,  united  to  the  fedentary  life,  and  affiduous  appli 
cation  to  ftudy,  having  impaired  his  health,  he,  with  a 
view  to  re-eftablifh  it,  went  abroad  in  thefummerof  1763, 
and  continued  in  France  and  Italy  for  about  two  years,  in 
.1766,  he  publifhed  an  account  of  his  travels,  written,  as 
he  acknowledges  himfelf,  to  beguile  the  prefiure  of  diftem- 
per  and  difquiet  f .  Making  allowance  for  this  circum- 
ftance,  which  is  indeed  too  apparent,  his  letters  abound 
with  much  ufeful  information,  and  bear  the  marks  of  a  li 
beral,  manly  and  compreheniive  mind. 

When  the  Do£tor  returned  to  Britain,  his  health  being 
{till  in  a  declining  ftate  he  paid  a  vifit  to  Scotland,  his  na 
tive  countrv,  where  he  relided  a  fhort  time.  Soon  after, 
he  publifhed  his  Expedition  of  Humphrey  Clinker;  a 
work  which  in  the  opinion  of  many,  is  fuperior  to  all  his 
other  performances.  It  has  all  the  fpirit  and  vigour  of  his 
former  works,  and  is  evidently  the  production  of  a  mind 
enriched  and  mellowed  by  experience,  and  foftened,  but 
not  foured,  by  misfortune. 

With  a  view  once  more  to  try  the  effects  of  a  milder 
climate,  he  returned  to  Italy,  where  he  died, — O6to- 
ber  21,  1771. 

Of  the  domeftic  life  of  our  author,  the  little  that  is  ac 
curately  known  does  not  prefent  us  with  a  picture  of  hap- 
.pinefs.  He  married  a  lady  from  Jamaica,  by  whom  he  had 
a  daughter  thlat  he  tenderly  loved.  The  death  of  this 
daughter,  which  happened  a  fhort  time  before  he  went 

*  The  Doftor  has  fatirized  all  his  political  enemies  in  the  Adventure?  of  an 
Atom — a  work,  abounding  with  much  wit ;  but  the  fatire  is  now  very  little 
underftood. — It  properly  belongs  to  his  political  works. 

•f-  To  this  melancholy  and  cynical  turn  of  his  Travels,  Mr.  Sterne  is  fup- 
pofed  to  allude,  in  the  following  pufTage  of  his  Sentimental  Journey,  Vol.  I. 
p.  86.  "  The  learned  Smelfungus  travelled  from  Bologne  to  Paris — from 
Paris  to  Rome — and  Ib  on — but  he  fet  out  with  fpleen  and  jaundice,  and  eve 
ry  object  he  parted  by  was  difcoloured  and  distorted — He  wrote  an  account  of 
them,  but  it  was  nothing  but  the  account  of  his  miferable  feelings. — I  me.t 
Smelfungus  in  the  grand  portico  of  the  Pantheon — he  was  juft  coming  out  of 
it — "  It  is  nothing  but  a  huge  cock-pit,"  faid  he. — "  I  wi!h  you  ha'd  faid 
nothing  worfe  of  the  Venus  of  Medicis,"  replied  J — «  for,  in  palling  through 
Florence,  I  had  heard  he  had  fallen  foul  upon  the  goddefs,  and  ufed  her 
worfe  than  a  common  ftrumpet,  without  the  leaft  provocation  in  nature. — I 
popped  upon  Smelfungus  again  at  Turin,  in  his  return  home,  and  a  fad  tale 
of  forrowful  adventures  had  he  to  tell,  wherein  he  fpoke  of  moving  accidents 
by  flood  and  field,  and  of  the  cannibals  which  each  other  eat:  The  Anthro 
pophagi — He  had  been  flayed  alive,  and  bedeviled,  and  worfe  ufed  than  St. 
Bartholomew,  at  every  ftage  he  had  come  at — "  I'll  tell  it,"  cried  Smelfun- 
jr-  .;.  '•'  to  the  world."—"  You  had  better  tell  it,"  laid  I,  "  to  your  phy- 
fician." 


OF    DR.    SMOLLETT.  XI 

abroad,  made  an   imprefiion  on   his  mind,  which  he  never 
perfectly  recovered. 

To  add  to  the  regret  which  every  admirer  of  Smollett's 
character  and  genius  muft  feel  at  the  untoward  circum- 
flances  which  attended  him  through  life,  his  widow  was 
left  friendlefs  in  a  foreign  country.  To  relieve  her  from 
fome  temporary  diftrefs,  a  play  was  performed  at  Edin 
burgh,  in  May  1784  *,  for  her  benefit,  and  the  money 
remitted,  to  Italy,  where,  it  is  believed,  fhe  ftill  refides. 

*  On  this  occafion,  the  following  prologue  was  fpoken,  fiid  to  be  written 
by  PrOiVilbr  RichardfonofGluigow. 

THO'  lettered  Rome,  and  polifh'd  Greece,  could  bocft 

The  iplendid  table  and  the  courteous  hoft, 

The  rites  to  ftrangers  due — though  poets  ling 

This  mighty  warrior,  or  that  powerful  king, 

The  wand'rer's  friend — yet  ftill,  whate'er  is  told 

By  modern  poets,  or  by  bards  or  old, 

Is  rivalPd  here  : — For  here,  with  joy,  we  fea 

The  heart-felt  blifs  of  heavenly  Charity! 

See  her,  with  rapture,  fpread  her  willing  hands, 

And  throw  her  bleffings  into  foreign  lands  ; 

Dry  up  the  tear  fne  never  faw  to  flow, 

And  eager  catch  the  diilant  figh  of  woe. 

In  vain  fc-as  fwell,  and  mountains  rife  in  vain— 

A  widow's  groans  are  heard  acrofs  the  main ! 

—A  widow  now ! — Alas  !  how  changed  the  day  ! — 

Once  the  NAKCISSA  (i)  of  your  poet's  lay, 

Now,  fatal  change!   (ofev'ry  blifs  bereft, 

Nor  child,  nor  friend,  n~r  kind  protector  left), 

Spreads  on  a  divtant  fliore  her  fcanty  board, 

And  humbly  takes  what  ftrangers  can  afford. 

Yet  link'd  to  you  by  ev'ry  tender  tie, 

To  you  (lie  lifts  the  long  dejected  eye, 

And  thus  ftie  fpeaks — "  Who  dar'd,  with  manly  rage, 

"  To  lafh  the  vices  of  an  impious  age  ?   (2) 

"  Who  dar'd  to  feize  the  bold  hiftoric  pen, 

"  Paint  living  kings,  and  minifters,  as  men  ?   (3) 

"  Who  fung  fad  SCOTA'S  haplefs  fons  forlorn, 

"  Her  broken  peace,  her  frefiiett  laurels  torn?  (4) 

"  Or  who,  on  oaten  reed,  by  LEVEN'S  fide, 

"  Sung  the  fair  ftrcam,  and  hail'd  the  dimpling  tide  ?  (5) 

"  Or  who  ? — fay  ye,   for  fuch,  I'm  fure,  are  here, 

"  Whofe  honett  bofoms  never  yet  knew  fear  j 

'•'  Sons  of  the  North,  who  ftem  Corruption's  tide,   (6) 

'  Your  country's  honour,  and  your  nations  pride— 
"   Lords  of  the  lion  heart  and  eagle  eye. 
"  Who  heed  no  ftorm  that  howls  along  the  fky — 
"  Say  ye — whofe  lyre,  to  manly  numbers  ftrungr 
"  The  glorious  blifs  of  Independence  iung?   (7) 

(1)  Htr fS'tiitui  name  in  Roderick  Random. 

(2)  "   Advice  and  Reproof,"  ajatrre,  by  SmSJett. 

(  3 )  The  Hiftory  of  England,  brought  down  to  hu  own  time. 

(4)  His  Ode  1746,  if  ginning,  "  Mourn,  bapltft  Caledonia,  mmrrt." 

(5)  His  Ode  to  Le-ven  Walter. 

(6)  Alluding^  to  the  ofpofuion  given  by  the  northern  counties  to   tbf  corrup 

tion  offiEiitious  -volts. 

(7)  Smollett''!  Ode  to  Ir.detendenee, 


Xll 


The  chara&er  of  Dr.  Smollett  cannot  be  more  accu 
rately  delienated,  nor  more  elegantly  exprefied,  than  in 
the  following  infcriptions  : 


Q»  tbf  Monument  ersfted  to  the  memory   of  DR.  SMOLLETT,  near  Leghsrn. 
Written  by  Dr.  jSrmftrong. 

Hie  of.'i  conduntur 

TOBLSi  SMOLLETT,  Scoti  ; 

Qui,  profapia  generofa  et  antiqua  natus, 

Prilcse  flrtutis  exemplar  emicuitj 

Afpectu  ingenue, 

Corpore  valido, 

Pettore  animofo, 

Indole  apprime  benigna, 

Et  fere  fupra  facultates  munifica, 

Infignis. 

Ingenio  feraci,  faceto,  veriatili, 

Omnigenae  fere  doclrinae  mire  capaci; 

Varia  fabularum  dulcedine 

Vitam  morefque  hominum, 

Ubertate  fumma  ludens,  depinxit. 

Adverfo,  interim,  nefas !  tali  tantoque  alumno, 

Nifi  quo  fatyrae  opipare  fupplebat, 

Seculo  impio,  ignavo,  fatuo, 

Q^o  mufas  vix  nifi  nothas 

Mecaenatulis  Brittannicis 

Foyebantur. 

In  memoriam 

Optimi  et  amabilis  omnino  viri, 
Permultis  amicis  defiderati, 

Hocce  marmor, 
Dileftiffima  fimul  et  amantiffima  conjux, 

L.  M. 
Sacravit. 


TRANSLATION. 

Here 
Reft  the  remains 

of 
TOBIAS     SMOLLETT, 

A  North  Briton, 

Who,  fprung 

From  an  ancient  and  rcfpedtable  family, 

Shone  forth  an  example 
Of  the  virtues  of  former  times 
Of  an  ingenuous  countenance, 

And  manly  make, 
With  a  breaft  animated  by  the  jufteft  fpiri*, 


"  Who  felt  that  power,  and  ftill  ador'd  his  fhrine  ?— 
"  It  was  your  SMOLLETT.     Oh!  he  once  was  mine!"— 
Tears  ftopp'd  her  utterance,  elfe  fhe  would  have  faid, 
"  Like  him  be  bold,  in  virtue  undifmay'd  j 
"  Let  independence  all  your  aftions  guide, 
"  Your  furuft  patron,  and  your  nebleft  pride." 


OF    DR.    SMOLLETT.  Xlll 

He  was  eminently  tliitinguifhed 

For  great  benevolence  of  temper, 

And  a  generosity  even  above  his  fortune. 

His  wit  had  every  character 

Qf  fertile  inventivencfs, 

Of  true  pleafantry, 

Of  flexibility  to  every  fubjeft, 

From  his  aptnefs  and  wonderful  capacity 

For  every  kind  of  learning. 

The  exercife  of  thefe  talents 

Produced  a  variety  of  pleafing  fitrions, 

In  which 
With  great  exuberance  of  fancy 

and  true  humour 

He  laughed  at  and  dcfcribed 

The  lives  and  manners  of  men, 

While 
(Shameful  to  relate  !) 

This  genius, 
This  honour  to  his  country, 

Met  with  nothing 

In  thefe  abandoned,  worthlefs,  infipid  times 
But  what  was  unfavourable  to  him 

Except  indeed 

Their  abundance  of  fupply  to  his  pen 

Of  matter  of  fatire  } 

Times  ! 

In  which 

Hardly  any  literary  merit 
But  fuch  as  was  in  the  molt  falfe  or  futile  tafte 

Received  encouragement 
From  the  paultry  mock  Mecaenafes  of  Britain  ' 

In  honour  to  the  memory 
Of  this  moft  worthy  and  amiable 

Member  of  fociety, 
Sincerely  regretted  by  many  friends, 

This  monument 

Wa§  by  his  much  beloved  and  affectionate  wife 

Dutifully  and  defervedly 

Confecrated. 

INSCRIPTION 

On  the  Pillar  lately  treEled  to  the.  Memory  of 

DR.  TOBIAS  SMOLLETT, 

on  the  Banks  of  the  Lc'ven 

Sifte,  viator  ! 

Si  lepores  ingeniique  venam  benignam, 
Si  morum  callidiflimum  pi£lorem, 

Unquam  es  miratus, 
Immorare  paululum  memorise 
TOBI^E  SMOLLETT,  M.  D. 

Viri  virtutibushifce 

Quas  in  homine  et  civi 

Zt  laudes  et  imiteris, 

Haud  mediocriter  ornati : 

Qui  in  literis  variis  verfatus, 

Poftquam  felicitate  fibi  propria 

Sefe  pofteris  commendaverat, 

Morte  acerba  raptus 


XIV  SKETCH    OF    THE    LIF2 

Anno  setiris  51, 
Eheu  !  quam  pyocul  a  patria  ! 
Prope  Liburni  portum  in  Italia, 

Jaceticpultus. 
Tali  tantoque  viro,  patrueli  fuo, 

Cui  in  decurfu  lampada 
Se  potius  rradidifie  decuit, 

Hanc  columnam, 
Amoris,  eheu  !  inane  monumentum, 

In  ipfis  Leviniae  ripis, 

Qiws  verficulis  fub  exitu  vitas  illuftratas, 

Primis  infans  vagitibus  perfonuit, 

Ponendam  curavit 

JACOBUS  SMOLLETT  de  Bonhill 

Abi  et  reminifcere, 

Hoc  quidem  honors, 

Non  modo  defundli  memoriae, 

Verum  etiam  exemplo,  profpe&um  effe  ; 

Aliis  enim,   li  modo  digsi  fint, 

Idem  erit  virtutis  praemium  ! 

TRANSLATION 

Of  the  Inscription  on  DR.  SMOLLETT. 

Stay,  traveller ! 
If  elegance  of  tafteand  wit, 

If  fertility  of  genius, 

And  an  unrivalled  talent 

In  delineating  the  characters  of  mankind, 

Have  ever  attracted  thy  admiration, 

Paufe  a  while 

On  the  memory  of  TOBIAS  SMOLLETT,  M.  D. 

One  more  than  commonly  endued  with   thofe  virtues 

Which  in  a  man  and  a  citizen 

You  would  praife,  or  imitate. 

Who, 
Having  fecured  the  applaufe 

Of  pofterity, 

By  a  variety  of  literary  abilities, 
And  a  peculiar  felicity  of  compofition, 

Was, 

By  a  rapid  and  cruel  diltemper, 
Snatched  from  this  world  in  the  51!!  year  of  his  age. 

Far,  alas  !  from  this  country, 

He  lies  interred  near  Leghorn,  in  Italy. 

In  teftimoney  of  his  many  and  great  virtues 

This  empty  monument, 
The  only  pledge,  aks  !  of  his  affeftion, 

Is  eretled 

On  the  Banks  of  the  Leven, 

The  fcene  of  his  birth  and  of  his  lateft  poetry, 

By  JAMES   SMOLLETT  of  Bonhill, 

His  coufin; 
Who  fliotild  rather  have  expend  this  laft  tribute  from  him 

Go,  and  remember 
This  honour  was  not  given  alone  to  the  memory  of  the  deceafed. 

But  for  the  encouragement  of  others  : 
Defcrve  like  him,  and  be  alike  rewarded. 


THE 


HISTORY 


ENGLAND, 

FROM    THE    REVOLUTION 
TO  THE  DEATH  OF  GEORGE  THE  SECOND. 


BOOK    I. 

FROM  THE  REVOLUTION  TO  THE  TREATY  OF  RYSWIC. 

CHAPTER    I. 

State  of  the    nation William  favours   the   Diffenters 

D  if  putts    about    the    bill   of    indemnity War 

declared  againfi  France King   William's   authority 

recognized  in  Scotland Battle  of  Killycrankie 

Ireland  invaded  by    King  James Siege   of  London 
derry Proceedings  of  parliament King  William 

lands  in  Ireland. 

THE  conftitution  of  England  had  now  aflumed  a  new  CHAP. 
afpeft.     The  maxim  of  hereditary,  indefeafible  right         I. 
was    at   length  renounced   by  a   free    parliament.       The 
power  of  the  crown  was   acknowledged   to   flow    from  no 
other   fountain   than   that  of  a  contract   with  the   people. 
Allegiance   and  protection   were    declared  reciprocal  ties 
depending   upon  each   other.     The   reprefentatives  of  the 


1 6  HISTORY  OF   ENGLAND. 

BOOK,  nation  made  a  regular   claim  of  rights  in   behalf  of  their 
I-         conftituents ;    and  William  III.  afcended   the   throne   in 
l"*"yi»-'  confequence  of  an  exprefs    capitulation  with  the  people. 
1689.      Yet,  on  this  occafion,  the  zeal  of  the  parliament   towards 
their  deliverer  feems  to  have  overfhot  their   attachment  to 
their  own  liberty  and   privileges:    Or,  at    leaft,   they  ne- 
mediateiy     glecled  the  faireft   opportunity  that    ever   occurred,  to  rc- 
aherthe      trench  thofe  prerogatives  of  the  crown  to  which  they  im- 
lon'  puted  all  the  late  and  former  calamities  of  the  kingdom. 
Their  new  monarch  retained  the  old  regal  power  over  par 
liaments  in  its  full  extent.     He  was  left  at  liberty  to  con 
voke,  adjourn,  prorogue,  and  diflblve  them  at   his  pleafure. 
He  was  enabled  to  influence  elections,  and  opprefs   corpo 
rations.     He  pofleffed  the  right  of  choofing  his  own  coun 
cil  ;  of  nominating  all  the  great  officers  of  the  ftate,   and 
of  the  houfehold,  of  the  army,   the  navy,  and    the   church. 
He  referved  the  abfolute  command  of  the  militia  :   So  that 
he  remained  mafter  of  all  the  inftruments  and   engines  of 
corruption  and  violence,  without  any  other  reftraint  than 
his  own  moderation,  and    prudent  regard  to  the    Claim  of 
Rights,   and  principle  of  refinance,  on  which  the  Revolu 
tion  was  founded.     In  a  word,  the  fettlement  was  finimed 
with  fome  precipitation,  before  the  plan  had  been  properly 
digefted  and  matured;  and  this  will   be  the  cafe  in   every 
eftablifhment   formed  upon  a   fudden   emergency  in   the 
face  of  oppoMtion.     It  was  obferved,  that   the   king,  who 
was  made  by  the  people,  had  it  in  his  power  to  rule   with 
out  them;  to  govern  jure  dlvino,  though  he  was   created 
jure  humano  ;  and  that,  though  the  change  proceeded  from 
a  Republican  fpirit,  the    fettlement  was  built   upon  Tory 
maxims;  for  the  execution  of  his  government  continued 
ftill  independent  of  his  commiffion,  while  his  own  perfon 
remained   facred   and    inviolable.     The  prince  of  Orange 
had   been  invited    to   England  by  a  coalition   of  parties, 
united  by  a  common  fenfe  of  danger :  But   this  tie  was  no 
fooner  broken  than  they  flew  afunder,  and  each  refumed  its 
original  bias.    Their  mutual  jealoufy  and  rancour  revived, 
and  was  heated  by  dilpute  into  intemperate   zeal   and  en- 
thufiafm.     Thofe  who  at   ftrft   a£ted  from   principles   of 
patriot ifm  were  infenfibly   warmed   into   partisans  ;     and 
King  William  foon  found  himfe-f  at  the  head  of  a  faction. 
As  he  had  been  bred  a  Calvinift,  and   always   exprcfied  an 
abhorrence  of  fpiritual  perfecution,  the   Prefbyterians,  and 
other  Proteftant  diflenters,  confidered  him  as  their  peculiar 
protector,  and  entered   into   his  interefts    with    the   moft 
zealous  fervour  and  affiduity.     For  the    fame  reafons,   the 
friends  of  the  church   became  jealous  of  his  proceedings, 
and  employed  all  their  influence,  firlr  in  oppofin2  his  dc~ 


WILLIAM  AND  MARY.  17 

Vation  to  the  throne,  and  afterwards  in  thwarting  his  C  H  ^A  P. 
tneafures.  Their  party  was  efpoufed  by  all  the  friends  ^^^..^j 
of  the  lineal  fuccefiion;  by  the  Roman  Catholics;  by 
thofe  who  were  perfonally  attached  to  the  late  king  ;  and 
by  fuch  r.s  were  difgufted  by  the  conduct  and  perfonal 
deportment  of  William  fince  his  arrival  in  England. 
They  obfcrved,  that,  contrary  to  his  declaration,  he  had 
plainly  afpired  to  the  crown;  and  treated  his  father-in-law 
with  infolence  and  rigour  :  That  his  army  contained  a 
number  of  foreign  Papifts,  almoft  equal  to  that  of  the  En- 
gliila  Roman  Catholics  whom  James  had  employed  :  That 
the  reports  fo  incluftrioufly  circulated  about  the  birth  of 
the  prince  of  Wales,  the  treaty  with  France  for  enflaving 
England,  and  the  murder  of  the  earl  of  Efiex,  reports 
countenanced  by  the  prince  of  Orange,  now  appeared  to 
be  without  foundation  :  That  the  Dutch  troops  remained 
In  London,  while  the  Engliih  forces  were  diftributed  in 
remote  quarters  :  That  the  prince  declared  the  firft  (hould 
be  kept  about  his  perfon,  and  the  latter  fent  to  Ireland : 
That  the  two  houfes,  out  of  complaifancs  to  William, 
had  denied  their  late  fovereign  the  juftice  of  being  heard 
in  his  own  defence ;  and,  That  the  Dutch  h ,'d  lately 
interfered  with  the  trade  of  London,  which  was  ..Ire^.dy 
fenfibly  dimimihed.  Thefe  were  the  fouicesof  difcontent, 
f  welled  up  by  the  refentment  of  fjrne  noblemen,  and 
other  individuals,  clifappointed  in  their  hopes  of  profit  and 
preferment. 

William  began   his  reign  with  a  proclamation,  for  con-  Som-ner's 
firming  all  Proteftants  in  theotnces  which  they  enjoyed  on  c.n.aioa. 
the  i ft  day  of  December  :    Then  he  chofe  the  members  of  p 
his  council,  who  were  generally  {launch  to  his  intereft,  ex 
cept  the  Archbiihop  of  Canterbury  and  the  earl  of  Notting 
ham  *;  and  thefe  were  admitted    in    complaifance    to   the 
church-party,   which  it  was  not  thought   advifable  to  pro 
voke.     Nottingham  and  Shrewfbury  were  appointed  fecre- 
taries   of  ftate  :     The   privy-feal  was  beftowed  upon    the 
marquis  of  Hallifax:  The  carl  of  Dauby  was  created  prefi- 
dent  of  the  council.     Thefe  two  noblemen  enjoyed  a  £ood 
fhare  of  the  king's  confidence,  and  Nottingham  was  conn- 
derable,  as  head  of  the  church-party  :   But  the  chief  favou 
rite  was   Bentinck,    firft   commoner   on   the  lift  of  privy- 
co'"ife!lors,  as  well  as  groom  of  the  ftole  and    privy   purfe 

VOL.  I.  C 

*  The  council  confided  of  tiie  prince  of  Denmark,  the  archbifnop  of  Can 
terbury,  the  duke  of  Norfolk,  the  marquifles  of  Hallifax  and  Winchefter,  the 
carls  of  Danby,  Lind%,  Devonshire,  Dorfet,  Middlefex,  Oxford,  Shrewsbury, 
Bedford,  Bath,  Macclcsfield,  and  Nottingham  ;  the  Vifcounts  Fauconberg, 
Mordaont,  Newport,  Lumley  5  the  Lords  Wharton,  Montague,  Delamere, 
Churchill  ;  Mr  Eentin-k,  Mr  Sidney,  Sir  Robert  Howard.  Sir  Henry  Capd, 
Mr  1'owk,  Wr  Ruiill,  Mr  I-Iamb^n,  and  Mr  Bofcawea. 


18  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

i 

BOOK  whom  the  king  raifcd  to  the  dignity  of  earl  of  Portland. 
The  Englifh  favourite,  Sidney,  was  a  man  of  wit  and  plea- 
fure5  pofltfled  of  the  rnoft  engaging  talents  for  coriverfation 
D'Auverquerque  was  made  matter  of  the  horfe,  Zuyleftein 
of  the  robes,  and  Schomberg  of  the  ordnance  :  The  treafury, 
admiralty,  and  chancery  were  put  in  commiflion  :  Twelve 
able  judges  were  ehofenf;  and  the  diocefe  of  Salisbury 
being  vacated  by  the  death  of  Dr.  Ward,  the  king,  of  his 
own  free  motion,  fillet!  it  with  Burnet,  who  had  been  a 
zealous  (lickl.-r  for  his  intereft  j  and,  in  a  particular  manner, 
inftrumcntal  i-i  effedting  the  Revolution.  Sancroft,  arch- 
bifhop  of  Canterbury,  refufed  to  confeerate  this  ecclefiaftic, 
though  the  reafons  of  his  refufal  are  not  fpeciiied;  but, 
being  afi,  id  of  incurring  the  penalties  of  a  premunire,  he 
granted  a  commiflion  to  the  biinop  of  London,  and  three 
other  fuffragans,  to  perform  that  ceremony.  Burnet  was 
a  prelate  of  fome  parts  and  great  induftry ;  moderate  in  his 
notions  of  church  difciplinc,  inquifitive,  meddling,  vain, 
and  credulous.  In  confequence  of  having  incurred  the  dif- 
pleafure  of  the  .late  king,  he  had  retired  to  the  continent, 
and  fixed  his  refidence  in  Holland,  where  he  was  natu 
ralized,  and  attached  himfelf  to  the  intereft  of  the  prince 
of  Orange,  who  confulted  him  about  the  affairs  of  England. 
He  affifted  in  drawing  up  the  Prince's  manifefto,  and  wrote 
fome  other  papers  and  pamphlets  in  defence  of  his  defign. 
He  was  demanded  of  the  ftates,  by  the  Englifh  ambaffador, 
as  a  Britim  fugitive,  outlawed  by  King  James,  and  ex- 
cepted  in  the  aci  of  indemnity :  Neverthelefs,  he  came  over 
with  William,  in  quality  of  his  chaplain ;  and,  by  his  in 
trigues,  contributed  in  fome  meafure  to  the  fuccefs  of  that 
expedition.  The  principal  individuals  that  compofcd  this 
miniftry  have  been  characlerifed  in  the  hiftory  of  the  pre 
ceding  reigns.  We  have  had  occafion  to  mention  the  fine 
talents,  the  vivacity,  the  flexibility  of  Hallifax  ;  the  plau- 
fibility,  the  enterprizing  genius,  the  obftinacy  of  Danby; 
the  pompous  eloquence,  the  warmth,  and  oftentation  of  Not 
tingham;  the  probity  and-  popularity  of  Shrewfbury. 
Gotlolphin,  now  brought  into  the  treafury,  was  modeir, 
filent,  fagacious,  and  upright.  Mordaunt,  appointed  firft 
commiilioner  of  that  board,  and  afterwards  created  earl  of 
Monmouth,  was  open,  generous,  and  a  republican  in  his 
principles.  DeTam£ve,  chancellor  of  the  exchequer,  pro 
moted  in  the  fequcl  to  the  rank  of  earl  of  Warrington,  was 
clofe  and  mercenary.  Obicquioufhefs,  fidelity,  and  attach 
ment  to  his  mafter,  compofed  the  character  of  Bentinck, 

•J-  Sir  John  Holt  was  appointed  Lord-Chief-  Juflice  of  the  King's  Bench,  and 
Sir  Henry  Pollexi'cn  of  the  Common-Pleas.  The  earl  of  Dcvonfhire  was 
made  lord-iteward  of  the  houfekoH,  and  the  earl  of  Dorfet  lord-chamberlain. 
—Ralph. 


WILLIAM  AND  MARY.  19 

and  private  friend/hip,  but  rendered  unfit  for  publicbufmefs  C  H^A  P 
by  indolence  and  inattention.  He  was  ennobled,  and  af- 
terwards  created  earl  of  Romney  ;  a  title  which  he  er joyed 
with  fevera!  fucceifive  pofts  of  profit  and  importance.  The 
ftream  of  honour  and  preferment  rm  (Iron?;  in  favour  of  the 
Whigs,  and  this  appearance  of  partiality  confirmed  the  fuf- 
picion  and  refentment  of  the  oppofite  party.  - 

The   firft   refolution   taken   in    the  new  council  wa?  to 

1  •  1_  L  C  t.         *  "f  GO!!" 

convert  the  convention  into  a  parliament,  that  the  ;iew  let-  vcntion 
tlement  might  be  ft'-engthened  by  a  legal   fanftion,   wrtich  changed m- 
was  now  fupnofed  to  be  wanting,  as  the  affembly  had   not  ro  *  Parli-»- 
been  convoked  by  the  king's  writ  of  fummons.     The   ex 
periment   of  a    new  election   was  deemed  too   hazardous  ; 
therefore,  the  council  determined  that  the  king  (hould,    by 
virtue  of  his   own  authority,  change  the  convention  into  a 
parliament,  by  going  to  the    houfe  of  peers   with  the  ulual 
ftate    of  a  fovereien,  and  pronouncing  a  fpeech  from  the 
throne  to  both  houfrs.      This  expedient  was    accordingly 
praclifed  *.     He  affured  them  he  ftiould  never  take  any  ftep 

*  This  erpedient  was  attended  with  an  infurmountable  abfurdity.  If  the 
majority  of  the  convention  could  not  grant  a  '  -gal  fane-lion  to  the  etrablilhment 
they  had  made,  they  could  never  inveft  the  Prince  of  Orange  with  a  juft  right 
toafcend  the  throne  ;  for  they  could  not  give  what  they  ha.)  no  right  to  btiftow, 
and  if  he  afcended  the  throne  without  a  juft  title,  he  could  have  no  right  to 
fanclify  that  affembly  to  which  he  owed  his  elevation.  When  the  people  are 
obliged  by  tyranny,  or  other  accidents,  to  hav«  recourfe  to  the  firft  principles 
of  fociety,  namely  th'.'ir  own  preLrvation,  in  electing  a  new  fovereign,  it  will 
deferve  confidcration,  whether  that  choice  is  to  be  effected  by  the  majority  of 
a  parliament  which  has  been  diflblved,  indeed  by  any  parliament  whatfoever, 
or  by  the  body  of  the  nation  afieir.bled  in  communities,  corporations,  by  tribes 
or  centuries,  to  fignify  their  aflentor  difient  with  refpecl  to  the  perfon  propofed 
as  their  foveieign.  This  kind  of  election  might  be  attended  with  great  in 
convenience  an j  difficulty,  but  thefe  cannot  pofiibly  be  avoided  when  thecon- 
ftitution  is  diffolved  by  letting  afide  the  lineal  fucceflion  to  the  throne.  The 
constitution  of  England  is  founded  on  a  parliament  confiding  of  king,  lord?, 
and  commons  ;but  when  there  is  no  longer  a  king,  the  parliament  is  defective, 
and  the  conftitution  impaired  :  The  members  of  the  lower  houfe  are  the  repre- 
fentatives  of  the  people,  exprefsly  chofen  to  maintain  the  conftitution  in  church 
and  ftate,  and  fworn  to  fupport  the  rights  of  the  crown,  as  well  as  the  liberties 
of  the  nation;  but  though  they  are  elected  to  maintain,  they  have  no  power 
to  alter  the  conftitution.  When  the  king  forfeits  the  allegiance  of  his  ful  jedts, 
and  it  becomes  neceffary  to  dethrone  him,  the  power  of  fo  doing  cannot  porfibly 
refide  in  the  reprcfentatives  who  are  choien,  under  certain  limitations,  for  the 
purpofes  of  a  legifUture  which  no  longer  exifts  :  Their  power  is  of  courfe  at  an 
end,  and  they  are  reduced  to  at  level  with  other  individuals  that  ccnftitute  the 
community.  The  right  of  altering  the  conftitution,  therefore,  or  of  deviating 
from  the  tftablilhed  practice  of  inheritance  in  regard  to  the  fucceflien  to  the 
crown,  is  inherent  in  the  body  of  the  people,  and  every  individual  has  an  equal 
right  to  his  fhare  in  the  general  determination,  whether  his  opinion  be  fi  grafted 
•viva  vote,  or  by  a  representative  whom  he  appoints  and  inftrucls  for  the  pur- 
pofe.  It  may  be  fuggefted  that  the  prince  of  Orange  was  raifed  to  the  throne 
without  any  convulfion,  or  any  fuch  difficulties  and  inconvenienc.es  as  we  have 
affirmed  to  be  the  neceflary  confequences  of  a  meafure  of  that  nature.  To  this 
remark  we  anfwer,  that  fince  the  Revolution  thefe  kingdoms  have  beendevided 
and  rnrrafied  by  violent  and  implacable  factions,  that  eagerly  feck  the  de- 
ftruclion  ef  each  other  5  that  they  have  been  expofed  to  plots,  confpiracks, 
infurrccliens,  cjvil  wars,  and  fuccelfive  rebellions,  which  hare  not  been  defeat- 


20  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 


i 

OOK,  that  would  diminish  the  good  opinion  they  had  conceived  of 
/_,    his   integrit.       He  told  them  that  Holland  was  in  fuch   a 


of 

ntegrity. 

fituationas  required  their  immediate  attention  and  affiftance; 
That  the  pofture  of  affairs  at  home  likewife  demanded  their 
ferious  consideration  :  That  a  good  fettlement  was  necef- 
fury,  not  only  for  the  eftablifh  merit  of  domeftic  peace,  but 
alfo  for  the  fupport  of  the  Proteitant  Intereft  abroad  :  That 
the  affairs  of  Ireland  were  too.  critically  fituated  to  admit  of 
the  leaft  delay  in  their  deliberations  :  He,  therefore,  begged 
they  would  be  as  fpeedy  and  effectual  in  concerting  fuch 
meafures  as  would  be  judged  indifpenfably  neceffary  for  the 
welfare  of  the  nation.  The  commons  returning  to  their 
houie,  immediately  paffed  a  vote  of  thanks  to  his  mejefly, 
and  made  an  order  that  his  fpecch  fhould  be  taken  into  con- 
fideration.  After  the  throne  had  been  declared  vacant  by 
a  fmall  majority  of  the  peers,  thofe  who  oppofed  that  mea- 
iure  had  gradually  withdrawn  themfelves  from  the  houfe  ; 
fo  that  very  few  remained  but  fuch  as  were  devoted  to  the 
new  monarch.  Thefe,  therefore,  brought  in  a  bill  for  pre 
venting  all  pifputes  concerning  the  prefent  parliament.  In 
the  mean  time,  Mr  Hambden  in  the  lower  houfe  put  ths 
queftion,  Whether  a  king  elected  by  the  lords  fpiritual  and 
temporal,  and  the  commons  affembled  at  Weftminfter,  co 
ming  to  and  confulting  with  the  faid  lords  and  commons, 
did  not  make  as  complete  a  parliament,  and  legiflativc 
power  and  authority,  as  if  the  faid  king  ftiould  caufe  new 
elections  to  be  made  by  writ?  Many  members  affirmed, 
that  the  king's  writ  was  as  neceffary  as  his  prefence  to  the 
being  of  a  legal  parliament,  and,  as  the  convention  was  de 
fective  in  this  particular,  it  could  not  be  vefted  with  a  par 
liamentary  authority  by  any  management  whatfoever.  The 
Whigs  replied,  That  the  effence  of  a  parliament  confifted 
in  the  meeting  and  co-operation  of  the  king,  lords,  and 

ed  and  quelled  without  vaft  efFafton  of  blood,  infinite  mifchief,  calamity,  and 
expencc  to  the  nation  ;  that  they  are  ftill  fubjedted  to  all  thofj  alarms  and 
dangers  which  are  engendered  by  adifputed  title  to  the  throne,  and  the  efforts 
of  an  artful  pretender  ;  that  they  are  neceflarily  wedded  to  the  affairs  of  the 
continent,  and  their  intcnft  facrified  to  foreign  connexions,  of  which  they  can 
neve,  be  dii'sngaged.  P«rhaps  all  thefe  calamities  might  have  been  prevented 
by  the  interposition  of  the  prince  of  Orange.  King  James,  without  forfeiting 
the  crown  might  havi-  been  laid  under  fuch  reftriclions  that  it  would  not  have 
been  in  his  power  to  tyrannize  over  his  fubjefts  either  in  fpirituals  or  tempor 
als.  The  power  of  the  militia  might  havs  been  veiled  in  the  two  houfes  of 
parliament,  as  well  as  the  nomination  of  perfons  to  fill  the  great  offices  of  the 
church  and  ftate,  and  fuperintend  the  economy  of  the  adminiftration,  in  the 
application  of  the  public  money  ;  A  law  might  have  pafl'cd  for  annual  parlia 
ments,  and  the  king  might  have  been  deprived  of  his  power  to  convoke,  adjourn, 
prorogue,  and  diffolve  them  at  his  plealure.  Had  thefe  meafures  been  taken, 
the  king  rr.uft  have  been  abfolutely  difablcd  from  employing  cither  force  or 
corruption  in  the  profecution  of  arbitary  defigns,  and  the  people  mult  have 
been  fairly  reprefented  in  a  rotation  of  parliaments,  whofe  power  and  influence 
would  have  been  but  of  one  year's  duration, 


WILLIAM  AND  MARY.  21 

commons :  and  that  it  was  not  material  whether  they  were  CHAP. 
convoked  by  writ  or  by  letter ;    they  proved  this   aflertion 
by  examples  deduced  from    the  hiftory  of  England.    They     ^V^1^ 
obferved,  that  a  new  election  would  be  attended  with  great  9 

trouble,  cxpence,  and  lofs  of  time ;  and  that  fuch  delay  might 
prove  fatal  to  the  Proteftant  intereft  in  Ireland,  as  well  as  to 
the  allies  on  the  continent.  In  the  midil  of  this  debate,  the 
bill  was  brought  down  from  the  lords,  and  being  read,  a  com 
mittee  was  appointed  to  make  fome  amendments.  Thefe 
were  no  fooner  made  than  the  commons  fent  it  back  to  the 
upper  houfe,  and  it  immediately  received  the  royal  aflent. 
By  this  att.che  lords  and  commons  aflembled  at  Weftmin- 
fter  w?re  declared  the  two  houfes  of  parliament  to  all  intents 
and  purpofes :  It  likewife  ordained,  That  the  prefent  act, 
and  all  oirur  afts  to  which  the  royal  afTent  fhould  be  given 
before  tru;  next  prorogation,  fhould  be  underftood  and  ad 
judged  in  law  to  begin  on  the  13th  day  of  February:  That 
the  members,  inftead  of  the  old  oaths  of  allegiance  and  fu- 
pr^nacy,  flrmld  take  the  new  oath  incorporated  in  this  act 
under  the  ancient  penalty  :  and, That  the  prefent  parliament 
fhould  be  di delved  in  the  ufual  manner.  Immediately  after 
this  transaction,  a  warm  debate  arofe  in  the  houfe  of  com 
mons  about  the  revenue,  which  the  courtitrs  alledged  had 
devolved  with  the  crown  upon  William,  at  leaft,  during  the 
life  )f  James  ;  for  which  term  the  greater  part  of  it  had 
been  granted.  The  merrbers  in  the  oppofition  affirmed 
that  thefe  grants  were  vacated  with  the  throne  ;  and  at 
length  it  was  vou-d,  That  the  revenue  had  expired.  Then 
a  motion  was  made,  That  a  revenue  {hould  be  fettled  on  the 
king  and  queen  ;  and  the  houfe  refolved  it  mould  be  taken 
into  confideration.  While  they  deliberated  on  this  affair, 
they  received  a  mefTage  from  his  majefty,  importing,  that 
the  late  king  had  fet  fail  from  Breft  with  an  armament  to 
invade  Ireland.  They  forthwith  refolved  to  affift  his  ma 
jefty  with  their  lives  and  fortunes:  They  voted  a  temporary 
aid  of  four  hundred  and  twenty  thoufand  pounds,  to  be  levied 
by  monthly  afleflrnent ,  and  both  houfes  waited  on  the  king 
to  fignify  this  refolution.  But  this  unanimity  did  not  take 
place  till  feveral  lords,  fpiritual  as  well  as  temporal,  had, 
rather  than  take  the  oaths,  abfented  themfelves  from  parli 
ament.  Thenonjuring  prelates  were  Bancroft,  Archbifhop 
of  Canterbury,  Turner,  Bifhop  of  Ely,  Lake,  of  Chichefter, 
Ken,  of  Bath  and  Wells,  White,  of  Peterborough,  Lloyd, 
of  Norwich,  Thomas,  of  Worchefter,  and  Frampton,  of 
Gloucefter.  The  temporal  peers  who  refufed  the  oath, 
were  the  duke  of  Newcaftle,  the  earls  of  Clarendon,  Litch- 
field,  Exeter,  Yarmouth,  and  Stafford  ;  the  lords  Griffin 
and  Stawel.  Five  of  the  bifhops  withdrew  themfelves 


22  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND 

BOOK  from  the  houfe  at  one  time:   But.  before  they  retired,  one  of 

the  number  moved  for  a  bill  of  'ole  ition,  and  another   of 

^Y*^  comprehenfion,  by  which  moderr.le  di.  inters  might  bo  re- 

l689<      conciled    to   the   church,   and  admitted  into  ecclefiaftical 

benefices.     Such  bills  were  actually  prepared  and  prefented 

by  the  earl  of  Nottingham,  who  received  the  thanks  of  the 

.     houfe  for  the  pains  he   had  taken.       From  this  period,  the 

party  averfe  to  the  government  of  William  were  diftin- 

guimed  by  the  appellation  of  Nonjurors.       They  rejected 

the  notion  of  a  king  de  fatto,  as  well  as  all  other  diftin&ions 

and  limitations  ;  and  declared  for  the  abfolute  power,   and 

divine  hereditary  indefeafible  right  of  fovercigns. 

This  faction  had  already   begun  to  pra&ife   againft  the 
new  government.     The   king   having  received   fome  in 
timation  of  their  defigns  from  intercepted  letters,   ordered 
the  earl  of  Ar ran,  Sir  Robert  Hamilton,  and    fome  other 
gentlemen  of  the  Scottifh  nation,  to  be  apprehended,  and 
fent  prifoners  to  the  Tower.     Then  he  informed  the  two 
houfes  of  the  ftep  he  had  taken,  and  even  craved  their  ad 
vice  with  regard   to  his   conduct  in  fuch  a  delicate  affair, 
which  had  compelled   him  to   trefpafs    upon    the   law  of 
England.     The  lords  thanked  him  for  the  care  he  took  of 
their  liberties,  and  defired  he  would  fecure  all  difturbers  of 
the  peace  :  But  the  commons  empowered  him  by  3  bill  to 
difpenfe  with  the  Habeas  Corpus  a6t  till  the    iyth  day  of 
April  next  enfuing.     This  was  a  ftr^ich  of  confidence  in 
the  crown  which  had  not  been  made  in  favour  of  the  late 
king,  even  while  Argyle  and  Monmouth  were  in  open  re 
bellion.     A  fpirit   of  difcontent  had  by  this  time  diffufed 
itfelf  through  the  army,  and  become  fo  formidable  to  the 
court,  that  the  king  refolved  to  retain  the  Dutch  troops  in 
England,  and  fend  over  to    Holland  in   their  room  fuch 
regiments  as  were  moft   tinctured   with  difaffe&ion.     Of 
thefe  the  Scottifh  regiment  of  Dunbarton,  commanded  by 
Marefchal  Schomberg,  mutinied  on  its  march  to  Ipfwich, 
feized  the  military  cheft,  difarmed   the  officers  who  oppo- 
fcd  their  defign,  declared  for   King  James,  and  with  four 
pieces  of  cannon  began  their  march  for  Scotland.     Wil 
liam   being    informed    of    this   revolt,   ordered    General 
Ginckel  to  purfue  them  with   three  regiments  of  Dutch 
Dragoons,  and  the   mutineers   furrendered  at  difcretion. 
As  the  delinquents  were  natives  of  Scotland,  -which   had 
not  yet  fubmitted  in   form  to  the   new    government,  the 
king  did  not  think  proper  to  punifh  them  as  rebels,   but 
ordered  them  to  proceed  for    Holland,  according  to  his 
firft  intention.     Though  this  attempt  proved  abortive,  it 
made  a  ftrong  impreflion  upon   the  miniftry,  who   were 
divided  among   themfelvqs,  and  wavered  in  their  princi- 


WILLIAM  AND  MARY.  23 

pies.     However,  they   fiezed    this  opportunity   to  bring  c  H  A  p- 
in  a  bill  for  punifhing    mutiny  and  defertion,  which  in  a  ,  , 

little   time    paffcd  both  houfes,    and  received   the  royal       /$ 

tr  1689. 

a/lent. 


The  coronation'oath  *  being  altered  and  explained,  that  William 

and  Ma.ry 

crowaed. 


ceremony  was  performed  on  the    nth   day  of  April,  the  and 

:  r 


,  .  n  ,  T         ,  ,_..  .        i  •  .    «    -  i   /-          •       i. 

biinop  or  London  officiating,  at  the  king  s  deiire,  in  the 
room  of  the  metropolitan,  who  was  a  malcontent  :  And 
next  day  the  commons,  in  a  body,  waited  on  the  king 
and  queen  at  Whitehall,  with  an  addrefs,  of  congratu 
lation.  William  with  a  view  to  conciliate  the  affection 
of  his  new  fubjefts,  and  check  the  progrefs  of  clamour 
and  difcoiitent,  fi<;nificd,  in  a  folemn  meffage  to  the  houfe 
of  commons,  his  readinefs  to  acquiefce  in  any  meafure 
they  ftiould  think  proper  to  take  for  a  new  regulation  or 
total  fupprciHon  of  the  hearth-money,  which  he  underitood 
was  a  grievous  impofition  on  the  fubjecls  ;  and  this  tax 
was  afterwards  abolilhed.  He  was  gratified  with  an  ad 
drefs  of  thanks,  couched  in  the  warmeft  expreffions  of 
duty,  gratitude,  and  affection,  declaring  they  would  take 
fuch  meafures  in  fupport  of  his  crown,  as  would  con 
vince  the  world  that  he  reigned  in  the  hearts  of  his  peo 
ple. 

He  had,  in  his  anfwer  to  their  former  addrefs,  aflured 
them  of  his  conftant  regard  to  the  rights  and  profperity 
of  the  nation:  He  had  explained  the  exhaufted  ftate  of 
the  Dutch  ;  expatiated  upon  the  zeal  of  that  republic  for 
the  interefts  of  Britain,  as  well  as  the  maintenance  of  the 
Proteftant  religion  ;  and  expreffed  his  hope  that  the  En- 
glifh.  parliament  would  not  only  repay  the  fums  they  had 
expended  in  his  expedition,  but  likexvife  fupport  them  to 
the  utmoft  of  their  ability  againft  the  common'  enemies  of 
their  liberties  and  religion.  He  had  obferved  that  a  con- 
fiderable  army  and  fleet  would  be  neceffary  for  the  re- 

*  The  new  form  of  the  coronation  oath  confifted  in  the  following  questions 
and  anfwers.  "  Will  you  folemnly  promife  and  Uvear  to  govern  the  people 
"  of  this  k-ngdom  of  England,  and  the  dominions  thereto  b-  longing,  ace  on!  - 
"  ing  to  the  t'latutes  in  parliament  agreed  on,  and  the  laws  and  cuftoms  of 
"  the  fame  ?" 

"  i  folemnly  promife  fo  to  do." 

"  Will  you',  to  your  pc-.ver  caufe  law  and  ju^i.-c  in  nurcy  to  be  cx^C'.if.'d 
"  in  ill  your  judgments  ?"  "  I  will."  —  <<  V/i',1  yna  to  t'-.e  uirrr.o:?-  cf  r..ur 
':  power,  maintain  the  lav/-;  of  Gocl,  the  true  prpfeflion  of  the  r;.>fo.-!,  .::•,<!  the 

Proteftant  reformed  rcli-ion  as  by  law  cllabh^cd  ?   and    v-lU   y'-.-;    p 
(<   uriro  the  biihop;  and  clergy  of  this  rejim,  and  to   the    churches    o:r:rr,i:::;  i 
"  to  thrir  charge,  all  fuch  rights  and  piivilegas  as,   bylaw,    do  or  ihall   ^ 
tf  pertain  unto  them  or  any  of  them  ?" 

"  All  this  I  pronafe  to  do." 

Then  the  King  or  Queen,  laying  his  or  her  h-rul  upon  th.>  Gr,fo;.l7  fa,\\  ^  . 

The  things  which  i  have  herj  before  pramifed  I  will  perform  a.ii  k-  T 
^•o  r?lp  me  God," 


24  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  duction  of  Ireland,  and  the  protection  of  Britain;  and  htf 
delired  they  would  f.-ttle  the  revenue  in  fuch  a  manner, 
that  it  might  be  collected  without  difficulty  arid  difpute, 
9'  The  fum  total  of  the  money  expended  by  the  States-Ge 
neral  in  William's  expedition,  amounted  to  feven  millions 
of  guilders,  and  the  commons  granted  fix  hundred  thou- 
fand  pounds  for  the  difcharge  of  this  debt,  incurred  for 
the  prefervation  of  their  rights  and  religion.  They  voted 
funds  for  raifing  and  maintaining  an  army  of  two  and 
twenty  thoufand  men,  as  well  as  for  equipping  a  nume 
rous  fleet :  But  they  provided  for  no  more  than  half  a 
year's  fubfiftence  of  the  troops,  hoping  the  reduction  of 
Ireland  might  be  finifhed  in  that  term  ;  and  this  inftance 
of  frugality  the  king  confidered  as  a  mark  of  their  diffi 
dence  of  his  administration.  The  whi,;s  were  refolved  to 
fupply  him  gradually,  that  he  might  be  the  more  dependent 
upon  their  zeal  and  attachment :  But  he  was  not  at  all 
pleafed  with  their  precaution. 

The  king  William  was  naturally  biafled  to  Calvinifm,  and  averfc 
favours  dif-  to  perfecutioii.  Whatever  promifes  he  had  made,  and 
iiiows'an^-  whatever  fentiments  of  refpecl:  he  entertained  for  the 
veriion  to  church  of  England,  he  feemed  now  in  a  great  meafurc 
the  church  alienated  from  it,  by  the  oppofition  he  had  met  with  from 
ngan.jts  memberS)  particularly  from  the  bifhops,  who  had 
thwarted  his  meafures.  By  abfrnting  themfelves  from 
parliament,  and  refuflng  the  oath,  they  had  plainly  difown- 
ed  his  title,  and  renounced  his  government.  He  there 
fore  refolved  to  mortify  the  church,  and  gratify  his  own 
friends  at  the  fame  time,  by  removing  the  obftacles  affix 
ed  to  nonconformity,  that  all  Proteftant  difienters  fhould 
be  rendered  capable  of  enjoying  and  exercifmg  civil  em 
ployments.  When  he  gave  his  aflent  to  the  bill  for  fuf- 
pending  the  Habeas  Corpus  aft,  he  recommended  the  ef- 
tablifhment  of  a  new  oath  in  lieu  of  thofe  of  allegiance  and 
fupremacy  :  He  exprefTed  his  hope  that  they  would  leave 
room  for  the  admiffion  of  all  his  Proteftant  fubjecls  who 
fhould  be  found  qualified  for  the  fervice  :  He  faid,  fuch  a 
conjunction  would  unite  them  the  more  firmly  a.nong 
themfelves  and  ftrengthen  them  againft  their  common  ad- 
verfaries.  In  confequence  of  this  hint,  a  claufe  was  in- 
ferted  in  the  bill  for  abrogat:ng  the  old  and  appointing  the 
new  oaths,  by  which  the  facramental  teft  was  declared 
unnecefTary  in  rendering  any  pcrfon  capable  of  enjoying 
any  office  or  employment.  It  was,  however,  rejected  by  a 
great  majority  in  the  houfe  of  lords.  Another  claufe  for 
the  fame  purpofe,  though  in  different  terms,  was  propofed 
by  the  king's  direction,  and  met  with  the  fame  fa*te,  though 
in  both  cafes  feveral  noblemen  entered  a  proteft  againft  the 


WILLIAM  AND  MARY.  25 

refolution  of  thehoufe.  Thefe  fruitlefs  efforts  in  favour  CHAP- 
of  difienters  au^ment^d  the  prejudice  of  the  churchmen 
airainft  king  William,  who  would  have  willingly  com- 
promifed  the  difference,  by  excufmg  the  clergy  from  the 
oaths,  provided  the  diffenters  might  be  exempted  from 
the  facramtntal  ted  :  But  this  was  deemed  the 
chief  bulwark  of  the  church,  and  therefore  the  propo- 
fal  v/r.s  rejected.  The  church  party  in  the  houfe  of  lords 
moved,  that  inftead  of  inferting  a  claufe,  obliging  the  clergy 
to  take  the  oaths,  the  king  fhould  be  empowered  to  tender 
them;  and,  iucafe  of  their  refufal,  they  fhould  incur  the 
penalty,  becaufe  deprivation,  or  the  apprchenfions  of  it, 
inight  make  them  defperate,  and  excite  them  to  form  de- 
figns  againft  the  government.  This  argument  had  no 
weight  with  the  commons,  who  thought  it  was  indifpen- 
fibly  ntceflary  to  exact  the  oaths  of  the  clergy,  as  their 
example  influenced  the  kingdom  in  general,  and  the  youth 
of  the  nation  were  formed  under  their  infhuiSHon.  After 
a  long  and  warm  debate,  all  the  mitigation  that  could  be 
obtained,  was  a  claufe  empowering  the  king  to  indulge 
any  twelve  clergymen,  deprived  by  virtue  of  this  a 61,  with 
a  third  part  of  their  benefices  during  pleafure  Thus  the 
ancient  oaths  of  allegiance  and  fupremacy  were  abrogated: 
The  declaration  of  non-refiftance  in  the  acl:  of  uniformity 
was  repealed :  The  new  oath  of  allegiance  was  reduced 
to  its  primitive  firr.plicity,  and  the  coronation-oath  ren 
dered  more  explicit.  The  clergy  were  enjoined  to  take 
the  new  oaths  before  the  ift  day  of  Auguil,  on  pain  of 
being  fufpendcd  from  their  office  for  fix  months,  and  of 
entire  deprivation,  in  cafe  they  ihould  not  take  them  before 
the  expiration  of  this  term.  They  generally  complied, 
though  with  fuch  refervations  and  difirin&ions  as  were  not 
much  for  the  honour  of  their firicerity. 

The  king,  though  baifled  in  his  dengn  againft  the  fa- 
cramental  tcft,  refolvcd  to  indulge  the  diffenters  with  a 
toleration  ;  and  a  bill  for  this  purpofe  being  prepared  by 
theea:!  of  Nottingham,  was,  after  fome  debate,  paffed 
into  a  law,  under  the  title  of,  "  An  acl:  for  exempting 
their  majefties  Proteftant  fubjects  difienting  from  the 
church  of  England,  from  the  penalties  of  certain  laws." 
It  enacted,  That  none  of  the  penal  laws  fhould  be  con- 
flrued  to  extend  to  thofe  diflenters  who  fhould  take  the 
oaths  to  the  prefent  government,  and  fubfcribe  the  decla 
ration  of  the  30th  year  of  the  reign  of  Charles  II.  pro 
vided  that  they  fhould  hold  no  privated  afTemblies  or  con 
venticles  with  the  doors  fhut :  That  nothing  fhould  be 
conftrued  to  exempt  them  from  the  payment  of  tythes, 
or  other  parochial  duties ;  That  in  cafe  of  being  chofen 

VOL.  I.  D 


2&  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  into  the  offices  of  conflable,  churchwarden,  overfeer  &c» 
and  ofTcJUpling  to  take  the  oaths  annexed  to  fuch  offices, 
they  fhould  be  allowed  to  execute  the  employment  by  de- 
i49-  puty  :  That  the  preachers  and  teachers  in  congregations 
ofdiflenting  Proteftants,  who  fhould  take  the  oaths,  fub- 
fcribe  the  declaration,  together  with  all  the  articles  of  re 
ligion,  except  the  thirty-fourth  and  the  two  fucceeding 
articles,  and  part  of  the  twentieth,  fhould  be  exempted  from 
the  penalties  decreed  againft  non -conform i ft s,  as  well  as 
from  fcrving  upon  juries,  or  acting  in  paiifli-offices :  Yet 
alljuftices  of  the  peace  were  empowered  to  require  fuch 
diflenters  to  fubfcribe  the  declaration,  and  take  the  oaths  ; 
and,  in  cafe  of  a  refukl  to  commit  them  to  prifon  without 
bailor  mainprize.  The  fame  indulgence  was  extended  to 
Anabaptift?,  and  even  to  Quakers,  on  their  folemn  pro- 
mife,  before  God,  to  be  faithful  to  the  king  and  queen, 
and  their  afienting  by  profjffion  and  afleveration  to  thofe 
articles  which  the  others  ratified  upon  oath:  They  were 
likewife  required  to  profcfs  their  belief  in  the  Trinity  and 
the  Holy  Scriptures.  Even  thePapifts  felt  the  benign  in 
fluence  of  William's  moderation  in  fpi ritual  matters  :  He 
rejected  the  proposals  of  fotne  zealots,  who  exhorted  him 
to  enact  fevcre  laws  againft  Popi/h  recufants.  Such  a 
rncafuie,  he  obferved,  would  alienate  all  the  Papifts  ot 
Europe  from  the  interefts  of  England,  and  might  prodnce 
a  new  Catholic  league,  which  would  render  the  war  a  re 
ligious  qua;-;  J  :  Befides,  he  could  not  pretend  to  fereen 
the  Pro:  .  Germany  and  Hungary,  while  he  him- 

fclf  fiijij.'u  i)c,i".-cu:e  the  Catliolics  of  England.  He 
therefore  retblved  to  treat  them  with  lenity  ;  and  though 
they  were  not  comprehended  in  the  acl,  tney  enjoyed  the 
benefit  of  the  toleratiow. 

Compre-  We  have  obfefved,  that,  in  confequence  of  the   motion. 

heafioD  aa.  niaQp  by  t>,e  biiliops  \vhenthey  withdrew  from  parliament, 
i  bi'i  was  brought  into  the  houf-i  of  lords  for  uniting  their 
maj Lilies  Protefl.:r,t  fubje<fts.  This  was  extremely  agree- 
r.oie  to  the  king,  who  had  the  fcherr.e  of  comprehenfion 
very  much  at  heart.  In  the  proqrcfs  of  the  bill  a  warm 
i'ofe  about  the  po.lure  of  kneeling  at  thefacrament 
which  was  given  up  in  favour  of  the  di {Tenters.  Another, 
no  lefs  violent,  enfued  upon  the  fubfcquent  queftion, 
u  Vvrhcthtr  there  fhould  be  an  addition  of  laity  in  the 
"  qpmmifllon  to  be  given  by  the  king  to  the  bHhops  and 
4t  others  of  the  clergy,  for  preparing  fuch  a  reformation  of 
u  ecdefiaftical  affairs  as  might  be  the  means  of  healing 
u  divifions,  and  carrecling  win tcvcr  might  be  erroneous 
"or  defective  in  the  conftitution  ??  A  great  number  of 
$!ic  temporal  lords  infilled  warmly  on  this  addition,  and 


WILLIAM  AND  MARY,  27 

•when  it  was  rejected,  four  peers  entered  a  formal  proteft.  CHAP 
Bifiiop  Bunict  was  a  warm  ih'cklcr  for  the  exclufion  of 
the  laity;  and,  in  all  probability,  manifcfted  this  \varrr.th 
in  hopes  of  ingratiating  himfelf  with  his  brethren,  arv.org 
whom  his  character  was  very  far  from  being  popular. 
But,  the  merit  cf  this  facriftce  was  deftroyed  by  the  argu 
ments  he  had  ufed  for  difpenfing  with  the  pcfturc  of 
kneeling  at  the facrament ;  and  by  his  propoi:n:2;  in  another 
provifo  of  the  bill,  th'it  the  fubfcribers,  inftead  of  expref- 
fmg  aflent  and  confent,  fhould  only  fubmit  with  a  proniifc 
of  conformity. 

The  bill  was  with  difficulty  patted  in  the  houfe  of  lords: 
But  the  commons  treated  it  with  neglect.  By  this  time, 
a  great  number  of  malcontent  members,  who  had  retired 
from  parliament,  were  returned,  with  a  view  to  thwart 
the  adminiftration,  though  they  could  not  prevent  the  fet- 
tlement.  Inftead  of  proceeding;  with  the  bill,  they  pre- 
fented  an  addrefs  to  the  king,  thanking  him  for  his  gra 
cious  declaration,  and  repeated  aflurances,  that  he  would 
maintain  the  church  of  England  as  by  lav/  eftablifhed  ;  a 
church  whofs  doctrine  and  practice  had  evinced  its  loyalty 
beyond  all  contradiction,  They  likewife  humbly  befought 
his  majefty  to  iffue  writs  for  calling  a  convocation  of  the 
clergy,  to  be  confulted  in  ecclefiaftical  matters,  according 
to  the  ancient  ufage  of  parliaments  ;  and  they  declared 
they  would  forthwith  take  into  confideration  proper  me 
thods  for  giving  eafe  to  Proteflant  diflenters.  Though 
the  king  was  difpleafcd  at  this  addrefs,  in  which  th*  lords 
alfo  had  concurred,  he  returned  a  civil  anfwer,  by  the 
mouth  of  the  earl  of  Nottingham,  profefling  his  regard  for 
the  church  cf  England,  which  (nould  always  be  his  pecu 
liar  care,  recommending  the  diftcnters  to  their  protection, 
and  promising  to  fummon  a  convocation  as  fcon  as  fuch  a 
meafurr  fhould  be  convenient.  This  mefTage  produced 
noeffecl  in  favour  of  the  bill,  which  lay  negledted  on  the 
table.  Thofe  who  moved  for  it  had  no  other  view  than 
that  of  difplaying  their  moderation  ;  and  now  they  excited 
their  friends  to  oppofe  it  with  all  their  intereft.  Others 
were  afraid  of  efpoufing  if,  left  they  fhould  be  ftigmatized 
as  enemies  to  the  church  ;  and  a  great  number  ef  the  mod 
eminent  Preioyterians  were  averfe  to  a  fcheme  of  compre- 
hennon,  which  diminished  their  flrength,  and  weakened 
the  importance  of  the  party.  Being  therefore  violently 
oppofed  on  one  hand,  and  but  faintly  fupported  on  the 
other,  no  wonder  itmifcanied,  The  king,  however,  was 
fo  bent  upon  the  execution  of  his  defign,  that  it  was  next 
feffion  revived  in  another  form,  though  with  no  better 
fuccefs. 


23  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK       The  next  obiecl  that  cngroffen  the  attention  of  the  par 
liament,  was  the  fcttleinent   of  a   revenue  for   the  fupport 

'-""Y"*-'   of  the  government.  Hitherto  there  had  been  no  diflinclum 

l6">       of  what  \v?s  allotted  for  the  king's  ufe,  and  what  wis  af- 

•      figned  for  the  fcrvice  of  the  public  ;  fo  that  the  fovercip;n 

nuYf.rtled.  was  entirely  mafter  of  the  whole  fupply.  As  the  revenue 
in  the  late  reigns  had  been  oft  n  u'.ibr7,7,led  and  mifap- 
plied,  it  was  now  refolved  tb^t  a  CCM  f.<in  fum  fhould  be  fet 
apart  for  the  uiaintenanc;  of  th;  king's  houfehold,  and 
the  fupport  of  his  dignity;  and  that  tlie  reft  of  the  public 
money  (hould  be  employed  under  the  infpedHon  of  par 
liament.  Accordingly,  fince  this  period,  the  commons 
have  appropriated  the  yearly  fuppltes  to  certain  fpecified 
f?r vices  ;  and  an  account  of  the  application  has  been  con- 
fbntly  fubmitted  to  both  houfes,  at  the  next  fcfiion.  At 
this  juncture  the  prevailing  party,  or  the  Whigs,  de 
termined  that  the  revenue  fliould  be -granted  from  year  to 
year,  or  at  lead  for  a  frnall  term  of  years,  that  the  Icing 
might  find  himfelf  dependent  upon  the  parliament,  and 
merit  a  renewal  of  the  grant  by  a  juft  and  popular  ad- 
miniftration.  In  purfuance  of  this  maxim,  when  the  re 
venue  fell  under  con  fide  ration,  they,  on  pretence  of  charges 
and  rnticipationr.  which  they  had  not  time  to  examine, 
granted  it  by  a  provifional  act  for  one  year  only.  The 
c:vil  lift  was  fettled  at  fix  hnadred  thoufand  pounds 
chargeable  with  the  appointments  of  the  queen  dowager, 
the  prince  and  princefs  of  Denmark,  the  judges,  and 
Marcfchal  Schomberg,  to  whom  the  parliament  had  alrea 
dy  granted  one  hundred  thoufand  pounds,  in  con  fide  ration. 
of  his  important  fervic'-;s  to  the  nation.  The  commons 
r'fb  voted,  that  a  conftant  revenue  of  twelve  hundred 
thoufand  pounds  fiiould  be  eftabliihed  for  the  fupport  of 
the  crown  in  time  of  peace. 

rf"°.  ':1?,:''!~       The  kitr?  took  umbrage  at  thtfe  rcftraints  laid  upon  the 
fi  n  aPPl''cat'on  °f  ^e  public  money,  \vhich  were  the  moft  fa- 
lutary  fruits    of  the  revolution.     Pie  confidered  them   as 
marks  of  diir.dence,  by  which  he  was   diftinguifhed  from 
his  pred<  ar,d   thought   them  an  ungrateful  return 

fjr  the  f..;vic.>  i^  had  clone  the  nation.  1'he  Tories  per 
ceived  his  difguft,  and  did  net  fail  to  foment  his  jealoufy 
.inft  their  adv\rf.ries,  which  was  confirmed  by  a  frelh 
effort  of  the  Whigs,  in  relation  to  a  militia.  A  bill  was 
brought  into  the  houfe,  for  regukuina,  it  in  fuch  a  manner 
as  would  have  rendered  it  in  a  great  meafure  independent 
both  of  the  king  and  of  the  lords  lieutenants  of  counties. 
Thefe  being  generally  peers,  fuffered  the  bill  to  lie  ne- 
gleiled  on  the  table  :  But  the  attempt  confirmed  the  fuf- 
picion  pf  the  k.ing,  who  began  to  think  hirnfclf  in  danger 


WILLIAM  AND  MARY.  29 

of  being   enflaved  by  a   republican    party.     The  Tories  CHAP. 

had,  by  the  channel  of  Nottingham,  made  proffers  of  fervice 

to  his  majefty :    But  complained,  at  the  fame  time,  that  as   V-***Y^/ 

they  were  in  danger  of  being  profecuted  for  ther  lives  and 

fortunes,    they  could   not,  without   an   act  of  indemnity, 

exert  themfelves  in  favour  of  the  crown,   left  they  fhould 

incur  a  perfecution  from  their  implacable  enemies. 

Thefe  remonftrances  made  fuch  impreffion  on  the  king,  Bill  of in- 
that  he  fent  a  mefTage  to  the  houfe  by  Mr.  Hambden,  re-  d.mnuy 
commending  a  bill  of  indemnity  as  the  mofl  effectual  fj^p£/n  y 
means  for  putting  an  end  to  all  controverfies,  diftindlions,  bat  without 
and  occafions  of  clifcord.  Hedcfired  it  might  be  prepared  ettcft. 
with  all  convenient  expedition,  and  with  fuch  exceptions 
only  as  would  feem  neceflary  for  the  vindication  of  public 
juftice,  the  fafety  of  him  and  his  confort,  and  the  fettlement 
and  welfare  of  the  nation.  An  addrefs  of  thanks  -to  his 
majefty  was  unanimoufly  voted.  Neverthelefs,  his  defign 
was  fruftrated  by  the  backwardnefs  of  the  Whigs,  who 
proceeded  fo  flowly  in  the  bill,  that  it  could  not  be  brought 
to  maturity  before  the  end  of  the  fefliori.  They  wanted 
to  keep  the  fcourge  over  the  heads  of  their  enemies,  until 
they  fhould  find  a  proper  opportunity  for  revenge  ;  and, 
in  the  mean  time,  reftrain  them  from  oppofition,  by  the 
terror  of  impending  vengeance.  They  affected  to  irifi- 
nuate  that  the  king's  deiign  was  to  raife  the  prerogative 
as  high  as  it  had  been  in  the  preceding  reigns  ;  and  that 
he  for  this  purpofe  prefled  an  ait  of  iiulemnity,  by  virtue 
of  which  he  might  legr.lly  ufe  the  inftruments  of  the  late 
tyranny.  The  earls  of  Monmouth  and  Warrington  in- 
duftrioufly  infufed  thefe  jealoufies  into  the  minds  of  their 
party:  On  the  other  hand,  the  earl  of  Nottingham  inflam 
ed  William's  diftruft  of  his  old  friends :  Both  fides  fuc- 
cecding  in  kindling  an  animofity,  which  had  like  to  have 
produced  confufion,  notwithftanding  the  endeavours  ufed 
by  the  earls  of  Shrewfbury  and  Devonshire  to  allay  thofe 
heats,  and  remove  the  fufpicion  that  mutually  prevail 
ed. 

It  was  now  jndged  expedient  to  pafs  an  acl  for  fettling 
the  fuccefikm  of  the  crown,  according  to  the  former  refo- 
lution  of  the  convention.  A  bill  for  this  purpofe  was 
brought  into  the  lower  houfe,  with  a  clsufe  difabling; 
Papiils  from  fucceeding  to  the  throne  :  To  this  the  lords 
added,  "  Or  fuch  as  fhould  marry  papifts,"  abfolving  the 
fubjeft  in  that  cafe  from  allegiance.  The  bifhop  of  Sa- 
lifbury,  by  the  king's  diredion,  propofed  that  the  princefs 
Sophia,  duchefs  of  Hanover,  and  her  pofterity,  fliould  be 
nominated  in  the  aft  of  fucceffion,  as  the  next  jProteftant 
heirs,  failing  ifTue  of  the  king,  and  Anne  nrincefs  cf  Den- 


30  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK   mark.     Thcfe  amendments  gave   rife  to  warm  debates  in 
the  lower  houfe,  where  they  were  vi^ouroudy  oppofed,  not 

^^y*^  only  by  thofr  who  wiftied  well  in  f  cret  to  the  late  king 
9'  and  the  lineal  fucceflion  ;  but  likewife  by  the  republican 
party,  who  hoped  to  fee  monarchy  altogether  extinguifhed 
in  England,  by  the  death  of  the  three  pcrfons  already  na 
med  in  the  bill  of  fucceMion.  The  lords  infifted  upon 
their  amendments,  and  ftveral  fruitlefs  conferences  were 
held  between  the  two  houfes.  At  length  the  bill  was 
dropped  for  the  prtf-nt,  in  confequence  of  an  event  which 
in  a  great  me;  lure  diffipatecl  the  fears  of  a  Popiih  fuccef- 
for.  This  was  the  delivery  cf  the  Princefs  Anne,  who, 

Princefi       on  the  2yth  day   of  July,  brought  forth  a  fon,  chriftened 

vc""^ofa"    by  the  name  of  William,  and  afterwards  creat;d  duke  of 

f»n.  Gloucefter. 

In  the  mid  ft  of  thefe  domeftic  difputes,  William  did 
not  negle<Sr.  the  afTahs  of  the  continent.  He  retained  all 
his  former  influence  in  Holland,  as  his  countrymen  had 
reafon  to  confide  in  his  repeated  alTurances  of  inviolable 
affeclion.  The  great  fchetne  which  he  had  projected  of  .1 
confederacy  againft  France  began  at  this  period  to  take 
effect.  Thi  princes  of  the  empire  alTembled  in  the  diet 
folemnly  exhorted  the  emperor  to  declare  war  againft  the 
French  king,  who  had  committed  numberlcfs  infractions 
of  the  treaties  of  Munfter,  Ofnabruck,  Nimeguen,  and  the 
truce,  invaded  their  country  without  provocation,  and 
evinced  himfelf  an  inveterate  enemy  of  the  holy  Roman 
empire,  They,  therefore,  befought  his  imperial  majcfty 
to  conclude  a  treaty  of  peace  with  the  Turks,  who  had  of 
fered  advantageous  terms,  and  proceed  to  an  open  rupture 
with  Louis  ;  in  which  cafe,  they  would  confider  it  as  a 
war  of  the  empire,  and  fupport  their  head  in  the  moft  ef 
fectual  manner.  The  ftetcs-general  publifhed  a  declara 
tion  againft  the  common  enemy,  taxing  him  with  mani 
fold  infractions  of  the  treaty  commerce;  with  having 
involved  the  fubjc£ts  of  the  republic  in  the  perfection 
Vvhirh  he  had  raifcd  againft  the  Proteftr.nts  :  with  having 
cajoled  and  infultecl  them  with  deceitful  promifes  and  in- 
folent  threats ;  with  having  plundered  and  opprefled  the 
Dutch  merchants  and  traders  in  France;  and,  finally, 
with  having  declared  war  againft  the  ftates,  without  any 
plauuble  reafon  affigned.  The  elector  of  Brandenbourg 
denounced  war  againft  Fiance,  r.s  a  power  whofe  perfidy, 
cruelty,  and  ambition  it  was  the  duty  of  every  prince  to 
oppofe.  The  marquis  cle  Caftanaga  governor  of  the 
Spanifh  Netherlands  ifiued  a  counter  declaration  to  that 
of  Louis,  who  had  declared  againft  his  maftrr.  He  ac- 
eufed  the  French  king  of  havin"  hiu  v/aftc  the  empire, 


WILLIAM  AND  MARY.  31 

V/ithout  any  regard  to  the  obligations  of  religion  and  hu-  C  H  A  .1 
inanity,  or  even  to  laws   or  war  ;  of  having  countenanced 
the  moft  barbarous  acts  of  cruelty  and  opprerTion  ;  and  of     '*"T* 
having  intrigued  with  the  enemies   of  Chtift  for  the  de- 
itruction  of  the  empire.     The  emperor  negociated  an  alli 
ance  offenfive  and  defend ve  with  the  ftates-general,  bind 
ing  the  contracting  parties   to  co-operate  with  their  whole 
power  againft  France  and  her   allies.     It   was   ftipulated, 
that  neither  fide  fhould  engage  in  a  feparate  treaty,  on  any 
pretence  whatfoever:  That  no   peace  fhould   be  admitted 
until  the  treaties  of  Weftphalia,  Ofnabruck,  Munfter,  and 
the  Pyrenees,  fhould  have  been  vindicated:  That,  in  cafe 
oi  a  negociation  for  a  peace  or  truce,  the   tranfactions    on 
both    fides   fhould   be   communicated  lonafide\  and  that 
Spain  and  England  fhould  be  invited  to  accede  to  the  trea 
ty.     In  a  feparate  article,  the  contracting   powers  agreed, 
that,  in  cafe  of  the  Spanifh  king's  dying  without  ifTue,  the 
ilates-^encral  fhould  aftift  the  emperor  with  all   their  for 
ces  to  take  poflefiion  of  that  monarchy :  That  they  fhould 
ufe  their  friendly   endeavours  with  the    princes,  electors, 
their  allies,  towards  elevating  his  fon   Jofeph  to  the  digni 
ty  of  king  of  the  Romans  ;  and  employ  their  utmoft  force 
againft  France,  fhould  fhe  attempt  to  oppofc   his  eleva 
tion. 

Wrilliam,  who  was  the  foul  of  this  confedaracy,  found  War  with 
no  difficulty  in  perfuading  the  Englifh  to  undertake  a  war  fr,an^Mre" 
againft  their  old  enemies  and  rivals.  On  the  i6th  day  of 
April  Mr.  Hambden  made  a  motion  for  taking  into  confi- 
deration  the  flate  of  tht  kingdom  with  refpect  to  France, 
and  foreign  alliances;  and  the  commons  unanimoufly  re- 
folved,  that,  in  cafe  his  majefty  fhould  think  fit  to  engage 
in  a  war  with  France,  they  would,  in  a  parliamentary  way, 
enable  him  to  cxrry  it  on  with  vigour.  An  addrefs  was 
immediately  drawn  up,  and  prefented  to  the  king,  d&fir- 
ing  he  would  ferioufly  contider  the  deftructivc  methods 
taken  of  late  years  by  the  French  king,  againft  the  trade, 
quiet,  and  iniereft  of  the  nation,  particularly  his  prefent 
invafion  of  Ireland,  and  fupporting  the  rebels  in  that  king 
dom.  They  did  not  doubt  that  the  alliances  already  made, 
with  thofe  which  might  hereafter  be  concluded  by  his  ma 
jefty,  would  be  fufncient  to  reduce  the  French  king  t» 
luch  a  condition,  thatfhould  not  be  in  his  power  to  violate 
the  peace  of  Chriftendom  ;  or  prejudice  the  trade  and  pro- 
fperity  of  England  :  In  the  mean  time  they  affured  his  ma 
jefty  he  might  depend  upon  tliGafliftance  of  his  parliament, 
according  to  the  vote  which  had  pafledin  the  houfe  of  com 
mons.  This  was  a  welcome  addrefs  to  king  William. 
He  affured  them  that  no  part  of  the  fnpplics  which  they 


32  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND, 

BOOK,  might  grant  for  the  profecution  of  the  war  fhouldbc  rnii- 
appiied  ;  and,  on  the  yth  of  May,  he  declared  war 

'-""Y""*'^  againft  the  French  monarch.  On  this  occafion  Louis  was 
™°9<  charged  with  having  ambitioufly  invaded  the  territories  of 
the  emperor,  and  denounced  war  againft  the  allies  of  Eng 
land,  in  violation  of  the  treaties  confirmed  under  the  gua 
rantee  of  the  Englifh.crown ;  with  having  encroached  up 
on  the  fiiliery  of  Newfoundland,  invaded  the  Caribbee 
illands,  taken  forcible  pofTcffioti  of  New- York  and  Hud- 
fbn's-bay,  made  depredations  on  the  Englim  at  ien,  pro 
hibited  the  importation  of  Englifh  manufactures,  difputed 
the  right  of  the  flag,  perfecuted  many  Englifh  fubjedts  on 
account  of  religion,  contrary  to  exprefs  treaties  and  the 
luw  of  nations,  and  fent  an  armament  to  Ireland,  in  fup- 
port  of  the  rebels  of  that  kingdom. 

State  of  af-       Having  thus  defcribed  the  pregrefs  of  the  Revolution  in 

fUirsm  England,  we  (hall  now  briefly  explain  the  meafures  that 
were  profecuted  in  Scotland,  towards  the  eftablifhment  of 
William  on  the  throne  of  that  kingdom.  The  meeting  of 
the'  Scottifh  convention  was  fixed  for  the  14-th  day  of 
March  ;  ana  both  parties  employed  all  their  intereft  to  in 
fluence  the  election  of  members.  The  dake  of  Hamilton, 
and  all  the  Prefbytemns,  declared  for  William.  The 
duke  of  Gordon  maintained  the  caftle  of  Edinburgh  for  his 
old  mafter  :  But,  as  he  had  neglected  to  lay  in  (lore  of  pro- 
vifions,  he  depended  entirely  upon  the  citizens  for  fubfif- 
tance.  The  partifans  of  James  were  headed  by  the  earl  of 
Balcarras,  and  Graham,  vifcount  Dundee,  who  employed 
their  endeavours  to  prefcrvc  union  among  the  individuals 
of  their  party ;  to  confirm  the  duke  of  Gordon,  who  began 
to  waver  in  his  attachment  to  their  fovereign  ;  and  to  ma 
nage  their  intrigues  in  fuch  a  manner  as  to  derive  fome 
;uivantage  to  their  caufe  from  ths  tranfac~tions  of  the  enfu- 
ing  feffion.  When  the  lorfls  and  commons  affembled  at 
Edinburgh,  the  bifhop  of  tint  diocefe,  who  officiated  as 
chaplain  to  the  convention,  prayed  for  the  reiloration  of 
King  James.  The  firft  difpute  turned  upon  the  choice  o! 
a  prefidenr.  The  friends  of  the  late  king  fet  up  the  mar 
quis  of  Athoi  in  oppofition  to  the  duke  of  Hamilton;  but 
this  Ir.ft  was  t-Iedtcd  by  a  confidv-rable  majority :  and  a 
good  number  of  the  other  party,  finding  their  cauie  the 
weakeft,  defcrted  it  from  that  moment.  The  earls  of  Lo 
thian  and  Tweedale  w,*re  fent  as  deputies,  to  require  the 
duke  of  Gordon,  iu  the  name  of  the  eftates,  to  quit  the 
caftle  in  four  and  twenty  hours,  and  leave  the  charge  of  it 
to  the  Protcftant  officer  next  in  command.  The  duke, 
laough  in  himfelf  irrefokite,  was  animated  by  Dundee  to 
demand  fuch  conditions  as  the  convention  would  not  grant. 


WILLIAM  AND  MARY.  33 

The  negotiation  proving  ineffectual,  the  ftates  ordered  the  CHAP, 
heralds,  in  all  their  formalities,  to   iiimmon    him  to  fur-  ,  , 

render  the  caftle  immediately,  on  pain  of  incurring  the  pe-  *T^ 
nalties  of  high  treafon  ;  and  he  refufing  to  obey  their  man 
date,  was  proclaimed  a  traitor.  All  perfons  were  forbid, 
under  the  fame  penalties,  to  aid,  fuccour,  or  correfpond 
with  him  ;  and  the  caftle  v/as  blocked  up  by  the  troops  of 
the  city. 

Next  day  an  exprefs  arrived  from  London,  with  a  letter  Letters  t» 
from  Kins:  William  to  the  eftates  ;  and,  at  the  fame  time,  theeft^c.es 

i         r  T  (-11  /"i  T>  rrom  King 

another  from  James  was  preiented  by  one  Crane,  an  r,ng-  William 
lifh  domeftic  of  the  abdicated  queen.  William  obferved,  and  kin* 
that  he  had  called  a  meeting  of  their  eftates,  at  the  defire  JamdS> 
of  the  nobility  and  gentry  of  Scotland  alFembled  at  Lon 
don,  who  requeued  that  he  would  take  upon  hirnfelf  the 
adminiftration  of  their  affairs.  He  exhorted  them  to  con 
cert  meafures  for  fettling  the  peace  of  the  kingdom  upon  a 
folicl  foundation ;  and  to  lay  afide  animofities  and  factions, 
which  ferved  only  to  impede  that  falutary  fettl  ••  nent.  He 
profeffed  hirnfelf  fenflble  of  the  good  effects  that  would 
arife  from  an  union  of  the  two  kingdoms  ;  and  allured 
them  he  would  ufe  his  beft  endeavours  to  promote  fuch  a 
coalition.  A  committee  being  appointed  to  draw  up  a  re- 
fpeclful  anfwer  to  thefe  afTurances,  a  debate  enfued  about 
the  letter  from  the  late  King  James.  This  they  refolved 
to  favour  with  a  reading,  after  the  members  fhould  have 
fubfcribed  an  a£t,  declaring,  that  notwithstanding  any 
thing  that  might  be  contained  in  the  letter  for  difiblving 
the  convention,  or  impeding  their  procedure,  they  were  a 
free  and  lawful  meeting  of  the  eftates ;  and  would  conti 
nue  undiflolved,  until  they  fhould  have  fettled  and  fecured 
the  Proteftant  religion,  the  government,  laws,  and  liber 
ties  of  the  kingdom.  Having  taken  this  precaution,  they 
proceeded  to  examine  the  letter  of  their  late  fovereign, 
who  conjured  them  to  fupport  bis  intereft  as  ntithful  fub- 
je6b,  and  eternize  their  names  by  a  loyalty  fuitable  to  their 
former  profeffions.  He  faid  he  would  not  fail  to  give  them 
fuch  fpeedy  and  powerful  affiftance  as  would  enable  them 
to  defend  themfelves  from  any  foreign  attempt ;  and  even 
to  afiert  his  right  againft  thofe  enemies  who  had  dcprefled 
it  by  the  bhckcft  ufurpations  and  unnatural  attempts, 
v/hich  the  Almighty  God  would  not  allow  to  p?.fs  unpu- 
nifhed.  He  offered  pardon  to  all  thofe  who  ihould  return 
to  their  duty  before  the  laft  day  of  the  month  ;  and  threat 
ened  to  punifh  rigoroufly  fuch  as  fhould  ftand  out  in  re 
bellion  againft  him  and  his  authority. 

This  addrefs  produced  very  little  erTe£l  in  favour  of  the  William's 
unfortunate  exile,  whofe  friends  were  greatly  outnumbered  authonty 

VOL.  L  E 


34  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND, 

BOOK.  in  this  aflembly.  His  meflengcr  was  ordered  into  cuftody 
I.  and  afterwards  difmifled  with  a  pafs  inftead  of  an  anfwer. 

****{***>  James,  forefeeing  this  contempt,  had,  by  an  instrument, 
1689.  dated  in  Ireland,  authorifed  the  archbifhop  of  Glafgow, 
the  earl  of  Balcarras,  and  the  Vifcount  Dundee,  to  call  a 
convention  of  the  eftates  at  Stirling.  Thefe  three  de 
pended  on  the  intereft  of  the  marquis  of  Athol  and  the  earl 
of  Mar,  who  profefL-d  the  warmeft  affection  for  the  late 
king ;  and  they  hop?d  a  fecefiion  of  their  friends  would 
embarrafs  the  convention,  fo  as  to  retard  the  fetdement  of 
King  William.  Their  expectations,  however,  were  difap- 
pointed.  Athol  deferted  their  caufe  ;  and  Mar  fufFered 
himfelf  to  be  intercepted  in  his  retreat.  The  reft  of  their 
party  were,  by  the  vigilance  of  the  duke  of  Hamilton, 
prevented  from  leaving  the  convention,  except  the  Vif 
count  Dundee,  who  retreated  to  the  mountains  with  about 
fifty  horfe,  and  was  purfued  by  order  of  the  eftates.  This 
dcngn  being  fruftrated,  the  convention  approved  and  re- 
cognifed,  by  a  folemn  act,  the  conduct  of  the  nobility  and 
gentlemen  who  had  intreated  the  king  of  England  to  take 
upon  him  the  adminiftration.  They  acknowledged  their 
obligation  to  the  prince  of  Orange,  who  had  prevented  the 
deftruction  of  their  laws,  religion,  and  fundamental  confti- 
tution:  They  befought  his  Highnefs  to  affume  the  reins 
of  government  for  that  kingdom :  They  iffued  a  proclama 
tion,  requiring'all  perfons,  from  fixteen  to  fixty,  to  be 
in  readinefs  to  take  arms  when  called  upon  for  that  pur- 
pofs:  They  conferred  the  command  of  their  horfe-militia 
upon  Sir  Patrick  Hume,  who  was  formerly  attainted  for 
having  been  concerned  in  Argyle's  infurrection :  They  le 
vied  eight  hundred  men  for  a  guard  to  the  city  of  Edin 
burgh,  and  conftituted  the  earl  of  Leven  their  command 
er:  They  put  the  militia  all  over  the  kingdom  into  the 
hands  of  thofe  on  whom  they  could  rely :  They  created  the 
earl  of  Mar  governor  of  Stirling  caftle  :  They  received  a 
re-enforcement  of  five  regiments  from  England,  under  the 
command  of  Mackay,  whom  they  appointed  their  gener 
al  ;  and  they  Iffued  orders  for  fecuring  all  difaffected  per 
fons.  Then  they  difpatched  Lord  Rofs,  with  an  anfwer  to 
King  William's  letter,  profefling  their  gratitude  to  their 
deliverer,  and  congratulating  him  upon  his  fuccefs.  They 
thanked  him  for  afiuming  the  adminiftration  of  their  af 
fairs,  and  affembling  a  convention  of  their  eftates.  They 
declared  they  would  take  effectual  and  fpeedy  meafures  for 
fecuring  the  Proteftant  religion,  as  well  as  for  eftablifhing 
the  government,  laws,  and  liberties  of  the  kingdom. 
They  allured  him  they  would,  as  much  as  lay  in  their 


WILLIAM  AND  MAR\  .  35 

power,   avoid  difputes   and  animofities ;  and  defired  the  c  H  A  P. 
continuance  of  his  majcfty's  care  and  protection. 

After  the  departure  of  Lord  Rok,  thjy  appointed  a 
committee,  confirming  of  eight  lords,  eight  knights,  and 
as  many  burgefles,  to  prepare  the  plan  of  a  new  fettle- 
ment:  But  this  resolution  was  not  taken  without  a  vigor 
ous  oppohticn  from  fome  remaining  adherents  of  the  late 
king,  headed  by  the  archbifhop  of  Glafgow,  all  the  other 
prelates,  except  he  of  Edinburgh,  having  already  deferted 
the  convention.  After  warm  debates,  the  committee  a- 
greed  in  the  following  vote :  "  The  cftates  of  the  kingdom 
"  of  Scotland  find  and  declare,  That  King  James  VIL 
"  being  a  profcfled  Papift,  did  aflame  the  royal  power, 
"  and  acl  as  a  king,  without  ever  taking  the  oath  requir- 
41  edbylav/;  and  had,  by  the  advice  of  evil  and  wicked 
"  councilors,  invaded  the  fundamental  constitution  of  this 
"  kingdom,  and  altered  it  from  a  legal  and  limited  mo- 
"  narchy  to  an  arbitrary  defpotic  power,  and  had  govern- 
"  ed  the  fame  to  the  fubveriion  of  the  Proteftant  religion, 
"  and  violation  of  the  laws  and  liberties  of  the  nation,  in- 
u  verting  all  the  ends  of  government;  whereby  he  had 
44  forfauhed  the  right  of  the  crown,  and  the  throne  was 
"  become  vacant."  When  this  vote  was  reported,  the 
bifhop  of  Edinburgh  argued  ftrenuoufly  againft  it,  as  con- 
taining  a  charge  ot  which  the  kins;  was  innocent;  and  h? 
ptopofod  that  his  majcfly  iliould  be  invited  to  return  to  his 
Scottifh  dominions.  All  his  arguments  were  defeated  or 
over-ruled,  and  the  houfe  confirmed  the  vote,  which  was 
immediate^  enacied  into  a  lav/  by  a  great  majority.  The 
lord  president  declared  the  throne  vacant,  and  propofed 
that  it  irightbe  fill  id  with  William  and  Mary,  king  and 
queen  of  England.  The  cominittee  was  ordered  to  pre 
pare  an  a£r.  for  fettling  the  crown  upon  their  maj Arties,  to 
gether  with  an  inflrument  of  government  for  fecuring 
the  fubje&s  from  the  grievances  under  which  they  la 
boured. 

On  the  i  ith  day  of  April,  this  act,  with  the  conditions 
of  inheritance,  and  the  inftrument,  were  reported,  con- 
lidered,  unanimoufly  approved,  and  folemnly  proclaimed 
at  the  market-crofs  of  Edinburgh  in  the  prefence  of  the 
lord  prefident,  aflifted  by  the  lord  provoft  and  magiftracy 
of  the  city,  the  duke  of  Queenft^rry,  the  marquifles  ot 
Athol  and  Douglas,  together  with  a  great  number  of  the 
nobility  and  gentry.  At  the  fame  time  they  publifhed 
another  proclamation,  forbidding  all  perfons  to  acknow 
ledge,  obey,  aflift,  or  correfpond  with  the  late  King 
James;  or,  by  word,  writing,  or  fermon,  to  xlifpute  or 
ilifown,  the  royal  authority  of  King  William  and  Queen 


36  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK.  Mary  ;  or  to  mifconftrue  the  proceedings  of  the  eftates 
or  create  jealoufies  or  mifapprehenfions  with  regard  to  the 
tranfa&ions  of  the  government  on  pain  of  incurring  the 
moft  fevere  penalties.  Then,  having  fettled  the  corona 
tion-oath,  they  granted  a  commhTion  to  the  earl  of  Argyle 
for  the  lord?,  to  Sir  James  Montgomery  for  the  knights, 
and  to  Sir  John  Dalrymple  for  the  boroughs,  empowering 
them  to  repair  to  London,  and  inveft  their  majefties  with, 
the  government.  This  affair  being  difcufied,  the  conven 
tion  appointed  a  committee  to  take  care  of  the  public  peace, 
and  adjourned  to  the  2ift  day  of  May.  On  the  nth  day 
of  that  month,  the  Scottifh  commiffioners  being  introduc 
ed  to  their  majesties  at  Whitehall,  prefented  firft  a  prepa 
ratory  letter  from  the  eftates,  then  the  inftrument  of  go 
vernment,  with  a  paper  containing  a  recital  of  the  griev 
ances  of  the  nation;  and  an  addrefs,  defiringhis  majefty  to 
convert  the  convention  into  a  parliament.  The  king  hav 
ing  gracioufly  promifed  to  concur  with  them  in  all  juft 
meafures  for  the  intereft  of  the  kingdom,  the  coronation- 
oath  was  tendered  to  their  rj,ajefties  by  the  earl  of  Argyle.  ' 
As  it  contained  a  claufe,  importing,  that  they  faould  root 
out  herefy,  the  king  declared,  that  he  did  not  mean  by 
thefe  words,  that  he  fliould  be  under  an  obligation  to  a6t 
as  a  perfccutor :  The  commiffioners  replying,  that  fuch 
was  not  the  meaning  or  import  of  the  oath,  he  deiired 
them,  and  others  prefent,  to  bear  witnefs  to  the  exception 
he  had  made. 

jntcreft  of        In  the  mean  time,  Lord   Dundee   exerted  hiinfelf,  with 
Kmg  James  uricornmon  activity   jn  behalf  of  his  mailer.     ffc  had  been 

I'ipportsd  •>  . 

by  Lord  lummoneu  by  a  trumpet  to  return  to  the  convention,  but 
Dundee.  refufed  to  obey  the  citation,  on  pretence  that  the  Whigs 
had  made  an  attempt  upon  his  life  ;  and  that  the  delibera 
tions  of  the  eftates  were  influenced  by  the  neighbourhood 
of  Englifh  troops  under  the  command  of  Mackay.  He 
was  forthwith  declared  a  fugitive,  outlaw,  and  rebel.  He 
was  rancoroufly  hated  by  the  Prefbyterians,  on  whom  he 
had  exercifed  fome  cruelties,  as  an  officer  under  the  form 
er  government:  And  for  this  reafon  the  ftates  refolved  to 
inflict  upon  him  exemplary  punifhment.  Parties  were  de 
tached  in  purfu  it  of  him  and  Balcarras.  The  latter  L-ll 
into  their  hands,  and  was  committed  to  a  common  prifon ; 
but  Dundee  fought  his  way  through  the  troops  that  fur- 
rounded  him,  and  efcaped  to  the  Highlands,  where  he  de 
termined  to  take  arms  in  favour  of  James,  though  that 
prince  had  forbid  him  to  make  any  attempt  of  this  nature, 
until  he  fhould  receive  a  re-enforcement  from  Ireland. 
While  this  officer  was  employed  in  aflembling  the  clans  of 
bis  party,  king  William  appointed  the  duke  of  Hamilton 


WILLIAM  AND  MARY.  37 

comniiifioner  to  the  convention-parliament.  The  poft  of  c  H  A  p. 
fecretary  for  Scotland  was  beftowed  upon  Lord  Melvil,  a 
weak  and  fervile  nobleman,  who  had  taken  refuge  in  Hoi-  ^-'"y*-' 
land  from  the  violences  of  the  late  reigns:  But  the  king  l6S9- 
depended  chiefly  for  advice  upon  Dalrymple  Lord  Stair, 
prefident  of  the  college  of  juftice,  an  old  crafty  fanatic, 
who  for  fifty  years  had  complied  in  all  things  with  all  go 
vernments.  Though  thefe  were  rigid  Prefbytei  ians,  the 
king,  to  humour  the  oppofite  party,  admitted  forre  indi 
viduals  of  the  epifcopai  nobility  to  the  council-board  ;  and 
this  intermixture,  inftead  of  allaying  anirroiities,  ferved 
only  to  fovv  the  feeds  of  difcord  and  confufion.  The  Scot- 
tifh  convention,  in  their  detail  of  grievances,  enumerated 
the  lords  of  the  articles  ;  the  act  of  parliament  in  the  reign 
of  Charles  II.  by  which  the  king's  fupremacy  was  raifcd 
fo  high  that  he  could  prelcribe  any  mode  of  religion  ac 
cord:  ig  to  his  pleafure ;  and  the  fuperiority  of  any  office 
in  the  church  above  that  of  Prefbyters.  The  kinc;,  in  his 
inftructions  to  the  Lord  Commiffioner,  confented  to  a  re 
gulation  of  the  lords  of  the  articles,  though  he  would  not 
allow  the  inftitution  to  be  abrogated  ;  he  was  contented 
that  the  act  relating  to  the  king's  fupremacy  fhould  be  re- 
fci tided,  and  that  the  church-government  (hould  be  c?fta- 
bliihed  in  fuch  a  manner  as  would  be  moft  agreeable  to  the 
inclinations  of  the  people. 

On  the    i yth  day   of  June,  Duke  Harnilton  opened  the  violent  dif- 
Scottifh  parliament,  after  the  convention  had  afiumed  this  corii*nts '" 
name,  in  confequence  of  an  act  palled  by  his  majefty's  c'i-  pjriament. 
rection ;  but   the    members    in    general    were    extremely 
chagrined  when  they  found  the  commiffioners  fo  much  re 
ft  ricted  in  the  affair  of  the  lords  of  the  articles,  which  they 
considered  as  their  chief  grievance*.    The  king  permitted 
that  the  eftaf.es  fhould  choofe   the   lords   by  their  own  fuf- 
fr;'.ges;  and  that  they  fhould  be  at  liberty  to  reconfider  any 
fucjcct  which  the  faid  lords  might  reject.     He  afterwards 
indulged  the  three   eftates   v/ith  the  choice  of  eleven  dele 
gates  each,    for   this   committee,  to  be    elected    monthly, 
or  oftner,  if  they   fhould   think  fit:  But   even    thefe  con- 
ceffions  proved  unfatisfactory,  while    the  inftitution    itfelf 
remained.     Their  difcontents  were  not  even  appeafed    by 

*  The  lord  of  the  articles,  by  the  gradual  ufurpation  of  the  crov/n  a&ually 
conitituted  a  grievance  intolerable  in  a  free  nation.  The  fcing  empowered  the 
commifiioner  to  choofe  eight  bifhop:,  whom  he  authorifsd  to  nominate  eight 
noblemen  :  Thefe  together  chofe  eight  barons,  and  eight  burgefles  ;  and  this 
whole  number,  in  conjunction  with  the  officers  of  ftate  as  fupernumsraries, 
conflicted  the  lords  of  the  articles.  This  committee  pofleffcd  the  fole  exclu- 
five  right  and  liberty  of  bringing  in  motions,  making- overtur^  for  redrefTmg 
wronj?,  aRd  propofing  means  and  expedients  for  the  relief,  fafsty,  ?.nd  -bene 
fit  nt  the  fubj;"s— Frcfefdiaps  of  the  Scttl  fprHtmtgtit  I'inaicaied. 


38  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK,  the  pailing  of  an  aft,  abolishing  Prelacy.  Indeed,  tkcir 
rcfentment  was  inflamed  by  anothsr  confideration  ;  name- 
ly,  that  of  the  king's  having  given  feats  in  the  council  to 
fome  individuals  attached  to  the  hierarchy.  They  manifefled 
their  fentiments  on  this  fubjectby  bringing  in  a  bill,  ex 
cluding  from  any  public  truft,  place,  or  employment  under 
their  majefties,  all  fuch  as  had  been  concerned  in  the  en 
croachments  of  the  late  reign,  or  had  difcovered  dif.-.ffec- 
tion  to  th?  late  happy  change,  or  in  any  way  retarded  or  ob- 
ftrufted  the  defigns  of  the  convention.  This  meafure  was 
profecuted  with  great  warmth  ;  and  the  bill  paiTed  through 
all  the  forms  of  the  houfe,  but  proved  ineffectual,  for  want 
of  the  royal  affent. 

Nor  were  they  lefs  obftinate  in  the  affair  of  the  judges, 
whom  the  king  had  ventured  to  appoint  by  virtue  of  his 
own  prerogative.  The  malcontents  brought  in  a  bill  de 
claring  the  bench  vacant,  as  it  was  at  the  reftoration ;  af- 
fcrting  their  own  right  to  examine  and  approve  thofe  who 
fhould  be  appointed  co  fill  it;  providing  th?.t  if  in  time  to 
come  any  fuch  total  vacancy  ihould  occur,  the  nomination 
fhould  be  in  the  king  or  queen,  or  regent  for  the  time  be 
ing,  and  the  parliament  retain  the  right  of  approbation ; 
and  that  all  the  claufes  in  the  feveral  afts  relating  to  the 
admiflion  of  the  ordinary  lords  of  feffion,  and  th.,ir  qualifi 
cations  for  that  office,  fhould  be  ratified  and  confirmed 
for  perpetual  obfcrvation.  Such  was  the  intereft  of  this 
party,  that  the  bill  was  carried  by  a  great  majority,  not- 
withftanding  the  oppofition  of  the  minifters,  who  refolved 
to  maintain  the  king's  nomination,  even  in  defiance  of  a 
parliamentary  refoluUon.  The  majority,  exafperated  at 
this  open  violation  of  their  privileges,  forbad  the  judges 
whom  the  king  had  appointed,  to  open  their  commiffions 
or  hold  a  feflion,  until  his  majefty's  further  pleafure  fhould 
be  known:  On  the  other  hand,  they  werecompelled  to  adU 
by  the  menaces  of  the  privy-council.  The  difpute  was 
carried  on  with  great  acrimony  on  both  fides,  and  produc 
ed  fuch  a  ferment,  that  before  the  feflion  opened,  the  mini- 
ftry  thought  proper  to  draw  a  great  number  offerees  into 
the  neighbourhood  of  Edinburgh,  to  fupport  the  judges  in 
the  exercif:*  of  their  functions. 

The  lord  commifHoner,  alarmed  at  this  fcene  of  tumult 
and  confufion,  adjourned  the  houfe  till  the  8th  day  of  Oc 
tober  ;  a  ftep  which,  added  to  the  other  unpopular  mea- 
ftircs  of  the  court,  incenfcd  the  oppofition  to  a  violent  de 
gree.  They  drew  up  a  remonftrance  to  the  king,  com 
plaining  of  this  adjournment  while  the  nation  was  yet  un- 
fettled,  recapitulating  the  feveral  inftances  in  which  they 
had  exprcffed  their  zeal  and  affe&ion.  for  his  majeftyj  ex- 


WILLIAM  AND  MARY.  39 

plaining  their  reafons  for  difTenting  from  the  miniflry  in  C  H  A  P. 
fome  articles ;  befeeching  him  to  confider  what  they  had 
reprefented,  to  give  his  royal  afient  to  the  acts  of  parlia-  ^~y**~* 
ment  which  they  had  prepared,  and  take  meafures  for  re-  l6S'->- 
drefling  all  the  other  entrances  of  the  nation.  This  addrefs 
was  prefented  to  the  king  at  Hampton-court.  William 
was  fo  touched  with  the  reproaches  it  implied,  ?.s  if  he  had 
not  fulfilled  the  conditions  on  which  he  accepted  the  crown 
of  Scotland,  that  he,  in  his  own  vindication,  published  his 
inftructions  to  the  commiiTioncr ;  and  by  thc-fe  it  appeared, 
that  the  duke  might  have  proceeded  to  greater  lengths  in 
obliging  his  countrymen.  Before  the  adjournment,  how 
ever,  the  parliament  had  granted  the  revenue  for  life;  and 
raifed  money  for  maintaining  a  body  of  forces,  as  v/ell  as 
for  fuppor ting  the  incidental  expence  of  the  government 
for  fome  months  :  Yet  part  of  the  troops  in  that  kingdom 
were  fupplied  and  fubfirted  by  the  adminiftration  of  Eng 
land.  In  conf.quenceof  thefe  difputes  in  the  Scottifh  par 
liament,  their  church  was  left  without  any  fettled  form  of 
government;  for,  though  the  hierarchy  was  aboli fried,  the 
Prefbyterkn  difcipline  was  not  yet  eftablifhed,  and  eccle- 
fiaftical  affairs  were  occafionally  regulated  by  the  privy- 
council,  deriving  its  authority  from  that  very  act  of  fupre- 
inacy  which  according  to  the  claim  of  rights,  ought  to  have 
been  repealed. 

The  feffion  was  no  fooner  adjourned  than  Sir  John  La-  Edinburgh 
nier  converted  the  blockade  of  lidinburgh  Cattle  into  a  re-  Caftle 
gular  fiege,  which  was  profecuted  with  fuch  vigour,  that  K  ace  ' 
in  a  little  time  the  fortifications  were  ruined,  and  the 
works  advanced  to  the  foot  of  the  walls,  in  which  the  be- 
fiegers  had  made  feveral  large  breaches.  The  duke  of 
Gordon,  finding  his  amunition  expended,  his  defences  de- 
ftroyed,  his  intelligence  entirely  cut  off,  and  difpairing  of 
relief  from  the  adherents  of  his  mafter,  defired  to  capitulate, 
and  obtained  very  favourable  terms  for  his  garrifon ;  but  he 
would  not  ftipulate  any  conditions  for  himfelf,  declaring, 
that  he  had  fo  much  refpec"t  for  all  the  princes  defcended 
from  King  James  VI.  that  he  woud  not  affront  any  of 
them  fo  far  as  to  infift  upon  terms  for  his  own  particular  : 
He,  therefore,  on  the  I3ch  day  of  June,  furrendered  the 
caftle  and  himfelf  at  difcretion.  All  the  hopes  of  James 
and  his  party  were  now  centered  in  the  Vifcount  Dundee, 
who  had  afTembied  a  body  of  Highlanders,  and  refolved  to 
attack  Mackay  on  an  aflurance  he  had  received  bymefiage, 
that  the  regiment  of  Scottifti  dragoons  would  defert  that  of 
ficer,  and  join  him  in  the  action.  Mackay,  having  receiv 
ed  intimation  of  this  defign,  decamped  immediately,  and  by 
1-ang  marches  retired  before  Dundee,  until  he  was  re-en- 


40  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK   forced  by  Ramfay's  dragoons,  and  another  regiment  of  En-' 
glim  infantry:  Then  he  faced  about,  and  Dundee  in  his  turn 

^""V^  retreated  into  Lochabar.  Lord  Murray,  fon  of  th:  marquis 
l6S9-  of  Athol,  aflembled  his  vaffils  to  the'  number  of  twelve 
hundred  men  for  the  fervice  of  the  regency;  but  he  was  be 
trayed  by  one  of  his  own  dependants,  who  fcized  the  cafMa 
of  Bbir  for  Dundee,  and  prevailed  upon  the  Athol  men  to 
difperfe  rather  than  fight  againft  James  their  lawful  fove- 
reign. 

The  vifcount  by  this  time  was  reduced  to  gn*at  difficulty 
and  diftrei's.  His  men  had  not  for  many  weeks  tatted 
bread  or  fait,  or  any  drink  but  water  :  Inilead  of  five  hun 
dred  infantry,  three  hundred  horfe,  wit'i  a  fupply  of  arms,. 
ammunition,  and  provifion,  which  James  had  promifed  to 
fend  from  Ireland,  he  received  a  re-enforcement  of  three 
hundred  naked  recruits;  but  the  tranfporcs  with  the  ftores 
fell  into  the  hands  of  the  Enflifh.  Though  this  was  a 

O 

mortifying  difappointment  h~  bore  it  without  repining ;  and, 
far  from  abandoning  himfelf  to  difpair,  began  his  march  to 
the  caftle  of  Blair,  which  was  threatened  with  a  iiege  by 
General  Mackay.  When  he  reached  this  fortrefs,  he  re 
ceived  intelligence  that  the  enemy  had  entered  the  pafs  of 
Battle  of  Killycrankie,  and  he  refolved  to  give  them  battle  without 
Killicran-  delay.  He  accordingly  advanced  againft  them,  and  a  furi 
ous  engagement  enfued,  though  it  was  not  of  long  duration. 
The  Highlanders  having  received  and  returned  the  fire  of 
the  Englifh,  fell  in  among  them  fword  in  hand  with  fuch 
impetuoiity,  that  the  foot  were  utterly  routed  in  feven  mi 
nutes.  The  dragoons  fled  at  the  firft  charge  in  the  utmoft 
confternation  :  Dundee's  horfc,  not  exceeding  one  hundred, 
broke  through  Mackay's  own  regiment  :  The  Earl  of 
Dumbarton,  at  the  head  of  a  few  volenteers  made  hirnfelf 
mailer  of  the  artillery  ;  twelve  hundred  of  Mackay's  forces 
were  killed  on  the  fpot,  five  hundred  taken  prifoners;,  and 
the  reft  fled  with  great  precipitation  for  fome  hours,  until 
they  were  rallied  by  their  general,  who  was  an  officer  of 
approved  courage,  conduct,  and  experience.  Nothing 
could  be  more  complete  or  decifive  than  the  victory  which 
die  Highlanders  obtained ;  yet  it  was  dearly  purchafed" 
Dundee  with  the  death  of  their  beloved  chieftain  the  Vifcount  Dun- 
killed."  dee,  who  fell  by  a  random-fbot  in  the  engagement,  and  his 
fate  produced  fuch  confufion  in  his  army  as  prevented  all 
purfuit.  He  pofibfied  an  interprifing  fpirit,  undaunted  cou- 
rag;;,  inviolable  fidelity,  and  was  peculiarly  qualified  to 
command  the  people  who  fought  under  his  banner.  He 
was  the  life  and  foul  of  that  caufe  which  he  cfpoufed,  and 
after  his  death  it  daily  declined  into  ruin  and  difgrace.  He 
was  fucceeded  by  Colonel  Cannon,  who  landed  the  re-erw 


WILLIAM  AND  MARV.  41 

forcement  from  Ireland;  but  all  his  defignsmifcarried:  Sothat  CHAP. 
the  clans,  wearied  with  repeated    misfortunes,  laid   down         J- 
their  arms  by  degrees,  and  took   the  benefit  of  a  pardon,  ^-**V"*^ 
which  King  William  offered  to  thofe  who  (hould  fubmit       :689- 
within  the  time  fpecified  in  his  proclamation. 

After  this  (ketch  of  Scottifh  affairs,  it  will  be  neceflary  to  Kir>g  ^ 
take  a  retrofpeclive  view  of  Tames,  and  relate  the  particu-  J31"!25  s  re~ 

....         r      ..   .  TII        M-i  r  •  ception  and 

lars  or  his  expeditions  to  Ireland.  1  hat  unfortunate  prince  behavkmr 
and  his  queen  were  received  with  the  moft  cordial  hofpita-  in  Francs, 
lity  by  the  French  monarch,  who  afiigned  the  caftle  of  St. 
Germain  for  th;  pi  ace  of  thsir  refidence,  fupported  their 
houfehold  with  great  magnificence,  enriched  them  with 
prefents,  and  undertook  tore-eftabliftithem  on  the  throne  of 
England.  James,  however,  conducted  himfelf  in  fuch  a 
manner  as  conveyed  no  favourable  idea  of  his  fpirit  and  un- 
derftanding.  He  feems  to  have  been  emafculated  by  religi 
on:  He  was  defcrted  by  that  courage  and  magnanimity 
for  which  his  youth  had  been  diftinguifhed.  He  did  not 
difcover  great  fenfibility  at  the  lofs  of  his  kingdom.  All 
his  faculties  were  fvvallowed  up  in  bigotry.  Inftead  of  con 
triving  plans  for  retrieving  his  crown,  he  held  conferences 
with  the  Jefuits  on  topics  of  religion.  The  pity  which 
his  misfortunes  excited  in  Louis  was  mingled  with  con 
tempt.  The  Pope  fupplied  hicn  with  indulgences,  while 
the  Romans  laughed  at  him  in  pafquinades  ;  "  There  is  a 
pious  man  (faid  the  archbifhop  of  Rheims,  ironically)  who 
"  has  facrificed  three  crowns  for  a  mafs."  In  a  word  he  fub- 
jedled  himfelf  to  the  ridicule  and  raillery  of  the  French  na 
tion. 

All  the  hopes  of  reafcending  the  Britim  throne  depended 
upon  his  friends  in  Scotland  and  Ireland.  Tyrconnel,  who 
commanded  in  this  laft  kingdom,  was  confirmed  in  his  at 
tachment  to  James,  by  the  perfuafions  of  Hamilton,  who 
had  undertaken  for  his  fubmiflion  to  the  prince  of  Orange. 
Neverthelefs,  he  difguifed  his  fentiments,  and  temporifed 
with  William,  until  James  fhould  be  able  to  fupply  him 
with  re-enforcements  from  France,  which  he  earnestly  fo- 
licited  by  private  mefTages.  In  the  mean  time,  with  a  view 
to  cajole  the  Proteftants  of  Ireland,  and  amufe  King  Wil 
liam  with  hope  of  his  fubmiffion,  he  perfuaded  the  Lord 
Mountjoy,  in  whom  the  Proteftants  chiefly  confided,  and 
Baron  Rice,  to  go  in  perfon  with  a  commiflion  to  James, 
reprefenting  the  neceffity  of  yielding  to  the  times,  and  of 
waiting;  a  fitter  opportunity  to  make  ufe  of  his  Iriili  fubje&s. 
Mountjoy,  on  his  arrival  at  Paris,  inflcad  of  being  favoured 
with  an  audience  by  James,  to  explain  the  reafons  which 
Tyrconnel  had  fuggefled  touching  the  inability  of  Ireland 
to  reftore  hismajefty,  was  committed  prifonerto  the  Baffile, 

VOL.  I.  F 


42  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

P  O  o  K  on  account  of  the  7,eal  with  which  he  had  efpoufed  the  Fro- 
teftant  intereft.  Although  Louis  was  fincerely  difpofed  to 
affift  James  effectually,  his  intentions  were  obftructed 
by  the  difputes  of  hisminiftry.  Louvois  poiTeffed  the  chief 
credit  in  council;  but,  Seignelai  enjoyed  a  greater  fhare  of 
perfonal  favour,  both  with  the  king  and  Madame  de  Main- 
tenon,  the  favourite  concubine.  To  this  nobleman,  as  fc- 
rretary  for  marine  affairs,  James  made  his  chief  application  ; 
and  he  had  promifed  the  command  of  the  troops  deftined 
for  his  fervice  to  Laufon  whom  Louvois  hated.  For  thefe 
reafons  this  minifter  thwarted  his  meafures,  and  retarded 
the  afliftance  which  Louis  had  promifed  towards  his  refto- 
ration. 

Fxpedl-ion         Yet,  notwithftanuing  all   his    oppofition,  the   fuccours 
p*  James      were  prepared,  and  the    fleet    readv   to    put  to  fea  by  the 

into  Ireland:    ,  i      /- T-   i  -T-,       T-      '11-         •     <•  •  j         t 

latter  end  of  r  ebruary.  I  he  r  rench  king  is  laid  to  have 
.offered  an  army  of  fifteen  thousand  natives  of  France  to 
/erve  in  this  expedition:  But  James  replied,  that  he  would 
fucceed  by  the  help  of  his  own  fubje&S,  or  perifn  in  the 
attempt.  Accordingly,  he  contented  himleif  with  about 
twelve  hundred  Britiffi  fubje£ls*,  and  a  good  number  of 
French  officer?,  who  were  embarked  in  the  fleet  at  Brett, 
conf.fling  of  fourteen  fhips  of  the  line,  feven  frigates,  three 
firefnipe,  with  a  good  number  of  tranfports.  The  French 
king  alfo  fupplied  him  with  a  confiderable  quantity  of  arm? 
for  the  ufe  of  his  adherents  in  Ireland:  accommodated  him 
with  a  large  fum  of  money,  fuperb  equipages,  ftore  of 
plate,  and  neceflaries  of  all  kinds  for  the  camp  and  the 
houfehold.  At  parting,  he  prefented  him  with  his  own  cui- 
rafs,  and  embracing  him  affectionately,  "  The  lieft  thing  I 
ran  wifh  you  (faid  he)  is,  that  I  may  never  fee  you  again." 
On  the  yth  day  of  March  James  embarked  at  Breft,  toge 
ther  with  the  Count  D'Avaux,  who  accompanied  him  in 
quality  of  ambaffador,  and  his  principal  officers.  He  was 
detained  in  the  harbour  by  contrary  winds  till  the  I7th  day 
of  the  month,  when  he  fet  fail,  and  on  the  22(1  landed  r^c 
Kinfale  in  Ireland.  By  this  tune  King  William,  per- 

*  Jincs  In  t!;i$  expedition  was  attended  by  t',?  cuke  of  Berwick,  and  l.y 
M,  brother,  Mr.  f  itzjames  grand  prior,  the  duke  of  Powis,  the  earls  of  Dover, 
Mclfoit,  Abercorn,  and  Seaforth  ;  the  Lords  Henry  and  Thomas  Howard,  the 
Lords  DrummonH,  Punean,  Trendraught,  Buckan,  Hundldon,  and  Brittas  ; 
the  hifhops  of  Chefter  and  Calway,  the  late  Lord-Chief- Juftice  Hcthert  j 
the  Marquis  D'Eftradcs,  Mr.  de  Roicne,  marefchal  de  rnmp  ;  Mamoe,  Pu- 
f.gnan,  and  Lori  lieutenint-generah  ;  Prontec  engineer-general;  the  marquis 
(i'AlhcviJ]'.-,  Sir  John  Sparrow,  Sir  Roger  Strickland.  Sir  William  Jennings, 
^ir  Kcnry  1-ond,  Sir  Charles  Carney,  Sir  Edward  Vuuilrey,  Sir  Chailcs  Mur- 
r;jy,  Sir  Robert  Pavker,  t>\r  Alplionfo  Maiolo,  Sii  Samuel  Foxon,  and  Sir 
"Vvjiliam  Wallis;  by  the  colonels  Porter,  Sarsfield,  Anthony  and  John  Ha- 
r-il:on,  Simon  and  Henry  Luttrel,  Ramfay.  Dorrington,  Sutherland,  Cliftord, 
Parker,  Parcel,  Cannon,  and  Fielding,  with  about  twj-and-twenty  otht't  o; 
ficers  of"  inferior  rark. 


WILLIAM  AND  MARY.  43 

ceiving  himfelf  amufed  by  Tyrconnel,  had  published  a  de-  CHAP, 

claration,  requiring    the  trifh  to  lay  down  their  arms,  and 

(ubmit  to  the  new  government.  \**~y~^J 

On  the  22d  day  of  February,  thirty  (hips  /if  war  had  I&2*- 
been  put  in  commiilion,  and  the  command  of  them  con 
ferred  upon  Admiral  Herbert;  but  the  armament  waa  re 
tarded  in  fuch  a  manner  by  the  difputes  of  the  council,  and 
the  king's  attention  to  the  affairs  of  the  continent,  that  the 
Admiral  was  not  in  a  condition  to  fail  till  the  beginning 
of  April,  and  then  with  part  of  his  fleet  only.  Jamc_js  was 
received  with  open  arms  at  Kinfale,  and  the  whole  coun 
try  feemed  to  be  at  his  devotion  ;  for,  although  the  Proteft- 
ants  in  the  North  had  declared  for  the  new  government, 
their  ftrength  and  number  was  deemed  inconnderable  when, 
compared  with  the  power  of  Tyrconnel.  This  miaifter 
haddifarmed  all  the  other  Proteftant  fubjcfts  in  one  day, 
and  aflernbled  an  army  of  thirty  thoufand  foot,  and  eight 
thouiand  cavalry,  for  the  fervice  of  his  maite.r. 

In  the  latter  end  of  March,  James  made  his  public  entry  Arrives  h 
into  Dublin,  avnidft  the  acclamations  of  the  inhabitants.  D^ii-... 
H-  was  met  at  the  caftle-gate  by  a  proceffion  of  Popifii 
bifhops  and  priefts  in  their  pontificals,  bearing  the  hoft, 
which  he  publicly  adored.  He  difmified  from  the  council- 
board  the  Lord  Granard,  Judge  Keating,  and  other  Pro- 
tcftants,  who  had  exhorted  the  lord-lieutenant  to  an  ac 
commodation  with  the  new  government.  In  their  room 
he  admitted  the  French  ambaflador,  the  bifhop  of  Chefter, 
Colonel  Dorrington,  and,  by  degrees,  the  principal  no 
blemen  who  accompanied  him  in  the  expedition.  On  the 
2d  day  after  his  arrival  in  Dublin,  he  iflued  five  proclama 
tions  :  The  firft  recalled  all  the  fubjects  of  Ireland 
who  abandoned  the  kingdom,  by  a  certain  time-,  on  pain 
of  outlawry  and  confifcation,  and  requiring  all  perlons  to 
join  againft  the  Prince  of  Orange.  The  fecond  contained 
expreffions  of  acknowledgment  to  his  Catholic  fubje&s  for 
their  vigilance  and  fidelity,  and  an  injunction  to  fuch  as 
were  not  actually  in  his  fervice,  to  retain  and  lay  up  their 
arms  until  it  fhould  be  found  neceffary  to  ufe  them  for  his 
advantage.  By  the  third  he  invited  ths  fubje£ts  to  fupply 
his  army  with  provifions ;  and  prohibited  the  foldiers  to 
take  any  thing  without  payment.  By  the  fourth  he  raifed 
the  value  of  the  current  coin  ;  and  in  the  fifth  he  fummori- 
ed  a  parliament  to  meet  on  the  yth  day  of  May  at  Dublin. 
Kindly,  he  created  Tyrconnel  a  duke  in  coniideration  of 
his  eminent  fervices. 

Th~  aiiherants  of  James  in  England  prefied  him  to  fettle 
the  affairs  of  Ireland  immediately,  and  bring  over  his  army 
cither  to  the  north  of  England  or  to  the  weft  of  Scotland, 


44  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK,  where  it  might  be  joined  by  his  party,  and  acl:  without  delay 
L  againfr.  the  ufurper  ;  but  his  council  difluaded  him  from 
complying  with  their  folicitations,  until  Ireland  fliould  be 
totally  reduced  to  obedience.  On  the  firft  alarm  of  an  in 
tended  maflacre,  the  proteftants  of  Londonderry  had  fhut 
their  gates  againft  the  regiment  commanded  by  the  earl  of 
Antrim,  and  refolved  to  defend  themfelves  againftthe  lord- 
lieutenant.  They  tranfmitted  this  refolution  to  the  govern 
ment  of  England,  together  with  an  account  of  the  danger 
they  incurred  by  fuch  a  vigorous  meafure,  and  implored 
immediate  affiftance.  They  were  accordingly  fupplied  with 
f.ime  arms  and  ammunition,  but  did  not  receive  any  confider- 
able  re-enforcement  till  the  middle  of  April,  when  two  re- 
girre.its  arrived  inLoughfoyl,  under  the  command  of  Cun 
ningham  and  Richards.  By  this  time,  King  James  had 
taken  Colerainc,  invefted  Killmore,  and  was  almoft  in  fight 
of  Londonderry.  George  Walker,  rector  of  Donagmore, 
who  had  raifed  a  regiment  for  the  defence  of  the  Proteftants 
conveyed  this  intelligence  to  Lundy  the  governor.  This 
officer  dire&ed  him  to  join  Colonel  Crafton,  and  take  poft 
at  the  L.ong-caufey,  which  he  maintained  a  whole  night  a- 
gainft  the  advanced  guard  of  the  enemy,  until  being  over 
powered  by  numbers,  he  retreated  to  Londonderry,  and  ex 
horted  the  governor  to  take  the  field,  as  the  army  of  King 
James  was  not  yet  completely  formed.  Lundy  afTem- 
bling  a  council  of  war,  at  which  Cunningham  and  Richards 
affifted,  they  agreed,  that  as  the  place  was  not  tenable,  it 
would  be  imprudent  to  land  the  two  regiments;  and  that 
the  princij  al  officers  fhould  withdraw  themfelves  from  Lon 
donderry,  the  inhabitants  of  which  would  obtain  the  more  fa 
vourable  capitulation  in  confequence  of  their  retreat.  An  offi 
cer  was  immediately  difpatched  to  King  James,  with  propo- 
fals  of  a  negociation ;  and  lieutenant-general  Hamilton  agreed 
that  the  army  fhould  halt  at  the  diftance  of  four  miles  from 
<:he  town.  Notwithstanding  the  preliminary  James  advan 
ced  at  the  head  of  his  troops  ;  but  met  with  fuch  a  warm  re 
ception  from  the  befieged,  that  he  was  fain  to  retire  to  Sr. 
John's  Town  in  fome  diforder.  The  inhabitants  and  fol 
ders  in  garrifon  at  Londonderry  were  fo  incenfed  at  the 
members  of  the  council  of  war  who  had  refolved  to  abandon 
-the  place,  that  they  threatened  immediate  vengeance.  Cun 
ningham  and  Richards  retired  to  their  fhips,  and  Lundy 
locked  himfelf  into  his  chamber.  In  vain  did  Walker  and 
Major  Baker  exhort  him  t<^  maintain  his  government.  Such 
was  his  cowardice  or  treachery,  that  he  abfolutely  refufed  to 
be  concerned  in  the  defence  of  the  place,  and  he  was  fuffer- 
ed  to  efcape  in  difguife,  with  a  load  of  match  upon  his  back; 
but  he  v/as  afterwards  apprehended  in  Scotland,  from 


WILLIAM  AND  MARY.  45 

whence  he  was  fent  to  London  to  anfwer  for  his  perfidy  or    C  H  A  P. 
m  ifcondu6t. 

After  his  retreat,  the  townfmen  chofe  Mr.  Walker  and 
Major  Baker  for  their  governors,  with  joint  authority ;  this 
office  they  would  not  undertake,  until  it  had  been  offered  to 
Colonel  Cunningham,  as  the  officer  next  in  command  to 
Lundy.  He  rejected  the  propofal,  and  with  Richards  re 
turned  to  England,  where  they  where  immediately  cafhier- 
ed.  The  two  new  governors,  thus  abandoned  to  their  fate, 
began  to  prepare  for  a  vigorous  defence  :  Indeed,  their  cou 
rage  feems  to  have  tranfcended  the  bounds  of  difcretion,  for 
the  place  was  very  ill  fortified  :  Their  cannon,  which  did  not 
exceed  twenty  pieces,  were  wretchedly  mounted :  They  had 
not  one  engineer  to  direct  their  operations  :  They  had  a  very 
fmall  number  of  horfe :  The  garrifon  confirmed  of  people  un 
acquainted  with  military  difcipline :  They  were  deftitute  of 
provifions:  They  were  befieged  by  a  king  in  perfon,  at  the 
head  of  a  formidable  army,  directed  by  good  officers,  and 
fupplied  with  all  the  neceffury  implements  for  a  fiege  or 
battle.  This  town  was  inverted  on  the  2Oth  day  of  April : 
The  batteries  were  foon  opened,  and  feveral  attacks  were 
made  with  great  impetuofity  ;  but  the  befiegers  were  always 
repulfed  with  confiderablelofs.  The  townfmen  gained  divers 
advantages  in  repeated  fallies,  and  would  have  held  their 
enemies  in  the  utmofr.  contempt,  had  not  they  been  afflicted 
with  a  contagious  diftemper,  as  well  as  reduced  to  extre 
mity  by  want  of  provifion.  They  were  even  tantalized  in 
their  diftrefs ;  for  they  had  the  mortification  to  fee  fome 
fhips  which  had  arrived  with  fupplies  from  England  pre 
vented  from  failing  up  the  river  by  the  batteries  the  enemy 
had  raifed  on  both  fides,  and  a  boom  with  which  they  had 
blocked  up  the  channel.  At  length,  a  re-enforcement  ar 
rived  in  the  Lough,  under  the  command  of  General  Kirke, 
who  had  defcrted  his  mailer,  and  been  employed  in  the  fer- 
vice  of  King  William.  He  found  means  to  convey  intelli 
gence  to  Walker,  that  he  had  troops  and  provifion  on  board 
for  their  relief,  but  found  it  impracticable  to  fail  up  the  ri 
ver  :  He  promifed,  however,  that  he  would  land  a  body  of 
forces  at  the  Inch,  and  endeavour  to  make  a  diverfion  in 
their  favour,  when  joined  by  the  troops  at  Innifkillin,  which 
amounted  to  five  thoufand  men,  including  two  thoufand  ca 
valry.  He  faid  he  expected  fix  thoufand  men  from  Eng 
land,  where  they  were  embarked  before  he  fet  fail.  He  ex 
horted  them  to  perfevere  in  their  courage  and  loyalty,  and 
aftured  them  he  would  come  to  their  relief  at  all  hazards. 
Thefe  affurances  enabled  them  to  bear  their  miferies  a  little 
longer,  though  their  numbers  daily  diminifhed.  Major 
Baker  dying,  his  place  was  filled  with  Colonel  Michel- 
burn,  who  now  a^ed  as  colleague  to  Mr.  Walker. 


46  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK        King  Janes  having  returned  to  Dublin,  to  be  prefent  at 

the    parliament,   the  command  of  his  army  devolved  to  the 

"""Y"*1      French  General  Rofene,  who  was  exafperated  at  fuch  rn 

*?'       obftinate  oppolition  by  a  handful  of  half-ftarved  militia.  He 

threatened  to  raze  the  town  to  its  foundations,  and  dcfrroy 

the  inhabitants,  without  diftinclion  of  age  orfex,  unlefsthey 

would   immediately  fub'r  it  themfelves  to  their  lawful  fovo- 

reign.     The  governors  treated  his  menaces  with  contempt, 

and  publiflied  an   order,  that  no  perfon,  on  pain    of  death 

fhould  talk  of  furrendering.     They  had  now  confumed  the 

laft  remains  of  their  provillon,  and  fupported  life  by  eating 

the  flefh  of  horfes,  dogs,  cat?,  rats,  mice,  tallow,  ftarch,  and 

Extrsmrdi-  ialted  hides  and  even  this  loathfome  food  began  to  fail.  Ro- 

ftrefc  of      fene,  finding  them  «baf  to  2 il   his   propofals,  threatened   to 

trie  inha-  ,,.°  u     L      r>          n  e    i 

bitants,  and  wrea-  ms  vengeance  on  ail  the  rroteitants  or  that  country, 
barbarity  of  and  drive  them  under  the  walls  of  Londonderry,  where  they 
the  French  fnOuld  be  fuftered  to  perilli  by  famine.  The  bifhop  of 
Meath,  being  informed  of  this  defign,  complained  to  King 
James  of  the  barbarous  intention,  entreating  his  majefty 
to  prevent  its  being  put  into  execution.  That  prince  allured 
him  that  he  had  already  ordered  Rofene  to  defift  from  fuch 
proceedings.  Neverthelefs,  the  Frenchman  executed  his 
threats  with  the  utmoft  rigour.  Parties  of  dragoons  were 
detached  on  this  cruel  fervice  :  After  having  ftripped  all  the 
Proteftants  for  thirty  miles  round,  they  drove  thefe  unhappy 
people  before  them  like  cattle,  without  even  fparing  the  en 
feebled  old  men,  nurfes  with  infants  at  their  breafts,  tender 
children,  woman  juft  delivered,  and  fome  even  in  the  pangs 
of  labour.  Above  four  thoufand  of  thefe  miferable  objects 
v/ere  driven  under  the  walls  of  Londonderry.  This  expe 
dient,  far  from  anfwe ring  the  purpofe  of  Rofene,  produced 
a  quite  contrary  effect.  The  befieged  were  fo  exafperated 
at  this  acl:  of  inhumanity,  that  they  refolved  to  perifh  ra 
ther  than  fubinit  to  fuch  a  barbarian.  They  creeled  a  gib 
bet  in  fight  of  the  enemy,  and  fent  a  meflage  to  the  French 
general,  importing,  That  they  would  hang  all  the  prifoners 
they  had  taken  during  the  fiege,  unlefsthe  Proteftants  whom 
they  had  driven  under  the  walls  fnould  be  immediately  dif- 
miflcd.  This  threat  produced  a  negociation,  in  confe- 
quence  of  which  the  pi  oteftants  were  releafed,  after  they 
had  been  detained  three  days  without  tailing  food.  Some 
hundreds  died  of  famine  or  fatigue j  and  thofe  who  lived  to 
return  to  their  own  habitations  found  them  plundered 
and  facked  by  the  Papifts,  fo  that  the  greater  number  pe- 
rilhed  for  want,  or  were  murdered  by  the  ftraggling  parties 
of  the  enemy :  Yet  thefe  very  people  had  for  the  moft  part 
obtained  protections  from  King  James  to  which  no  refpecl 
was  paid  by  his  general. 


WILLIAM  AMD  MARY.  47 

The  garrifon  of  Londonderry  was  now  reduced  from  fc-  CHAP. 
ven  to  five  thoufand  feven  hundred  men,  and  thefe  were 
driven  to  fuch  extremity  of  diftrefs,  that  they  began  to 
talk  of  killing  the  Popifh  inhabitants,  and  feeding  on  their 
bodies.  In  this  emergency,  Kirke,  who  had  hitherto  lain 
inactive,  ordered  two  fhips  laden  with  provifion  to  fail  up 
the  river,  under  convoy  of  the  Dartmouth  frigate.  One 
ofthefc,  called  the  Mount] oy,  broke  the  enemy's  boom; 
and  all  the  three,  after  having  fuftained  a  very  hot  fire  from 
both  fides  of  the  river,  arrived  in  fafetyat  the  town,  to  the 
inexpreffible  joy  of  the  inhabitants.  The  army  of  James  The  fiegr 
were  fo  difpirited  by  the  fuccefs  of  this  enterprise,  that  ™ 
they  abandoned  the  £ege  in  the  night,  and  retired  with 
precipitation,  after  having;  loft  about  nine  thoufand  men 
before  the  place.  Kirke  no  fooner  took  pofleflion  of  the 
town,  than  Walker  was  prevailed  upon  to  embark  for  Eng 
land,  with  an  addrefs  of  thanks  from  the  inhabitants  to 
their  majefties  for  the  fsafonable  relief  they  had  re 
ceived. 

The  Innifkilliners  were  no  lefs  remarkable  than  the 
people  of  Londonderry  for  the  valour  and  perfeverance 
with  which  they  oppofed  the  Papifts.  They  raifed  twelve 
companies,  which  they  regimented  under  the  command  of 
GuftaVus  Hamilton,  whom  they  chofe  for  their  governor. 
They  proclaimed  William  and  Mary  on  the  iithday  of 
March  ;  and  refolved  in  a  general  council  to  maintain 
their  title  againft  all  oppoiition.  The  lord  Gilmoy  in- 
refted  the  caftle  of  Crom  belonging  to  the  Proteftants  in 
the  neighbourhood  of  Innifldllin,  the  inhabitants  of  which 
threw  fuccours  into  the  place,  and  compelled  Gilmoy  to 
retire  to  Eelturbet.  A  detachment  of  the  garrifon,  com 
manded  by  Lieutenant-Colonel  Lloyd,  took  and  demolifh- 
ed  the  caftle  of  Aughor,  and  they  gained  the  advantage  in 
feveral  fkirmifhes  with  the  enemy.  On  the  day  that  pre 
ceded  the  relief  of  Londonderry,  they  defeated  fix  thou 
fand  Irifh  Papifts  at  a  place  called  Newton-Butler,  and 
took  their  commander  Maccarty,  commonly  called  Lord 
Moncafhel. 

The  Irilh  parliament  being  nfifembled  at  Dublin,  ac 
cording  to  the  proclamation  of  King  James,  he  in  a  fpeech 
from  the  throne,  thanked  them  for  the  zeal,  courage,  and 
loyalty  they  had  manifdtbd;  extolled  the  generofity  of  the 
French  king,  who  had  enabled  him  to  vifit  them  in  per- 
fon;  infifted  upon  executing  his  defign  of  eftabliiliing  li 
berty  of  confcicnce  as  a  flep  equally  agreeable  to  the  dic 
tates  of  humanity  and  difcretion,  and  promifed  to  concur 
with  them  in  enacting  fuch  laws  as  would  contribute  to 
the  peace,  affluence-,  and  fecurity  of  his  fubjec~b.  Sir 


48  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND, 

BOOK.  Richard  Neagle,  being  chofen  fpeakerofthc  commons, 
I.  moved  for  an  addrefs  of  thanks  to  his  majefty,  and  that  the 

t--~y»->  Count  D'Avaux  fhould  be  defired  to  make  their  acknow- 
1689.  ledgments  to  the  moft  Chriftian  King,  for  the  generous 
afliftance  he  had  given  to  their  fovereign.  Thefe  addrefles 
being  drawn  up,  with  the  concurrence  of  both  houfes,  a 
bill  was  brought  in  to  recognize  the  king's  title,  to  ex- 
prefs  their  abhorrence  of  the  ufurpation  by  the  prince  of 
Orange,  as  well  as  of  the  defection  of  the  Englifh.  Next  day 
James  publifhed  a  declaration,  complaining  of  the  calum 
nies  which  his  enemies  had  fpread  to  his  prejudice;  expa 
tiating  upon  his  own  impartiality  in  preferring  his  Pro- 
teftant  fubje&s;  his  care  in  protecting  them  from  their 
enemies,  in  redreiling  their  grievances,  and  in  granting 
liberty  of  confcience ;  promifing  that  he  would  take  no 
ftep  but  with  the  approbation  of  parliament;  offering  a 
free  pardon  to  all  perfons  who  fhould  defert  his  enemies, 
and  join  him  in  four-and-twenty  days  after  his  landing  in 
Ireland,  and  charging  all  the  blood  that  might  be  fhed  up 
on  thofe  who  fhould  continue  in  rebellion. 

Severity  of       His  conduct,  however,  very  ill    agreed  with  this  decla- 

James  to      ration  ;  nor  can  it   be  excufed   on   any  other  fuppofition, 

Sl?!^?.    but  that  of  his  being  governed  in  fome  cafes,  againft  his 
Ptoteftants.  ,.        .          .    fa    p       „,  ~  i      i      T  •  n 

own  inclination,  by  the    Count   D  Avaux,  and    the  Irifh 

Catholics,  on  whom  his  whole  dependence  was  placed. 
As  both  houfes  were  chiefly  filled  with  members  of  that 
perfuafion,  we  ought  not  to  wonder  at  their  bringing  in  a 
bill  for  repealing  the  act  of  fettlement,  by  which  the  Pro- 
teftants  of  the  kingdom  had  been  fecured  in  the  pofleftion 
of  their  eftates.  Thefe  were  by  this  law  diverted  of  their 
Jands,  which  reverted  to  the  heirs  of  thofe  Catholics  to 
whom  they  belonged  before  the  rebellion.  This  iniquit 
ous  bill  was  framed  in  fuch  a  manner,  that  no  regard  was 
paid  to  fuch  Proteftant  owners  as  had  purchafed  eftates  for 
valuable  confiderations :  No  allowance  was  made  for  im 
provements,  nor  any  provifion  for  proteftant  widows : 
The  pofleflbr  and  tendants  were  not  even  allowed  to  re 
move  their  ftock  and  corn.  When  the  bill  was  fent  up  to 
the  lords,  Dr.  Dopping,  bifhop  of  Meath,  oppofed  it 
with  equal  courage  and  ability  :  and  an  addrefs  in  behalf 
of  the  purchafers  under  the  a£t  of  fettlement  was  prefent- 
ed  to  the  king  by  the  earl  of  Granard:  But  notwithftand- 
ing  thefe  remonft  ranees,  it  received  the  royal  affent ;  and 
the  Proteftants  of  Ireland  were  moftly  ruined. 

Yet,  in  order  to  complete  their  deftru&ion,  an  acl:  of 
attainder  was  pafled  againft  all  Proteftants,  whether  male 
or  female,  whether  of  high  or  low  degree,  who  were  ab- 
fent  from  the  kingdom,  as  well  as  againft  all  thofe  who 


WILLIAM  AND  MARY.  49 

retired  into  any  part  of  the  three  kingdoms,  which  did  not  c  n  A  P. 
own  the  authority  of  King  James,  or  conefpond  with  re 
bels,  or  were  anyways  aiding,  abetting,  or  afiliting  to  ^^"v^*^ 
them  from  the  ift  day  of  Auguft  in  the  preceding  y?ar.  l6j^- 
The  number  of  Proteftants  attainted  by  name  in  this  aift 
amounted  to  about  three  thoufand,  including  two  archbi- 
fhops,  one  duke,  feventeen  earls,  feVen  countefies,  as  ma 
ny  bifhops,  eighteen  barons,  three-and-thirty  baronets, 
one-and-fifty  knights,  eighty-three  clergymen,  who  were 
declared  traitors,  and  adjudged  to  fuffer  the  pains  of  death 
and  forfeiture.  The  individuals  fubjected  to  this  dreadful 
profcription  Were  even  cut  oft"  from  all  hope  of  pardon,  and 
all  benefit  of  appeal:  For,  by  a  claufe  in  the  adt,  the  king's 
pardon  was  deemed  nullj  unUfs  enrolled  before  the  rfl; 
day  of  December.  A  fubfequent  law  v/aS  enafbed,  de 
claring  Ireland  independent  of  the  Englifh  parliament. 
This  afiembly  pafTed  another  act,  granting  twenty  thou- 
fand  pounds  per  annum,  out  of  the  forfeited  eilates,  to 
Tyrconnel,  in  acknowledgment  of  his  fignal  fervices : 
They  impofed  a  tax  of  twenty  thoufand  pounds  per  month 
for  the  fervice  of  the  king :  The  royal  ailent  was  given  to 
an  aft  for  liberty  of  confcience:  They  enacted  that  the 
tithes  payable  by  Papifls  fhould  be  delivered  to  priefts  of 
that  communion  '  The  maintenance  of  the  Proteftant  cler 
gy  in  cities  and  corporations  was  taken  away;  and  all  dif-^ 
inters  were  exempted  from  ecclefiaftical  jurifdiftions.  So 
that  the  eftabli{ht.d  church  was  deprived  of  all  power  and 
prerogative;  notwithstanding  the  exprefs  promife  of 
James,  who  had  declared  immediately  after  his  landirig, 
that  he  would  maintain  the  clergy  in  their  rights  and  pri 
vileges. 

Nor  was  the  king  lefs  arbitrary  in  the  executive  part  of  He  coins 
his   government,  if  we  fuppofe    that  he  countenanced  the  fjlfe  rr'OIU7 

•  n         r  rr  i  j    M  •         j  and  opprel- 

gnevous  acts  or  oppreihon  that  were  daily  committed  upon  ,-.s  thcpeo- 
the  Proteftantfubjocls  of  Ireland  :  But  the  tyranny  of  his  pie- 
proceedings  may  be  juftjy  imputed  to  the  temper  of  his 
miniftry,  confifting  of  men  abandoned  to  all  fenfc  of  juf- 
tice  and  humanity,  who  adicd  from  the  dictates  of  rapacity 
r.nd  revenge,  inflamed  v/ith  all  the  acrimony  of  religious 
rancour.  Soldiers  were  permitted  to  live  upon  free  quar-* 
ter  :  The  people  were  robbed  and  plundered  :  Licenfes  and 
protections  were  p.bufed,  in  order  to  extort  money  from 
the  trading  part  of  the  nation  :  The  king's  old  ftores  were 
ranfacked:  The  fhops  of  tradefmen,  and  the  kitchens  of 
burghers,  were  pillaged  to  fupply  the  mint  with  a  quantity 
of  brafs,  which  was  converted  into  current  coin  for  his 
majefty's  occafions :  An  arbitrary  value  was  fet  upon  ir, 
and  *11  perfons  were  required  and  commanded  to  take  it 
VOL.  I.  G  ' 


50  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK    in  payment  under  the    fevereft  penalties,  though  the   pro 
portion  between  its  intrinfic  worth  and  currency  was  near- 

^"Y^"''  ly  as  one  to  three  hundred.  A  vaft  fum  of  this  counter- 
1685.  Jeit  coin  was  ifiued  in  the  courfe  of  one  year,  and  force -.4 
upon  the  Proteftants  in  payment  of  merchandife,  provifion, 
and  necefTaries  for  the  hint's  -fervice.  James,  not  con 
tent  with  the  fupply  granted  by  parliament,  impofed  by  his 
own  authority  a  tax  of  twenty  thoufand  pounds  per  month 
on  chattel?,  as  the  former  was  laid  upon  lands.  This  feems 
to  have  been  a  temporary  expedient  during  the  adjourn 
ment  of  the  two  houfes,  as  the  term  of  the  aflefTment  was 
limited  to  three  months:  It  was,  however,  levied  by  vir 
tue  of  a  commiffion  under  the  feals  ;  and  feems  to  have 
been  a  ftretch  of  prerogative,  the  lefs  excufable,  as  he  might 
have  obtained  the  money  in  a  parliamentary  way.  Un- 
derftanding  that  the  Proteftants  had  laid  out  all  their  braft 
money,  in  purchafing  great  quantities  of  hides,  tallow,  wool, 
and  corn,  he  afTumed  the  defpotic  power  of  fixing  the 
prices  of  thefe  commodities,  and  then  bought  them  for 
his  own  ufe.  One  may  fee  that  his  minifters  were  bent 
upon  the  utter  deftruclion  of  thofe  unhappy  people. 

All  vacancies  in  public  fchools  were  fupplied  with  Pa- 
pirn  teachers.  The  penfton  allowed  from  the  exchequer 
to  the  univerfity  of  Dublin  was  cut  off:  The  vice-provoft, 
fellows,  and  fcholars  were  expelled :  Their  furniture, 
plate,  and  public  library,  were  leized  without  the  leaft 
fhadow  of  pretence,  and  in  direct:  violation  of  a  promife 
the  king  had  made  to  preferve  their  privileges  and  immu 
nities.  His  officers  converted  the  college  into  a  garrifon, 
the  chapel  into  a  magazine,  and  the  apartments  into  pri- 
fons  :  A  Popifti  prieft  was  appointed  provoft  :  One  Mac- 
carty  of  the  fame  perfuafion  was  made  library-keeper ;  and 
the  whole  foundation  was  changed  into  a  Catholic  fcrni- 
nary.  When  bifhoprics  and  benefices  in  the  gift  of  the 
crown  became  vacant,  the  kin!.1;  ordered  the  profits  to  be 
lodged  in  the  exchequer,  and  fuftt-red  the  cures  to  be  to 
tally  neglected.  The  revenues  were  chiefly  employed  in 
the  maintenance  of  Rormlh  bifhops  and  priefts,  who 
grew  fo  infolent  under  this  indulgence,  that  in  feveral 
places  they  forcibly  feized  the  Proteftant  churches.  When 
complaint  was  made  of  this  outrage,  the  king  promifed 
to  do  jitftice  to  the  injured;  and  in-fome  places  actually  or 
dered  the  churches  to  be  reilored  :  But  the  Popifn  clergy 
refuted  to  comply  with  this  order,  alledging,  that  in  fpi- 
«  rituals  they  owed  obedience  to  no  earthly  power  but  the 
holy  fee  ;  and  James  found  himfclf  unable  to  pretext  his 
Proteftant  fubjecls  againft  a  powerful  body  which  he  durfl 
nor  difoblige.  Sornt*  fhips  appearing  in  the  bay  of  Dublin, 


WILLIAM  AND  MARY.  51 

a  proclamation  was  ifiuecl,  forbidding  the  Protfeftants  to  c  H  A  i>. 
affemble  in  any  place  of  worfhip,  or  cllewhere,  on  pain  of 
death.  Byafecond,  they  were  commanded  to  bring  in 
their  arms,  on  pain  of  being  treated  as  rebels  and  traitors. 
Luttrel,  governor  of  Dublin,  publifticd  an  ordinance  by 
beat  of  drum,  requiring  the  farmers  to  bring  in  their  corn 
for  his  majefty's  horfes  within  a  certain  day,  otherwife  he 
would  order  them  to  be  hanged  before  their  own  door?. 
Brigadier  Sarsfk-ld  commanded  all  Proteftants  of  a  cer 
tain  diftridt  to  retire  to  the  diftance  often  miles  from  their. 
habitations,  on  pain  of  death  ;  and,  in  order  to  keep  up 
the  credit  of  the  brafs  money,  the  fame  penalty  was  de 
nounced,  in  a  proclamation,  againft  any  perfon  who 
iliould  give  more  than  one  pound  eighteen  fhillings  for  a 
guinea. 

All  the  revenues  of  Ireland,  and  all  the  fchcmcs  con 
trived  to  bolfter  up  the  credit  of  this  bafe  coin,  would 
have  proved  infufficient  to  fupport  the  expences  of  the 
war,  had  not  James"  received  occafional  fupplies  from  the 
French  monarch.  After  the  return  of  the  fleet  which 
had  conveyed  him  to  Ireland,  Louis  fent  another  ftrong 
fquadron,  commanded  by  Chateau  Renault,  as  a  convoy 
to  fome  tranfports  laden  v/ith  arms,  ammunition,  and  a 
large  fum  of  money  for  the  ufe  of  King  James.  Before 
they  failed  from  Breft,  King  William,  being  informed  of 
their  deftination,  detached  Admiral  Herbert  from  Spit- 
head,  with  twelve  {hips  of  the  line,  one  firefliip,  and  four 
tenders,  in  order  to  intercept  the  enemy.  He  was  dri 
ven'  *by  ftrefs  of  weather  into  Milford-Haven,  from 
whence  he  ftecred  his  courfe  to  Kinfale,  on  the  fuppofi- 
tion  that  the  French  fleet  had  failed  from  Breft  ;  and  thr.t 
in  all  probability  he  fhould  fall  in  with  them  on  the  coaft 
of  Ireland.  On  the  ift  dav  of  Mav,  he  difcovered  them 

i  •       r»  i  J        i     n         *      •  i  

at  anchor  in  oantrey-bay,  and  itoou  in  to  engage  them,  :wix:  the 
though  they  were  greatly  fuperior  to  him  in  number.  French  and 
They  no  fooner  perceived  him  at  day-break,  than  they  ^"'-h 
weighed,  ftood  out  to  windward,  formed  their  line,  bore 
(flown,  and  began  the  a6l  ion,  which  was  maintained  for 
two  hours  with  equal  valour  on  both  fides,  though  the 
Englifh  fleet  faftained  confiderable  damage  from  the  fu 
perior  fire  of  the  enemy.  Herbert  tacked  feveral  times, 
in  hope  of  gaining  the  weather-gage  :  But  the  French 
Admiral  kept  his  wind  with  uncommon  fkill  and  perfe- 
verance.  At  length  the  Englifh  fquadron  ftood  off  to 
fca,  and  maintained  a  running  fight  till  five  in  the  after 
noon,  when  Chateau  Renault  tacked  about,  and  re 
turned  into  the  bay,  content  with  the  honour  he  had 
gained.  The  lo&  of  men  was  inconfidcrable  on  both 


merit 


52  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  £d?s  ;  and,  where  the  odds  was  fo  great,   the  victor  could 
(     L          not    leap    much   glory.      Herbert    retired    to    the    Ifles  of 
""V^      Sctily,    where    he  expelled  a  re-enforcement :   But    bein;; 
01>'J'      clifappointed    in    this    expectation,    he   returned    to  Portf- 
inouth,  in  veiy  ill    humour,   with  which    his  officers   and 
men  were   infected.     The   common   failors  ilill   retained 
feme  attachment  to    James,  who   had  formerly   been  a  fa 
vourite  among   them  ;  and   the   officers  complained   that 
JUreftw        they  had  been  lent  upon  this   frrviee  with  a  force  fo  much 
K;iL;.          inferior  to  that  of  the  enemy.     King  William,  in  order  to 
fc< ..k.M-ves.     appcafe  their  difcontent,  made  an  excurfion  to  Portfmouth, 
etfe ^       '  where  he  dined  with  the  Admiral  on  board  the  fhip  Eli- 
Voltaire,      fepeth,  declared   his  intention  of  creating  him  an  earl,  in 
confederation  of  his  good  conduct  and  fervices,  conferred 
the    honour  of  knighthood  on  the  Captains    Afhby   and 
Shovel,  and  bellowed  a  donation  of  ten  (hillings  on  every 
private  failor. 

'cverui  at-       The  parliament  of  England  thought  it  incumbent  upon 
tenders  rt-  them,  not  only  to  raife  fuppiies  for  the  maintenance  of  the 
jhc  LI  ritlih    war  ^n  which  the  nation  was  involved,  but  alfo  to  do  juf- 
''aiiidii.eiu.  tice  with  refpect  to  thofe  who  had  been  injured  by  illegal 
.    or  opprcflive  fentences  in  the  late  reigns.     The  attainders 
of  Lord    Ruffe],   Algernon    Sidney,    Alderman  Cornifh, 
and  Lady  L'fle,  were  now  reverfed.      A  committee  of  pri 
vileges  was  appointed  by  the  lords,  to  examine  the  cafe  of 
the  Karl  of  Devonshire,  who  in  the  late  reign  had  been  fin 
ed  in  thirty  thoufand   pounds,  for  aflaulting   Colonel  Cul- 
pepper  in  the  prcfence-chamber.      They  reported  that  the 
Court  of  King's-bench,  in  over-ruling  the  earl's    plea  of 
privilege  of  parliament,  had  committed  a  manifeil   breach 
of  privilege:  That  the  fine  was   exceflive  and  exorbitant, 
againft/the  great  charter,  the  common  right  of  the  fubject^ 
and  the  law  of  the  realm.     The  fentence  pronounced  upon 
Samuel  Johnfon,  chaplain  to  Lord  Ruffel,   in  confequence 
of  which  he  had  been  degraded,   fined,  fcourged,  and  fet  in 
the  pillory,  was  now  annulled,  and  the  commons  recom 
mended  him  to  his   majefry  for  fome    ecclefiaftical  prefer 
ment.     He  received  one  thoufand  pounds  in   money,  with 
a  penfion   of  three   hundred  pounds  for    his  own    life  and 
that  of  his  fon,  who  was  moreover  gratified  with  a  place 
of  one  hundred   pounds  a.year  :  But  the  father  never  ob 
tained   any  ecclefiaftical    benefice.     Titus    Oates    fcized 
this  opportunity   of  petitioning   the   houfe  of  lords  for  a 
reverfal   of  the  judgment  given  againft   him  on  his  being 
convicted  of  perjury.     The  opinions  of  a]l  the  judges  and 
counfel  at  the  bar  were  heard  on  this  fubject,  and  a  bill  of 
reverfal   paffed  the  commons  :  But  the  peers  having    in- 
fome  amendments  and  a  provifo,  a  conference 


WILLIAM  AND  MARY.  53 

• 

demanded,  and   violent   heats   enfued.     Gates,  however,  CHAP. 
was  releaitd  from   confinement ;  and  the   lords,  with  the   ,  . 

content  of  the  commons,  recommended  him  to  his  majefty 
for  a  pardon,  which  he  obtained,  together  with  a  comfort 
able  penfion.  The  committee  appointed  to  enquire  into 
the  caks  of  the  ftate-prifoners,  found  Sir  Robert  Wright, 
late  lord  chief  juftice,  to  have  been  concerned  in  the  cru 
elties  committed  in  the  Weft,  after  the  infurre&ion  of 
Monmouth ;  as  alfo  one  of  the  ecclefiaftical  commiflioners, 
and  guilty  of  manifold  enormities.  Death  had  by  this 
time  delivered  Jeffries  from  the  refrntment  of  the  nation. 
Graham  and  Burton  had  afled  as  folicitors  in  the  illegal 
profecutions  carried  on  againft  thofe  who  oppofed  the 
court  in  the  reign  of  Charles  II.  Thefe  were  now  reported 
guilty  of  having  been  inftrtrrnental  in  taking  away  the 
lives  and  eftates  of  thofe  who  had  fuffered  the  lofs  of  either, 
under  colour  of  law  for  eight  years  laft  part;  of  having, 
by  malicious  indictments,  informations,  and  profecutions 
of  quo  warrants,  endeavoured  the  fubverfion  of  the  Pro- 
teft.int  religion,  and  the  government  of  the  realm  ;  and 
wafted  many  thoufand  pounds  of  the  public  revenue  in  the 
courfe  of  their  infamous  practices. 

Nor  did  the  mifcondu6l  of  the  prefent  miniftry  efcape 
the  animadverfion  of  the  parliament.  The  lords  having 
addreffed  the  king  to  put  the  Ifle  of  Wight,  Jerfey, 
Guernfey,  Scilly,  Dover-caftle,  and  the  other  fortrefles  of 
the  kingdom,  in  a  pofture  of  defence,  and  to  difarm  the 
Papifts,  empowered  a  committee  to  enquire  into  the  mif- 
carriages  in  Ireland,  which  were  generally  imputed  to  the 
neglect  of  the  marquiffes  of  Caermarthen  and  Hallifax. 
They  prefented  an  addrefs  to  the  king,  defiring  the  minute 
book  of  the  committee  for  Irifh  affairs  might  be  put  into 
their  hands  :  But  his  majefty  declined  gratifying  them  in 
this  particular  :  Then  the  commons  voted,  that  thofe  per- 
fons  who  had  advifed  the  king  to  delay  this  fatisfa£h'on 
were  enemies  to  the  kingdom.  William,  alarmed  at  this 
refolution,  allowed  them  to  infpe&  the  book,  in  which 
they  found  very  little  for  their  purpofc.  The  houfe  re- 
folved  that  an  addrefs  fhould  be  prefented  to  his  majefty, 
declaring  that  the  fuccour  of  Ireland  had  been  retarded  by 
unneccflary  delays ;  that  the  tranfports  prepared  were  not 
fufficient  to  convey  the  forces  to  that  kingdom ;  and  that 
feveral  fhips  had  been  taken  by  the  enemy,  for  want  of 
proper  convoy.  At  the  fame  time  the  queftion  was  put, 
whether  or  not  they  fhould  addrefs  the  king  againft  the 
marquis  of  Hallifax;  But  it  was  carried  in  the  negative 
by  a  fmall  majority.  Before  this  period,  Howe,  vice- 
chamberlain  to  the  queen,  had  moved  for  an  addrefs  againfl 


•54-  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  fuch  cour.fellors  as  had  been  impeached  in  parliament,  and 
betrayed    the  liberties  of  the    nation.     This    motion  was 

^"Y~x~^  levelled  at  Caermarthen  and  Hallifax,  the  firft  of  whom 
°5'  had  been  formerly  impeached  of  high  treafon,  under  the 
title  of  earl  of  Dauby;  and  the  otlur  was  charged  with 
all  the  mifconducl  of  the  prefent  adminiftration.  Warm 
debates  enfued,  and  in  all  probability  the  motion  would 
have  been  carried  in  the  affirmative,  had  not  thofe  who 
fpoke  warmly  in  behalf  of  it  fuddenly  cooled  in  the  courfe 
of  thr-  difpute.  Some  letters  from  King  James  to  his 
partifans  being  intercepted,  and  containing  feme  hints  of 
an  intended- invafion,  Mr.  Hambden,  chairman  of  the  com 
mittee  of  the  whole  houfe,  enlarged  upon  the  imminent 
danger  to -which  the  kingdom  was  expofed,  and  moved 
for  a  further  fuppl/  to  his  majefty.  In  this  unexpected 
motion,  he  was  not  feconded  by  one  member.  The 
houfe,  however,  having  taken  the  letters  into  consideration, 
refolvcd  to  draw  up  an  addrefs  to  the  king,  dv  firing  him 
to  fecure  and  difarm  all  Papifts  of  note  j  and  they  brought 
in  a  bill  for  attainting  fever  al  perfons  in  rebellion  a-. 
£ainft  their  majefties ;  but  it  was  not  finished  cluring-this 
leffion. 

,  Another  bill  being  prepared  in  the  houfe  of  lords,  en 
joining  che  fubje<Sb  to  wear  the  woollen  manufacture  at 
certain  feafons  of  th..  ye::.r,  a  petition  was  prefciited  againfr. 
it  by  the  filk- weavers  of  London  and  Canterbury,  alTi:m- 
bled  in  a  tumultous  manner  at  Weftminfter.  The  lords 
refufed  their  petition,  becaufe  this  was  an  uriufual  manner 
of  application.  They  were  perfuaded  to  return  to  their 
refpe&ive  places  of  abode :  Precautions  were  taken 
againff.  a  fecond  riot ;  and  the  bill  was  unanimoufly  re 
jected  in  the  upper  houfe.  This  parliament  paflVd  an  a6t, 
veiling  in  the  two  univcrrfities  the  prefentations  belonging 
to  Papifts  :  Thofe  of  the  fouthern  counties  being  given  to 
Oxfoid  ;  and  thofe  of  the  northern  to  Cambridge,  on  cer 
tain  fpecified  conditions.  Courts  of  confcience  were 
creeled  at  Briftol,  Gloucefter,  and  Ncwcaftle;  and  that 
of  the  Marches  of  Wales  was  abolifhcd,  as  an  intolerable 
opprelSon.  The  ProttOant  clergymen,  who  had  been 
forced  to  leave  their  benifkes  in  Ireland,  were  rendered 
capable  of  holding  any  living  in  England,  without  for 
feiting  their  title  to  their  former  preferment,  with  the 
proviib  that  they  fhould  refign  their  Englifh  benefices 
wh  n  reftorcd  to  thofe  they  had  been  obliged  to  relinquish. 
TL^e  ftatute  of  Henry  IV.  againft  multiplying  gold  and 
filver  was  now  repealed:  The  fubjecls  weVe  allowed  to 
melt  and  refine  metals  and  ores,  and  extract  gold  and  fil 
ver  from  them,  on  condition  that  it  fhoi.ld  bs  brought  to 


WILLIAM  AND  MARY.  55 

the  mint,  and  converted  into  money,  the  owners  receiving  C  H  A  ?. 
its  full  value  in    current  coin.     Thefe,  and   fcveral  other 
bills  of  fmaller    importance  being  parTed,  the   tv/o  houfes 
adjourned  to  the  20th  day  of  September,  and   afterwards 
to  the  iQth  day  of  October. 

Though  the  affairs  of  Ireland  were  extremely  preifing,  Duke  of 
and  the  Proteftants  of  that  country  had  made  repeated  ap-  Scho:-.bers 
plication  for  relief,  the  fuccours  were  retarded  either  by  *****  wi^ 
the  difputes  among  the  minifters,  or  the  negledt  of  thoi'o  irchmL 
who  had  the  management  of  the  expedition,  in  fuch  a  man 
ner,  that  King  James  had  been  fix  months  in  Ireland  be 
fore  the  army  was  embarked  for  that  kingdom.  At  length, 
eighteen  regiments  of  infantry,  and  five  of  dragoons  being 
raifed  for  that  fervice,  a  trnin  of  artillery  provided,  and 
tranfports  prepared,  the  Duke  of  Schomberg,  on  whom. 
King  William  had  conferred  the  chief  command  of  this 
armament,  fet  out  for  Chefter,  after  he  had  in  ;  erfon 
thanked  the  commons  for  the  uncommon  regard  th.y  had 
paid  to  his  fervices,  and  received  afiurances  from  the  houfe, 
that  they  would  pay  particular  attention  to  him  a .\1  his 
army.  On  the  1 3th  day  of  Auguft  he  landed  in  the  neigh 
bourhood  of  Carrickfergus  with  about  ten  thoufand  foot 
and  dragoons,  and  took  pofll-ffion  of  Belful,  from  whence 
the  enemy  retired  at  his  approach  to  Carrickfergus,  where 
they  refolved  to  make  a  ftand.  The  duke  having  refrefli- 
ed  his  men,  marched  thither  and  inverted  the  place:  The 
fiege  was  carried  on  till  the  26th  day  of  the  month,  .when 
the  breaches  being  practicable,  the  beiieged  capitulated, 
on  condition  of  marching  out  with  their  arms,  and  as 
much  baggage  as  they  could  carry  on  their  backs  j  and  of 
their  being  conducted  to  the  next  Iriih  garrifon,  which 
was  at  Newry.  During  this  fiege  the  duke  was  joined 
by  the  reft  of  his  army  from  England.  But,  he  had  left 
orders  for  conveying  the  greater  part  of  the  artillery  and 
(tores  from  Chefter  directly  to  Carlingford.  He  now  be 
gan  his  march  through  Lifburne  and  Hillfborough,  and 
encamped  at  Drummore,  where  the  Proteftants  of  the 
North,  had  been  lately  routed  by  Hamilton  :  Thence  he 
proceeded  to  Loughbrillane,  where  he  was  joined  by 
the  horfe  and  dragoons  of  innifkillin.  Then  the  enemy 
abandoned  Newry  and  Dundalk,  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
which  Schomberg  encamped  on  a  low,  damp  ground, 
having  the  town  and  river  on  the  fouth,  and  fur- 
rounded  on  every  other  part  by  hillc,  bogs,  and  moun 
tain?. 

His  army,  confided  chiefly  of  new-raifed  men  little  inur 
ed  to  hardihip,  began  to  flag  under  the  fatigue  of  i-arch- 
itfg,  the  inclemency  of  the  weather,  and  fca-rcity  of  provifi- 


$6  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  on.  Here  he  was  re-enforced  by  the  regiments  of  Kirke? 
Hanmer,  and  Stuart;  and  would  have  continued  his  march 
to  Drogheda,  where  he  underftood  Rofene  lay  with  about 
twenty  thoufand  men,  had  he  not  been  obliged  to  wait  for 
the  artillery  which  was  not  yet  arrived  at  Carlingford. 
King  James,  having  afTembled  all  his  force?,  advanced  to 
wards  Schomberg,  and  appeared  before  his  intrenchmerits 
in  order  of  battle  :  But  the  duke,  knowing  they  were 
greatly  fuperior  in  number  of  horfe,  and  that  his  own  army 
was  undifciplined,  and  weakened  by  de^.th  anil  ficknefs,  re- 
itrained  his  men  within  the  lines,  and  in  a  little  time  the 
enemy  retreated.  Immediately  after  their  departure,  a  con- 
fpiracy  was  difcovered  in  the  Englifh  camp,  hatched  by 
feme  French  Papifts,  who  had  infinuatedthemfelves  into  the 
Proteftant  regiments.  One  of  thefe,  whofe  name  was  Du- 
Pleflis,  had  written  a  letter  to  the  ambaflador  D'  Avaux, 
promiiing  to  defert,  with  all  the  Papifts  of  the  three  French 
regiments  in  Schombcrg's  army.  This  letter  being  found, 
Du  Pleflis  and  rive  accomplices  were  tried  by  a  court  mar 
tial,  and  executed.  About  two  hundred  and  fifty  Papifts 
being  difcovered  in  the  French  regiments,  they  were  font 
over  to  England,  and  from  thence  to  Holland.  While 
Schomberg  remained  in  this  fituation,  the  Innifkilliners 
made  excurfions  in  the  neighbourhood,  under  the  command 
of  Colonel  Lloyd;  and  on  the  2yth  day  of  September  they 
obtained  a  complete  victory  over  five  times  their  number 
of  the  Irifh.  They  killed  feven  hundred  on  the  fpot,  and 
took  O'  Kelley  their  commander,  with  about  fifty  officers, 
and  a  confidcrable  booty  of  cattle.  The  duke  was  fo  pleafcd 
with  their  behaviour  on  this  occafion,  that  they  received  a 
very  honourable  tcftimony  of  his  approbation. 

Meanwhile,  the  enemy  took  pofleffion  of  James -Town, 
and  reduced  Sligo,  one  of  the  forts  of  which  was  gallantly 
defended  by  St  Sauvcr,,  a  French  captain,  and  his  company 
of  grenadiers,  until  he  was  obliged  to  capitulate,  tor  want  of 
water  and  provifion.  A  contageous  diftc-mper  ftill  conti 
nued  to  rage  in  Schomberg's  camp,  and  fwept  off  a  great 
number  of  officers  and  foldiers  ;  fo  that  in  the  beginning  of 
next  fpring,  not  above  half  the  number  of  thofe  who  went 
over  with  the  general  remained  alive.  Fie  was  cenfured 
for  his  inactivity,  and  the  king,  in  repeated  letters,  defired 
him  to  hazard  an  engagement,  provided  an  opportunity 
ihould  occur ;  but  he  did  not  think  proper  to  run  the  rifque 
of  a  battle,  agair.ft  an  enemy  that  was  above  thrice  his 
number,  well-diicipliaed,  healthy,  and  conducted  by  able 
officer?.  Neverthelefs^  he  was  c  ct^inly  blameable  for  hav 
ing  chofc-n  fuch  an  u:ro/Jioi'_lb;Tic  fituation.  At  the  ap 
proach  or' winter  he  retire!  into  qiurturr.,  in  hopes  of  bcir.;;. 


WILLIAM  AND  MARY.  57 

re-enforced  with  feven  thoufand  Danes,  who  had   already  CHAP. 
arrived  in  Britain.     Thefe  auxiliaries  were  ftipulated  in  a 
treaty  which  William  had  juft  concluded  with  the  king  of  ^y**' 
Denmark.     The  Englifh  were  not  more  fuccefsful   at   fea       IoS9' 
than 'they  had  proved  in  their  operations  by  land.     Admi 
ral  Herbert,  now  created  earl  of  Torrington,  having   failed 
to  Ireland  with   the  combined  fquadrons    of  England  and 
Holland,   made  a  fruitlefs  attempt  upon  Cork,  and  loft  a 
great  number  of  feamen  by  ficknefs,  which  was  imputed  to 
bad  provifion.     The  Dartmouth  fliip  of  war  fell  into  the 
hands  of  the  enemy,  who  infefted  the  Channel  with  fuch  a 
number  of  armed  ihips  and  privateers,   that    the  trade   of 
England  fuftained  incredible  damage. 

The  affairs  of  France  wore  but  a  gloomy  afpecl:  on  the 
continent,  where  all  the  powers  of  Europe  feemed  to  have 
confpired  her  deftruction.  King  William  had  engaged  in  ' 

a  new  league  with  the  States-general,  in  v/hich  former  trea 
ties  oi  peace  and  commerce  were  confirmed.  It  was  ftipuhted, 
that,  in  cafe  the  King  of  Great  Britain  (liould  be  attacked, 
the  Dutch  fhould  afftft  him  v/ith  fix  thoufand  infantry  and 
twenty  (hips  of  the  line;  and  that,  provided  hoftilities 
fhould  be  committed  againft  the  States-general,  England 
fhoulj  fupply  them  with  ten  thoufand  infantry  and  twenty 
(hips  of  war.  This  treaty  was  no  fooner  ratified  than  King 
William  difpatched  the  Lord  Churchill,  whom  he  had  by 
this  time  created  Earl  of  Marlborough,  to  Holland,  in  order 
to  command  the  Britifti  auxiliaries  in  that  fervice,  to  the 
number  of  eleven  thoufand,  the  greater  part  of  which  had 
been  in  the  army  of  King  James  when  the  Prince  of  Orange 
landedjn  England.  The  Earl  forthwith  joined  the  Dutch 
army  under  the  command  of  Prince  Waldec,  who  had  fixed 
his  rendzevous  in  the  county  of  Liege,  with  a  view  to  act 
againft  the  French  army,  commanded  by  the  Marefchal  D' 
Humieres ;  while  the  Prince  of  Vaudemont  headed  a  little  ar 
my  of  obfervation,  confiftingof  Spaniards,  Dutch,  anciGer- 
mans,  to  watch  the  motions  of  Calvo  In  another  part  of  the 
Low-Countries.  The  city  of  Liege  was  compelled  to  re 
nounce  the  neutrality,  and  declare  for  the  allies.  Marefchal 
D'  Humieres  attacked  the  foragers  belonging  to  the  army 
of  the  ftates  at  Walcourt,  in  the  month  of  Auguft ;  an  ob-  French  de- 
ftinate  engagement  enfu-ed,  and  the  French  were  obliged  to  fe,ated  at 
retreat  in  confufion,  with  the  lofs  of  two  thoufand  men,  and 
fome  pieces  of  artillery.  The  army  of  obfervation  levelled 
part  of  the  French  lines  on  the  fide  of  Courtray,  and  railed 
contributions  on  the  territories  of  the  enemy. 

The  French  were  almoft  entire  mafters  of  the  three  ec-  The  Turks 
clefiaftica-1  eledorates  of  Germany.  They  poflefled  Mentz,  f^fen'!' 
Triers,  Bonne,  Keiferf\v?.ert,  Philipfburgh,  and  Landau,  gagemer.ts. 

VOL.  I.  H 


5»  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK   They  had  blown  up  the  caftle  of  Heidelberg  in  the  Palatr- 
,  nate,  and  deftroyed  Manheim.     They  had  reduced  Worms 

*"y**      and  Spires  to  afhes;  and  dernolifhed  Frankendahl,  together 
'       with  Several  other  fortreffes.     Thefe  conquefts,  the   fruits 
of  fudden   invafion,   were  covered  with   a  numerous  army, 
commanded  by  the  Marefchal  de  Duras  ;  and  all  his  inferior 
generals  were  officers  of  diftinguifhed  courage  and  ability. 
Nevertheless,  he  found  it  difficult  to  maintain  his  ground  a- 
gainft  the  different  princes  of  the  empire.     The   duke   of 
Lorraine,   who  commanded  the   Imperial   troops,  invefted 
Mentz,   and  took  it  by  capitulation  :  The  Elector  of  Bran- 
denburgh,  having  reduced  Keiferfwaert,  undertook  the  fiege 
of  Bonne,  which  the    garrifon  furrendered,  after    having 
made  a  long  and  vigorous  defence.     Nothing  contributed 
more  to  the  union  of  the  German  princes  than  their  refent- 
ment  of  the  fhocking  barbarity  with  which  the  French  had 
plundered,  wafted,  and  depopulated  their  country.       Louis 
having,  by  his  intrigues  in  Poland,    and  at  Conftantinople, 
prevented  a  pacification  between  the  Emperor  and  the  Ot- 
toman-porte,  the;  campaign  was   opened  in  Croatia,  where 
five  thoufand  Turks  were  defeated  by  a  body  of  Croats  be 
tween  Vihitz  and  Novi.    The  Prince  of  Baden,  who  com 
manded  the  Imperialifts  on  that  fide,  having  thrown  a  bridge 
over  the  JVlorava   at  PafFarowitz,   crofTed  that  river,  and 
marched  in  queft  of  the  Turkifh  army,  amounting  to   fifty 
thoufand  men,  headed  by  a  Serafkier.     On  the  3Oth  day  of 
Auguft  he  attacked  the  enemy  in  their  entrenchments  near 
Patochin,  forced  their  lines,  routed  them  with  great  flaugh- 
ter,  and  took  poflaffion  of  their  camp,  baggage,  and  artillery. 
They  retreated  to   Nifia,   where   the  general  finding  them 
ftill  more  numerous  than  the  Imperial ifts,  refolved  to  make 
a  ftand  ;  and  encamped  in  a  fituation   that  was  inacceflible 
in  every  part  except  the  rear,  which  he  left  open    for   the 
convenience  of  a  retreat.     Through  this  avenue,  he  was,  on 
the  24th  day  of  September  attacked  by  the  Prince  of  Baden, 
who,  after  a  dcfperate  refiftance,  obtained  another  complete 
vi£tory,  enriched  his  troops  with  the   fpoils  of  the  enemy, 
and  entered  Nifla  without  oppofition.     There  he  found  a- 
bove  three  thoufand  horfes,  and  a  vaft  quantity  of  provifion. 
Having  repofed  his  army   for  a  few  days  in  this  place,  he 
rcfumed  his  march  againft  the  Turks,  who  had  chofen   an 
advantageouspoftat  Widin,  and  feemed  ambitious  of  retriev 
ing  the  honour  they  had  loft  in  the  two  former  engagements. 
The  Germans  attacked  their  lines  without  hefitation ;  and 
though  the  MufTulmen   fought  with   incredible    fury,   they 
were  a  third  time  defeated  with  great  (laughter.     This  de 
feat  was  attended  with  the  lofs  of  Widin,  which  being  fur- 
rendered  to  the  victor,  he  diftributed  his  troops  in  winter- 
quarters,  and  returned  to  Vienna,  covered  with  laurels. 


WILLIAM  AND  MARY.  59 

The  French  were  likewife  baffled  in  their  attempt  upon  CHAP. 
Catalonia,  where  the  Duke  de  Noailles  had  taken  Campre- 
don,  in  the  month  of  May.  Leaving  a  garrifon  in  this  p'ace, 
he  retreated  to  the  frontie/s  of  France,  while  the  Duke  cle  1<J'9' 
Villa  Hermofa,  at  the  head  of  a  Spanifh  army,  blocked  up 
the  place,  and  laid  Roufillon  under  contribution.  He  af 
terwards  undertook  the  fiege  in  form,  and  Noailles  marched 
to  its  relief  :  But  he  was  fo  hard  preffed  by  the  Spaniards, 
that  he  withdrew  thegarnfon,  difmantled  the  place,  and  re 
treated  with  great  precipitation.  The  French  Kin:-$  hoped 
to  derive  fome  confiderable  advantage  from  the  death  of 
Pope  Innocent  XI.  which  happened  on  the  1 2th  day  of°eathof 
Auguft.  That  Pontiff  had  been  an  inveterate  enemy  to  ^ntXi™ 
Louis  ever  fmce  the  affair  of  the  franchifes,  and  the  feizure 
of  Avignon.*  Cabals  were  immediately  formed  at  Rome  by 
the  French  faction  againft  the  Spanifn  and  Imperial  intereft. 
The  French  cardinals  de  Bouillon  and  Bonzi,  accompanied 
by  Furftemberg,  repaired  to  Rome  with  a  large  fum  of  mo 
ney.  Peter  Ottoboni,  a  Venetian,  was  elected  Pope,  and  af- 
fumed  the  name  of  Alexander  VIII.  The  Duke  de  Chaulnes, 
ambafiador  from  France,  immediately  fignified,  in  the  name 
of  his  mailer,  that  Avignonihould  be  reftored  to  the  patri 
mony  of  the  church ;  and  Louis  renounced  the  franchifes,  ina 
letter  written  by  his  own  hand  to  the  new  pontiff.  Alexander 
received  thefe  marks  of  refpe£t  with  the  warmeft  acknowledg 
ments;  but,  when  the  ambafladorand  Furftemberg  befought 
him  to  re-examine  the  election  of  the  Bifhop  of  Cologn, 
which  had  been  the  fource  of  fo  much  calamity  to  the  empire, 
he  lent  a  deaf  ear  to  their  felicitations..  He  even  confirmed 
the  ditpenfations  granted  by  his  predeceflbr  to  the  Prince  of 
Bavaria,  who  was  thus  empowered. to  take  poneffion 
of  the  electorate,  though  he  had  not  yet  attained  the  age 
required  by  the  canons.  Furftemberg  retired  in  difguft 

*Thc  franchifes  were  privileges  of  afylum,  annexed  not  onl  to  the  houfet 
of  ambafTadors  at  Rome,  but  even  to  the  whole  dilVricl:  in  which  any  arnbafla- 
dorchinced  to  live.  This  privilege  was  become  a  terrible  nuifance,  in  as  much 
as  it  afforded  protection  to  the  moft  atrocious  criminals,  who  rilled  the  city 
with  rapine  and  murder.  Innocent  XI.  refolving  to  remove  this  evil,  publilh- 
ed  a  bull,  abolilhing  the  franchifes  ;  and  almoft  A\  the  Catholic  powers  of  Europe 
acquiefced  in  what  he  had  done,  upon  being  duly  informed  of  the  grievance. 
Louis  XIV.  however,  from  a  fpiritof  pride  and  infolence,  refufed  to  patt  with 
any  thing  that  looked  like  a  prerogative  of  his  crown.  He  faid  the  king  of 
France  was  not  the  imitator,  but  a  pattern  and  example  for  other  priiKeE. 
He  rejefted  with  difdain  the  mild  reprefentations of  the  Pope.-:  he  fentthe  marquis 
<ie  Lavarden  as  his  ambafiauor  to  Rome,  with  a  formidable  train,  to  infult  In 
nocent  even  in  his  own  city.  That  nobleman  fwagg  red  through  the  ftreets 
of  Rome  like  a  bravo,  taking  all  opportunities  to  affront  the  Pope,  who  excom 
municated  him  in  revenge.  On  the  other  hand,  the  parliament  of  Paris  ap 
pealed  from  the  Pope's  bull  to  a  future  council.  Louis  caufed  the  Pope's  nun 
cio  to  be  put  under  arreft,  took  poffeffion  of  Avignon  which  belonged  to  the 
Ite  of  Rom*,  and  fet  the  holy  father  ac  defiance. 


60  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK   to  Paris,  where  Louis  immediately  gratified  him  with  the 

Abbey  of  St.  Germain's. 

'/'  King  William  found  it  an  eafier  tafk  to  unite  the  coun- 

5'  cils  of  Europe  againft  the  common  enemy,  than  to  concili 
ate  and  preferve  the  affections  of  his  own  fubjects,  among 
whom  he  began  vifibly  to  decline  in  point  of  popularity. 
Many  were  diffatisfied  with  his  meafures  ;  and  a  great  num 
ber  even  of  thofe  who  exerted  themfelves  for  his  elevation, 
had  conceived  a  difguft  from  his  perfonal  deportment, 
which  was  very  unfuitable  to  the  manners  and  difpofition 
of  the  Eno;lifh  people.  Inftead  of  mingling  with  his  nobi 
lity  in  facial  amufements  and  familiar  converfation,  he 
maintained  a  difagreeable  referve,  which  had  all  the  air  of 
fullen  pride:  He  feldom  or  never  fpoke  to  his  courtiers  or 
attendants  :  He  fpent  his  time  chiefly  in  the  clofet,  retired 
from  all  communication;  or  among  his  troops,  in  a  camp  he 
had  formed  at  Hounflow;  or  in  the  exercife  of  hunting,  to 
which  he  was  immoderately  addicted.  This  had  been  pre- 
fcribed  to  him  by  phyficians,  as  necefTary  to  improve  his 
constitution,  which  was  naturally  weak,  and  by  practice  had 
become  fo  habitual,  that  he  could  not  lay  it  afide.  His  ill 
health,  co-operating  with  his  natural  averfion  to  fociety, 
produced  a  peevifhnefs  which  could  not  fail  of  being  dif- 
pleafing  to  thofe  who  were  nesr  his  perfon :  This  was  en- 
creafed  by  the  difputes  in  his  cabinet,  and  the  oppofition  of 
thofe  who  were  profefled  enemies  to  his  government,  as 
well  as  by  the  alienation  of  his  former  friends.  As  he 
could  not  breathe  without  difficulty  in  the  air  of  London, 
he  refided  chiefly  at  Hampton-Court,  and  expended  confi- 
derable  fums  in  beautifying  and  enlarging  that  palace.  He 
likewife  purchafed  the  houfe  at  Kenfington  of  the  Earl  of 
Nottingham  ;  and  fuch  profufion,  in  the  beginning  of  an 
expenlive  war,  gave  umbrage  to  the  nation  in  general.  Whe 
ther  he  was  advifed  by  his  counfellors,  or  his  own  fagacity 
pointed  out  the  expediency  of  conforming  with  the  Englirfi 
humour,  he  now  feemed  to  change  his  difpofition,  and  in  fome 
meafure  adopt  the  manners  of  his  predeceflbrs.  In  imita 
tion  of  Charles  II.  he  reforted  to  the  races  at  Newmarket : 
He  accepted  an  invitation  tovifit  Cambridge,  where  he  be 
haved  with  remarkable  affability  to  the  members  of  the  uni- 
verfity :  He  afterwards  dined  with  the  Lord  mayor  of  Lon 
don,  accepted  the  freedom  of  the  city,  and  condefcended  fo 
far  as  to  become  fovereign-mafter  of  the  company  of  gro 
cers. 

While  William  thus  endeavoured  to  remove  the  preju 
dices  which  had  been  conceived  againft  his  perfon,  the  pe 
riod  arrived  which  the  parliament  had  prefcribed  for  taking 
the  oaths  to  the  new  government.  Some  individuals  of  the 


WILLIAM  AND  MARY.  61 

clergy  facrificed  their  benefices  to  their  fcruples  of  confci-  CHAP, 
ence;  and  abfolutely  refufedto  take  oaths  that  were  contra 
ry  to  thofe  they  had  already  fworn  in  favour  of  their  late  fo-  ^"V*^ 
vereign.  Thefe  were  diftinguiflied  by  the  epithet  of  Non-  j68<-;' 
jurors  :  But  their  number  bore  a  very  fmall  proportion  to 
that  of  others,  who  took  them  with  fuch  refervations  and  di- 
ftinctions  as  redounded  very  little  to  the  honour  of  their  in 
tegrity.  Many  of  thofe  who  had  been  the  v/armefr  advo 
cates  for  non-refiftance  and  pafiive  obedience,  madenofcru- 
ple  of  renouncing  their  allegiance  to  King  James,  and 
complying  with  the  prefent  act,  after  having  declared  that 
they  took  the  oaths  in  no  other  fenfe  than  that  of  a  peacea 
ble  fubmiflion  to  the  powers  that  were.  They  even  af 
firmed  that  the  legislature  itfelf  !nd  allowed  the  diftinction 
between  a  king  de  faffo  and  a  king  de  jure^  as  they  had 
dropped  the  word  "  rightful"  when  the  form  was  under  de 
bate.  They  all  edged  that  as  prudence  obliged  them  to  conform 
to  the  letter  of  the  oath,  fo  confcience  required  them  to  give 
ittheir  own  interpretation.  Nothing  could  be  more  infamous, 
and  of  worfe  tendency,  than  this  practice  of  equivocating 
in  the  moft  facred  of  all  obligations.  It  introduced  a  general 
difregard  of  oaths,  which  hath  been  the  fource  of  univerfal 
perjury  and  curruption.  Though  this  fet  of  temporifers 
were  bitterly  upbraided  both  by  the  Nonjurors  and  the  Pa- 
pifts,  they  all  concurred  in  reprefenting  William  as  an  ene 
my  to  the  church;  as  a  prince  educated  in  the  doctrines  of 
Calvin,  which  he  plainly  efpoufed,  by  limiting  his  favour 
and  preferment  to  fuch  as  were  latitudinnrians  in  religion, 
and  by  his  aboliflaing  Epifcopacy  in  Scotland.  The  Prci- 
byterians  of  that  kingdom  now  tyrannifed  in  their  turn. 
They  were  headed  by  the  Earl  of  Crawford,  a  nobleman  of 
a  violent  temper  and  ftrong  prejudice?.  Ke  was  chofen 
prefident  of  the  parliament  by  the  intereft  of  Melvil,  and 
opprefied  the  Epifcopalians  in  fuch  a  manner,  that  the  grea 
ter  part  of  them,  from  refentment,  became  well-wifhers  to 
King  James.  Every  circumftance  of  the  hardihips  they 
underwent  was  reported  in  England  ;  and  the  Earl  of  Cla 
rendon,  as  well  as  the  fufpended  bifhops,  circulated  thefc 
particulars  with  great  afnduity.  The  oaths  being  rejected 
by  the  archbifhop  of  Canterbury,  the  bifhops  of  Ely,  Ch:~ 
chcfter,  Bath  and  Wells,  Peterborough,  and  Glcucefter, 
they  were  fufpended  from  their  functions,  and  threatened 
with  deprivation.  Lake,  of  Chichefter,  being  fuized  with 
a  dangerous  diftemper,  figned  a  folemn  declaration,  in  which 
he  profefled  his  adherence  to  the  doctrine  of  non-rafiftance 
and  paffive  obedience,  which  he  believed  to  be  the  diftin- 
gui/Iiing  characterise  of  the  church  of  England.  After 
his  death  this  paper  was  publifhed,  ir/Ju£rioufiy  circulated. 


62  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  and  extolled  by  the  party,  as  an  infpired  oracle,  pronounced 
by  a  martyr  to  religious  truth  and  fincerity. 

^"Y""*^  All  the  clamour  that  was  raifed  againft  the  king  could 
l689-  not  divert  him  from  profccuting  the  fcheme  of  comprehen- 
fioa.  He  granted  a  com  million  under  the  great  feal  to  ten 
bilhops,  and  twenty  dignitaries  of  the  church,  authorifmg 
them  to  meet  from  time  to  time  in  the  Jerufalem-chamber, 
to  prepare  fuch  alteration  of  the  liturgy  and  the  canons,  and 
fuch  propofals  for  the  reformation  of  ecclefiaftical  courts  as 
mightmoft  conduce  to  the  good  order,  edification,  and  uniting 
of  the  church,  and  tend  to  reconcile  all  religious  differences 
among  the  Proteftant  fubje&s  of  the  kingdom.  A  cry  was 
immediately  raifed  againft  this  commiffion,  as  an  ecclefiafti 
cal  court  illegal  and  dangerous.  At  their  firft  meeting,  the 
authority  of  the  commiflion  was  queftioned  by  Sprat,  bifhop 
of  Rochefter,  who  retired  in  difguft,  and  was  followed  by 
Mew,  of  Winchefter,  and  the  Doctors  Jane  and  Aldrich. 
Thefe  were  averfe  to  any  alteration  of  the  forms  and  con- 
ftitution  of  the  church,  in  favour  of  an  infolent  and  obfti- 
nate  party,  which  ought  to  have  been  fatisfied  with  the  to 
leration  they  enjoyed.  They  obferved,  that  an  attempt  to 
make  fuch  alteration  would  divide  the  clergy,  and  bring  the 
liturgy  into  difefteem  with  the  people,  as  it  would  be  a  plain 
acknowledgement  that  it  wanted  corre&ion.  They  thought 
they  fhouid  violate  the  dignity  of  the  church,  by  condefcen- 
ding  to  make  offers  which  theDiflenters  were  at  liberty  to 
refufe;  and  they  fufpecled  fome  of  their  colleagues  of  a  de- 
fign  to  give  up  Epifcopal  ordination — a  ftep  inconfiftent 
with  their  honour,  duty,  oaths,  and  fubfcriptions. 

The  commiflioners,  notwithftanding  this  feceflion,  pro 
ceeded  to  debate  with  moderation  on  the  abufes  of  which 
the  Diffenters  had  complained,  and  corrected  every  article 
that  feemed  liable  to  any  juft  objection;  but  the  oppofite 
party  employed  all  their  art  and  induftry  to  inflame  the 
minds  of  the  people.  The  two  univerfities  declared  againft 
all  alterations,  and  thofe  who  promoted  them.  The  king  him- 
felf  was  branded  as  an  enemy  to  the  hierarchy ;  and  they 
bcftirred  themfelves  fo  fucccfsfully  in  the  election  of  mem 
bers  for  the  convocation,  that  they  procured  a  very  confi- 
derable  majority.  At  their  firft  meeting,  the  friends  of  the 
comprehenfion  fcheme  propofed  Dr.  Tillotfon,  clerk  of  the 
clofet  to  his  majefty,  as  prolocutor  j  but  the  other  party  car 
ried  it  in  favour  of  Dr.  Jane,  who  was  counted  the  moft  vi 
olent  churchman  in  the  whole  aflembly.  In  a  Latin  fpeech 
to  the  bifhop  of  London  as  prefident,  he,  in  the  name  of  the 
lower  houfe,  afferted,  that  the  liturgy  of  England  needed  no 
amendment,  and  concluded  with  the  old  declaration  of  the 
barons,  "  Nolnmus  leges  Anglicc  mutari.  We  will  not  fat- 


WILLIAM  AND  MARY.  63 

fer  the  laws  of  England  to  be  changed."  The  bifhop,  in  his  CHAP. 
reply,  exhorted  them  tomoderation,  charity,  and  indulgence 
towards  thsir  brethren  the  Diflenters,  and  to  make  fuch  a-  **V~* 
batements  in  things  indifferent  as  might  ferve  to  open  a 
door  of  falvation  to  multitudes  of  ftraying  Chriftians.  His 
injunctions,  however,  produced  no  favourable  effect.  The 
lower  houfe  feemed  to  be  animated  by  a  fpirit  of  oppofition. 
Next  day  the  prefident  prorogued  them,  on  pretence  that 
the  royal  commiffion,  by  which  they  were  to  act,  was  defec 
tive  for  want  of  beina;  fealed,  and  that  a  prorogation  was  ne- 
ceffary  until  that  fanction  fhould  be  obtained.  In  this  in 
terval  means  were  ufed  to  mollify  their  non-com  pliant  tem 
pers,  but  all  endeavours  proved  ineffectual.  When  they 
met  again,  the  earl  of  Nottingham  delivered  the  king's  com 
miflion  to  both  houies,  with  a  fpecch  of  his  own,  and  a 
meffage  from  his  majefty,  importing,  that  he  had  fummoned 
them  out  of  a  pious  zeal  to  do  every  thing  that  might  tend 
to  the  beft  eftablifhment  of  the  church  of  England,  which 
fhould  always  enjoy  his  favour  and  protection.  He  exhort 
ed  them  to  lay  afide  all  prejudice,  and  confider  calmly  and 
impartially  whatever  fhould  be  propofed  :  He  aflured  them 
he  would  offer  nothing  but  what  fhould  be  for  the  honour, 
peace,  and  advantage  of  the  Proteftant  religion  in  general, 
and  particularly  of  the  church  of  England. 

The  bifhops,  adjourning  to  the  Jerufalem-chamber,  pre 
pared  a  zealous  addrefs  of  thanks  to  his  majefty,  which,  be 
ing  fent  to  the  lower  houfe  for  their  concurrence,  met  with 
violent  oppofition.  Amendments  were  propofed  ;  a  con 
ference  enfued,  and,  after  warm  debates,  they  agreed  upon 
a  cold  addrefs,  which  was  accordingly  prefented.  The 
majority  of  the  lower  houfe,  far  from  taking  any  mea- 
fures  in  favour  of  Diflenters,  converted  all  their  attention 
to  the  relief  of  their  non]uring  brethren.  Zealous  fpeech- 
es  were  made  in  behalf  of  the  fufpended  bifhops  ;  and  Dr. 
Jane  propofed  that  fomething  might  be  done  to  qualify 
them  to  fit  in  the  convocation.  This,  however,  was 
fuch  a  dangerous  point  as  they  would  not  venture  to  dii- 
cufs ;  yet,  rather  than  proceed  upon  the  bufinefs  for  which 
they  had  been  aflembled,  they  began  to  take  cognizance 
of  fome  pamphlets  lately  publifhed,  which  they  conceived 
to  be  of  dangerous  confequence  to  the  Chriftian  religion. 
The  prefident  and  his  party,  perceiving  the  difpofition  of 
the  houfe,  did  not  think  proper  to  communicate  any  pro- 
pofal  touching  the  intended  reformation,  and  the  king 
fuffered  the  feflion  to  be  difcontinued  by  repeated  pro 
rogations. 

The  parliament  meeting  on  the   igth   day  of  October,  ^rfu»e»- 
the  king,  in  a  fpeech  ©f  his  own  cornpofing,  explained  the  Mediae*. 


&4  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  neceffity  of  a  prcfent  fupply  to  carry  on  the  war.     He  de- 
fired  that  they  might  be  fpeedy  in  their  determinations  or 

<—"Y^-')  this  fubjeft,  for  thefe  would  in  a  great  meafure  influence 
1689.  the  deliberations  of  the  princes  and  ftates  concerned  in  the 
war  againft  France,  as  a  general  meeting  of  them  v/as  ap 
pointed  to  be  held  next  month  at  the  Hague,  to  fettle  the 
operations  of  the  enfuing  campaign.  He  concluded  with 
recommending  the  difpatch  of  a  bill  of  indemnity,  that  the 
minds  of  his  fubjedls  might  be  quieted,  and  that  they  might 
unanimoufly  concur  in  promoting  the  honour  and  welfare 
of  the  kingdom.  As  fcveral  inflammatory  bills  and  dif- 
putes,  which  had  produced  heats  and  animofities  in  the 
laft  feffion,  were  ftill  depending,  the  king,  after  having 
confuked  both  houfes,  refolved  to  put  an  end  to  thofe  dif- 
putes  by  a  prorogation.  He  accordingly  went  to  the 
houfe  of  lords,  and  prorogued  the  parliament  till  the  2ift 
day  of  October,  by  the  mouth  of  the  new  fpeaker,  Sir 
Robert  Atkins,  the  marquis  of  Hallifax  having  refigned 
that  office. — When  they  re-afiembled,  t!ie  king  referred 
them  to  his  former  fpeech  :  Then  the  commons  unani 
moufly  refolved  to  affift  his  majefty  in  reducing  Ireland, 
and  in  joining  with  his  allies  abroad  for  a  vigorous  profc- 
cution  of  the  war  againft  France  :  For  thefe  purpofes  they 
voted  a  fupply  of  two  millions. 

During  this  feffion  theWhigs  employed  all  their  influ 
ence  and  intrigues  in  obftrufHng  the  bill  of  indemnity, 
which  they  knew  would  open  a  door  for  favour  and  pre 
ferment  to  the  oppofite  party,  which  began  to  gain  ground 
in  the  king's  good  graces.  With  this  view  they  revived 
the  profecution  of  the  ftate  prifoners.  A  committee  was 
appointed  to  prepare  a  charge  againft  Burton  and  Graham. 
The  commons  refolved  to  impeach  the  L;uls  of  Peterbo 
rough,  Salifbury,  and  Caftlcmain,  Sir  Edward  Hales,  and 
Obadiah  Walker,  of  high  treafon,  for  having  been  recon 
ciled  to  the  church  of  Rome,  contrary  to  the  laws  of  the 
realm.  A  bill  was  ordered  to  be  brought  in,  to  declare  the 
eftate  of  the  late  Lord  Chancellor  Jeffries  forfeited  to  the 
crown,  and  attaint  his  blood  ;  but  it  met  with  fuch  oppofi- 
tion  that  the  meafure  was  dropped :  The  houfe  however 
agreed,  that  the  pecuniary  penalties  incurred  by  thofe  per- 
fbns  who  had  exercifcd  offices  contrary  to  the  laws  againft 
Pop i ill  reculants  fliould  be  fpeedily  levied,  and  applied  to 
the  public  fervice.  The  Lord  Griffin  being  detected  in 
maintaining  a  correfpondence  with  King  James,  and  his 
partifans,  was  commited  to  the  Tower:  But,  as  no  other 
evidence  appeared  againft  him  than  written  letters,  found 
in  the  fdfe  bottom  of  a  pewter  bottle,  they  could  not  help 
conferring  to  his  being  rcleafed  upon  bail,  as  they  had  lute!;. 


WILLIAM  AND  MARY.  6$ 

f'efolved  that  Algernon.  Sidney  was  unjuftly  condemned  in  CHAP. 
the  reign  of  Charles  II.  becaufb  nothing  but  writings  had 
been  p/oduced  againft  him  at  his  trial.  The  t  \vohoufes  ^""Y""* 
concurred  in  appointing  a  cofnmittee  to  enquire  who  were 
the  advifers  and  profscutors  in  taking  away  the  lives  of 
Lord  Ruflel,  Colonel  Sydney,  Sir  Thomas  Ar-nftrong, 
Alderman  Cornilh,  and  others  ;  and  who  were  chiefly  con 
cerned  in  the  arbitrary  practices  touching  the  writs  of  quo 
ivarr.into,  and  the  furrender  of  charters.  This  enquiry  was 
levelled  at  the  marquis  of  Hallifax,  who  had  concurred  with 
the  miniitry  of  Charles  in  all  thef'  ^verities.  Though  no 
proof  appeared,  upon  which  votes  or  addrefles  could  be 
founded,  that  nobleman  faw  it  was  neceffary  for  him  to 
withdrjw  hi-nfelf  from  the  adrninifrration ;  he,  therefore, 
refigned  the  privy-fral,  which  was  put  in  commiffion,  and 
reconciled  himfelf  tothe  Tories,  of  whom  he  became  the 
patron  and  protector. 

The  commons  likewife  refumed  the  examination  of  the 
mifc:irriages  in  Ireland,  and  defired  the  king  would  appoint 
commidioners,  to  go  over  and  enquire  into  the  condition  of 
the  army  in  that  kingdom.     Schomberg,  understanding  that 
he  had  been  blamed  in  the  houfe  of  commons  for  his  inacti 
vity,  tranfmitteJ  to  the  king  afatisfrSory  vindication  of  his 
own  condu^:;  and  it  appeared,  that  the  mifcarriages  in  Ire 
land  were  wholly  owing  to  John   Shales,  purveyor-general 
to  the  army.     The  commons  immediately  prefented  an  ad- 
drefs  to  his  majefty,   praying    that  Shales  might   be    taken 
into  cuftody;   that  all  his    papers,   accountsy    and   ftores,. 
fhould  be  fecu.-ed  ;   and   that  Duke  Schomberg   miaht  be 
empowered  to  fill  his    place   with  a  more    able   purveyor. 
The  king  gave  them  to  underftand,  that  he  had  already  "fent 
orders  to  the  general  for  that  purpofe.     Neverthelefs,  they, 
in  another  petition,  requeued  his  majefty  to  namethofe  who 
had  recommended  Shales  to  his  Grvice,  as  he  had  exercifcd 
the  fame  office  under   King  James,  and    was    fufpedfced  of 
treafonable  praftices  againft  the  government.     William  de 
clined  gratifying  their  requeft;  but   he   afterwards    fent  a 
menage  to  the  houfe,  defiring  them  to  recommend  a  certain 
number    of  commiiTioners  to    fuperimend   ftich  provifions 
and  preparations  as  might  be  neceflary  for  that  fervice,   as  ' 
well  as  to  nominate  certain  perfons  to  go  over  and  examine 
the  ftate  of  the  army  in  Ireland.      The  commons   v/ere   fo 
hed  by  this  inrtance  of  his  c'ondefcenfion,  that  they  left 
the  whole  affair  to  his  own  direction,  and  proceeded  to  ex 
amine  other  branches  of  mifcondua.     Inftances  of  mifina- 
nagement  appeared  fo  numerous  and  fo  flagrant,    that  they 
reiolved  upon  a  fubfequent  addrefs,  to  explain  the  ill'    con- 
duel:  and  fuccefs  of  his  army  and  navy  j  to  defire  h 
VOL.  I.  I 


66  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK,  find  out  the  authors  of  thefe  mifcarriap;es,  and  for  the  future 
entruit  unfufpectsd  perfpns  with  the  management  of  affairs. 

^"V^  They  on.!.;-  I  the  victuallers  of  the  .fleet  to  be  taken  into 
I&89,  cuirody,  on  fufpicion  of  their  having  fun. 5  lied  the  navy  with 
unwhol'd.Jiiu  provisions,  and  new  qOmnuffiphers  were  ap 
pointed.  Bitter  reproaches  \ve:e  thrown  out  againfl  the 
rnini'lry.  M  .  Hambdeu  exprefled  his  furprife  that  the  ad- 
rniniilration  fhould  confift  of  thofe  very  perfons  whom 
King  James  had  employed,  when  his  affairs  were  defperate, 
to  treat  v/ith  the  prince  of  Orange,  and  moved  that  the  king 
fhould  be  petitioned  in  an  addrefs  to  remove  fuch  perfons 
frora  his  prefence  and  councils.  This  was  a  ftroke  aimed 
at  the  earl  of  Nottingham,  whofe  office  of  fecretary,  Hamb- 
den  defired  to  poiTefs;  but  his  motion  was  not  feconded, 
the  court  members  pbfervjng  that  James  did  not  depute 
thofe  lords  to  the  prince,  of  Orange  becaufe  they  were  at 
tached  to  his  own  intereir.,  but  for  a  very  different  reafon, 
namely,  that  they  were  well  known  to  difcpprove  of  his 
nieafures,  and  therefore  would  be  the  more  agreeable  to  his 
highnefs.  The  houfe,  however,  voted  an  addrefs  to  the 
king,  de-firing  that  the  authors  of  the  mifcarriages  might  be 
brought  to  condign  punifhment. 

In  the  fequel,  the  queftion  was  propofed,  Whether  a 
placeman  ought  to  have  a  feat  in  the  houfe  ?  and  a  very 
warm  debate  enfued  ;  but  it  was  carried  in  the  affirmative, 
on  the  fuppofition  that  by  fuch  exclufion  the  commonwealth 
would  be  deprived  of  fome  of  theableft  fenators  of  the  king 
dom.  But  what  chiefly  irritated  William  againft  the 
Whigs  was  their  backwardnefs  in  promoting  the  public 
fcrvice,  and  their  difregard  of  the  carneft  defire  he  cxprefTed 
to  fee  his  revenue  fettled  for  life.  He  faid  his  title  was  no 
more  than  a  pageant,  and  the  worft  of  all  governments 
was  that  of  a  king  without  treafure.  Nevertkelefs,  they 
v/ould  not  grant  the  civil  lift  for  a  longer  term  than  one 
year.  They  began  to  think  there  was  fomething  arbitrary 
in  his  difpolition.  His  fullen  behaviour,  in  all  probability, 
firft  infufed  this  opinion,  which  was  {Lengthened  and  con 
firmed  by  the  infmuations  of  his  enemies.  The  Scots,  who 
had  come  up  to  London  to  give  an  account  of  the  proceed 
ings  in  their  parliament,  were  infecled  with  the  fame  notion. 
One  Simpfon,  a  Prefbytcrian  of  that  country,  whom  the  earl 
of  Portland  employed  as  a  fpy,  had  infmuatcd  himfelf  into 
the  confidence  of  Nevil  Payne,  an  adlive  and  intelligent 
parti  fan  and  agent  of  King  Jamcsj  by  which  means  he  fup- 
plied  the  earl  with  fuch  intelligence  as  raifed  him  to  fome 
degree  of  credit  with  that  miniftcr.  This  he  ufed  in  pre- 
poffeffing  the  carl  agaiivft  the  king's  heft  friends,  and  infu- 
fing  jealoufies  which  were  foon  kindled  into  mutual  diftruft 
and  anhjiofity* 


WILLIAM  AND  MARY.  67 

Sir  James  Montgomery,  Vio  had  been  a  warm  advocate  CHAP. 
for  the  Revolution,  received  advice,  that  the  court  fu fpecled   . 
him  and  others  of  difaffecHon,  and  was  employed  in  feekuig      ^? 
evidence  by  which  they  might  be  profecuted.       They  were 
equally  alarmed  and  incenfed  at  this  intimation,  and   Payne  plot  aga;nfl. 
feized   the  opportunity  of  (educing  them  into  a    correfpon-  the  govern- 
dence  with  the  exiled  king.  They  demanded  the  fettlement  mer^  dlfc°- 
of  Prefbytery  in  Scotland,  and  actually  engaged  in  a  treaty  BiihoplLr- 
for  his  reftoration.       They   reconciled   theinfelves   to   the  net. 
duke  of  Queenfberry,  and  the  other  noblemen  of  the    Epif- 
copal  pzrty  :  They  wrote  to  James  for  a  lupply   of  money, 
arms,  and  ammunition,  together  with  a  re-enforcement   of 
three  thoufand  men  from  Dunkirk.      Montgomery  had  ac 
quired  great   intereft  among   the  Whigs    of  England,   and 
this   he  employed  in  animating  them  againft  the  king   and 
the  minidry.     He  reprefented  them  as  a  fet  of  wicked  men, 
wh  )  employed  infamous  fpics  to  enfnare   and  ruin   the  fail 
friends  of  the   government,  and   found  means    to   alienate 
them    fo  much  from  William,  that  they  began  to  think    i;i 
earoeft   of    recalling   their    banifhcd  prince.     The  duke 
of  Rokorf,  and  the  earl  of  Monmouth,    were    almoft   per- 
fuaded  into  a  confpiracy   for  this  purpofe  ;  they  feemed  to 
think  James  was  now  fo  well  convinced  ®f  his   former  er 
rors,  that  they  might  truft  him   without   fcruple.     Mont 
gomery  and  Payne  were  the  chief  managers  of  the  fcheme, 
and  they  admitted  Fenjufon  into  their  councils,  as  a  vete 
ran  in    the   arts  of  treafon.     In   order  to  blaft    William's 
credit    in  the  city,   the}'  circulated   a    report  that  James 
would  grant  a  full  indemnity,  feparate  himfelf  entirely  from 
the  French  interefr,  and  be  contented  with  a  fecret  conni 
vance  in  favour  of  the   Roman  Catholics.     Montgomery's 
brother  afiured  the  biflicp  of  Salifbury,  that  a  treaty  with 
King  James  was  abfclutely  concluded,   and  an    invitation 
fubfcribed  by  the  whole  cabal.     He  faid  this  paper  would 
be  fent  to  Ireland  by  the    way  of  France,  as  the  direct 
communication  was    difficult;  and  he   propofed  a  method 
for  feizina;  it  before  it  fhould  be  conveyed  out  of  the  king 
dom.     Williamfon,  the  fuppofcd  bearer  of  it,  had  obtained 
a  pafs  for  FJanders,  and  a  meflenger  being  fent  in  purfuit 
of  him,  fecured  his  clothes  and   portmanteau;  but,  after  a 
very  ftrict   examination,  nothing  appeared   te  juftify  the 
intelligence.      Williamfon    had   previoufly   delivered    the 
papers  to  Simpfon,   who  hired  a  boat  at  Deal,  and  arrived 
in   fatety  at  France.     He  returned   with  large  aiTurances, 
and  twelve  thoufand  pounds  were  remitted  to  the  Scottifh 
undertakers.     Montgomery,  the  informer,  feeing  his   in 
telligence    falfifiedv   loft   his  credit  with  the   bifhop,  and, 
dreading  the  refentment  of  the  other  party,  retired  to  tke 


68  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  continent.     The   confpirators   loudly    complained    of  the 
falfe  imputations  they  had  incurred.     The  pretended   dif- 

t-"Y'^  coveries  were  looked  upon  as  fictions  of  the  miniftry,  and 
JP&9-      the  king  on  this  occafion  fuffered  greatly  in  the  opinion  of 
his  fubjects. 

The  Tories  flill  continued  to  carry  on  a  fecret  nego- 
elation  with  the  court.  They  took  advantage  of  the  ill- 
humour  fubfifting  between  the  king  and  the  Whigs  ;  and 
promifed  large  funplies  of  money,  provided  this  parlia 
ment  fhould  be  diffolved,  and  another  immediately  con 
voked.  The  oppofite  party,  being  apprifed  of  their  in 
tention,  brought  a  bill  into  the  houfe  of  comivons  for  rc- 
iloring  corporations  to  their  ancient  rights  and  pri\rileges. 
They  knew  that  their  own  ftren^th  at  elections  confifted 
in  thefe  corporation^ ;  and  they  inferted  two  additional  fe- 
vere  clauf^s  againft:  thofe  who  were  in  any  fhape  concerned 
in  furrendering  charters.  The  whole  power  of  the  Tories 
was  exerted  againft  this  clr.ufe  ;  and  now  the  Whigs  vied 
with  them  in  making  court  to  his  majefty,  promifmg  to 
manifeft  the  moft  fubmiflive  obedience  fhould  this  bill  be 
enacted  into  a  law.  .The  ftrength  of  the  Tories  was  now 
become  fo  formiduMe  in  the  houfe,  that  they  outvoted  the 
other  party,  and  the  chufes  were  rejected  ;  but  the  bill 
patted  in  its  original  form.  The  lords  debated  upon  the 
point,  whether  a  corporation  could  be  forfeited  or  furren- 
dered  ?  Lord  Chief  Juftice  Holt  and  two  oiher  judges 
declared  their  opinion  in  the  affirmative  :  The  reft  thought 
otherwife,  as  no  precedents  could  be  produced  farther  back 
than  the  reign  of  Henry  VIII.  when  the  abbies  were  fur- 
rendered  ;  and  this  inftance  feemed  too  violent  to  authorife 
fuch  a  meafure  in  a  regular  courfe  of  adminiftraticn. 
The  bill,  however,  patted  by  one  voice  only.  Then  both 
parties  quickened  their  applications  to  the  king,  who 
found  himfelf  fo  perplexed  and  diftracted  between  two 
factions  which  he  equally  feared,  that  he  rcfolved  to  leave 
the  government  in  the  queen's  hands,  and  retire  to  Hol 
land.  He  communicated  this  defign  to  the  marquis  of 
Caermarthen,  the  earl  of  Shrewfbury,  and  fome  other  no 
blemen,  who  prefied  him  to  lay  afide  his  refolution,  and 
even  mingled  tears  in  their  remonftrances. 

He  at  length  complied  with  their  requeft,  and  determni- 
ed  to  finifh  the  Irifli  war  in  perfon.  This  defign  was 
far  from  being  agreeable  to  the  parliament.  His  friends 
dreaded  the  climate  of  that  country,  which  might  prove 
fatal  to  his  weak  conftitution.  The  well-wiih.rs  of 
James  were  afraid  of  that  prince's  being  hard  prefied, 
fhould  William  take  the  field  againft  him  in  perfon:  Both 
houfes,  therefore,  began  to  prepare  an  addrefs  againft  this 


WILLIAM  AND  MARY.  69 

expedition.     In  order  to  prevent  this    remonftrance,  the  c  H  A  P- 
.iciii'4  v  nt  to  the    parliament,"  and   formally    fignified  his         l 
refolution.     After  his  fpcech  they  were  prorogued  to  the  ^^Y^" 
2,d  day  of  April.     On  the  6th  day  of  February  they  were      l6S9- 
clifiolvcd  by  proclamation,  and  a  new  parliament  was  fum- 
moncd  to  meet  on  the  20th  day  of  March.     During   this 
feiTon,  the  commons,    in  an   addrefs  to  the  king,   defired 
that  ?  revenue  of   fifty  thoufand   pounds  might  be  fettled 
upon  the  p;ince  and  princefs  of  Denmark,  out  of  the  civil 
lift;  and   his    majcf-y    gratified  them  in  this   particular: 
Yet  the  warmth  and  induft.y  with    which    the   friends  of 
the  princefs  exerted  thtn.felves  in   promoting   the   fettle- 
mentx  produced  a  coldnels  and  mifunderftanding  between 
the  two  lifters  ;  and  the  fubfequ^nt   difgrace  of  the  earl  of 
Maryborough    w.:s    imputed   to  the  part  which  his  wife 
ailed  on  the  cccaficn.     She  was  lady  of  the  bed-chamber, 
and  chief  confident  to  the  princefs,  whom  file   ftrenuoufly 
advifec  to  iniift  upon  the  ffcttlement,   rather  than    depend 
upon  the  generolity  of  the  king  and  queen. 

About  this  period,  General  Ludlow,  who  at  the  Refto- 
ration  had  been  txcepted  from  the  a£l  of  indemnity,  as 
one  of  tlxjfe  who  fat  in  judgment  upon  Charles  I.  arrived 
in  England,  and  offered  his  fervice  in  reducing  Ireland, 
where  he  hud  formerly  commanded.  Though  a  rigid 
republican,  he  was  reputed  a  confcientious  man,  and  a 
good  officer.  He  had  received  fome  encouragement  to 
come  over,  and  probably  would  have  been  employed,  had 
not  the  commons  interpofed.  Sir  Edward  Seymour,  who 
enjoyed  by  grant  an  eftate  in  Wiltfhire,  which  had  for 
merly  belonged  to  Ludlow,  began  to  be  in  pain  for  his 
poilfc.fion.  He  cbferved  in  the  houfe,  that  the  nation 
would  be  difgraced,  fhould  one  of  the  parricides  be  fuf- 
feivd  to  live  in  the  kingdom.  An  addrefs  WES  imme 
diately  prefented  to  the  king,  defiring  a  proclamation 
might  be  iffued,  prorrifmg  a  reward  for  apprehending 
General  Ludlow.  This  was  accordingly  publifhed  ;  but 
not  before  he  had  landed  in  Holland,  from  whence  he  re 
turned  to  Vevay  in  Swifferland,  where  he  wrote  the  me 
moirs  of  his  life,  and  died  after  an  exile  of  thirty  years. 

While  King  William  fluctuated  between  two  parties  in 
England,  his  intereft  in  Scotland  had  well  nigh  given  way 
to  a  coalition  between  the  original  Jacobites  and  Mont 
gomery's  party  of  difcontented  Prefbyterians.  Colonel 
Cannon,  who  fucceeded  the  Vifcount  Dundee  in  command, 
after  having  made  feveral  unfuccefsful  efforts  in  favour  of 
the  late  king's  intereft,  retired  into  Irela-nd ;  and  the 
Highlanders  chofe  Sir  Hugh  Cameron  for  their  leader. 
Under  him  they  renewed  their  incurfions,  with  the  better 


70  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  profpecT:  of  fuccefs,  as    feveral    regiments    of"  the    regular 
troops  had  been  fent  to  re-enforce  the  army  of  Schomberg. 


'James  afiiiled  them  with  clothes,  arms,  and  ammunition, 
5"  together  with  fome  officers,  aiiiongft  whom  was  Colonel 
Buchan,  appointed  to  a&  as  their  chief  commander.  This 
officer,  at  the  head  of  fifteen  hundred  men,  advanced  into 
the  fnire  of  Murray,  in  hope  of  being  joined  by  other  mal 
contents  :  But  he  was  furprifed  and  routed  by  Sir  Thomas 
Livingflone,  while  Major  Fergufon  deftroyed  the  places 
they  poftefFed  in  the  Ifle  of  Mull  ;  fo  that  the  Highlanders 
were  obliged  to  retire,  and  conceal  themfelves  among  their 
hills  and  faftnefles.  The  friends  of  James,  defpairing  of 
doing  any  thing  effectual  for  his  fervicc  in  the  field,  con 
verted  all  their  attention  to  the  proceedings  in  parliament, 
where  they  imagined  their  intereft  was  much  ftronger  than 
it  appeared  to  be  upon  trial.  They  took  the  oaths  with 
out  hefitation,  and  hoped,  by  the  aififtance  of  their  new 
allies,  to  embroil  the  government  in  fuch  a  manner  that 
the  majority  of  the  people  would  declare  for  a  refloration. 
But  the  views  of  thefe  new-cemented  parties  were  alto 
gether  incompatible  ;  and  their  principles  diametrically  op- 
pofite.  Notwithftanding  their  concurrence  in  parliament, 
the  earl  of  Melvil  procured  a  fmall  majority.  The  op- 
pofition  was  immediately  difcouraged  :  Some  individuals 
retracted,  rather  than  foil  with  a  finking  caufe  ;  and  mu 
tual  joaloufies  began  to  prevail.  The  leaders  of  the  coali 
tion  treated  feparately  with  King  '  Jnmcs  ;  made  incon- 
iiflent  demands  ;  reciprocally  concealed  their  negociations  : 
In  a  word,  they  difh  uftcd  and  hated  one  another  with  the 
molt  implacable  refentment. 

The  tails  of  Argyle,  Anandale,  and  Breadalbin,  with 
drew  from  their  councils,  and  repaired  to  England. 
Montgomery,  terrified  at  their  defeition,  went  privately 
to  London,  after  he  had  hinted  •fomething  of  the  plot  to 
Melvil,  and  folicited  a  pafs  from  the  queen,  which  w?.s 
refufed.  Anandale,  having  received  information  that 
Montgomery  had  difclofed  all  the  particulars  of  the  nego- 
ciation,  threw  himfelf  upon  the  queen's  mercy,  and  dilco- 
vcred  all  he  knew  of  the  confpiracy.  As  he  had  not  treat 
ed  with  any  of  the  malcontents  in  England,  they  remained 
fl-cure  from  his  evidence;  but,  he  informed  againfl  Nevil 
Payne,  who  had  been  fent  down  as  their  agent  to  Scotland, 
where  he  now  refided.  He  was  immediately  apprehended 
by  the  council  of  that  kingdom,  in  confequence  of  a  letter 
from  the  carl  of  Nottingham  ;  and  twice  put  to  the  torture, 
which  he  relblutcly  bore,  without  difcovcring  his  employ 
ers.  Montgomery  ftiil  abfcontied  in  London,  lolicitir.g  a 
pardon  ;  but,  finding  he  could  not  obtain  it,  except  on 


WILLIAM  AND  MARY.  7» 

condition  of  making  a  full  difcovery,  he  abandoned  his  c  H  A  P. 
country,  and  chafe  to  die  in  exile,  rather  than  betray  his  I. 
confederates.  This  difunion  of  the  confpirators,  and  dif- 
covery  of  the  plot,  kft  the  earl  of  Melvil  in  poileiuon  of  1^9- 
a  greater  majority ;  though  even  this  he  was  fain  to  ie- 
eure  by  overftraining  his  instructions  in  the  articles  of  pa 
tronage,  and  the  fupremacy  of  the  crown  which  he  yielded 
up  to  the  fury  of  the  fanatic  Prefbyterian?,  contrary  to  the 
intention  of  King  William.  In  lieu  of  thefe,  however, 
they  indulged  him  with  the  tax  of  chimney  or  hearth- 
incney ;  as  well  as  with  a  teft  to  be  impofed  upon  all  per- 
fons  in  office  and  parliament,  declaring  William  and  Ma 
ry  their  lawful  fovereigns,  and  renouncing  the  pretended 
title  of  King  James.  All  the  laws  in  favour  of  Epifcopa- 
cy  were  repealed.  Threefcore  of  the  Prefbyterian  mini- 
flers,  who  had  been  ejected  at  the  Reftoration,  were  (till 
alive ;  and  thefe  the  parliament  declared  the  only  found 
part  or  the  church.  The  government  of  it  was  lodged  in 
their  hands  ;  and  they  were  empowered  to  admit  fuch  as 
they  mould  think  proper  to  their  afliftance.  A  few  furi 
ous  fanatics  being  thus  afFociated,  proceeded  with  ungo 
vernable  violence  to  perfecute  the  Epifcopal  party,  ex- 
ercifmg  the  very  fame  tyranny  againft  which  they  them- 
felves  had  fo  loudly  exclaimed. 

While  the  Prefbyterian  intcreft  thus  triumphed  in  Scot-  1690. 
land,  the  two  parties  that  divided  England  employed  their 
whole    influence    and  attention  in  managing  the  elections 
for  a  new  parliament ;  and  the  Tories  obtained  the  victory. 
The  kins;    feemed  gradually   falling   into  the  arms  of  this 
party.     They  complained  of  their  having  been  totally  ex 
cluded  from  the  lieutenancy   of  London  at  the  king's  ac- 
celTion  to  the  crown ;  and  now  a  confiderable  number  of 
the  moft  violent  Tories  in  the  city  were  admitted  into  the 
commiflion   by  the    intereft    and  addrefs   of  the  bifhop  of 
London,  the  marquis    of  Caermarthen,    and   the  earl  of 
Nottingham.     To  gratify  that  party,  the  earls  of  Mon- 
mouth  and  Warrington  were  difimfled  from  their  employ 
ments  :  Nay,  when  the  parliament  met  on  the  2Oth  day  of 
March,  the  commons   chofe    for  their   fpcaker   Sir  John 
Trevor,  a  violent  partifan  of  that  faction,  who  had   been 
created  matter  of  the   rolls   by  th%  late  king.     He  was  a 
bold,  artful  man,  and  undertook  to  procure  a  majority  to  B-hran-e 
be  at  the  devotion  of  the  court,  provided  he  fhould  be  fup-  K-nncj. 
plied  with  the  neceflary  fums   for  the   purpofes  of  corrup-  Tin^i- 
tion.     William,  finding  there  was  no  other  way  of  main-     a'?K 
taining  his  administration  in   peace,  thought    proper    to 
countenance  the  practice  of  purchafing  votes  ;  and  appoint 
ed    Trevor   firfl  Gomrniffioner  of  the  great  feal.     In  his 


72  HISTORY  OF   ENGLAND. 


BOOK    fpffedh  to  the  new  parliament,  he  gave  them  to  underftandy 
,  that  be  ftill  pciTifted  in  his  refolution  of  goin^  in  perfon  to 

"V*'  Ireland.  He  defircd  they  would  make  a  L-:tlement  of  the 
revenue,  or  eftubluh  it  for  the  prcfent,  as  a  fund  of  credit, 
upon  which  the  neceifary  turns  for  die  fervice  of  the  go- 
vern.nent  might  be  immediately  advanced:  He  ilgnified 
his  intention  of  fending  to  them  an  act  of  grace,  with  a 
few  exceptions,  that  he  might  manifeft  his  rcadinefs  to 
extend  his  protection  to  all  his  fubj  e£ts,  and  leave  no  co 
lour  of  excufe  for  railing  dtfturhances  in  his  abfence,  as  he 
knew  hovv  bufy  fome  ilUafFc&ed  men  were  intn.  ir  endea 
vours  to  alter  the  established  govern  nent:  He  recom 
mended  an  union  with  Scotland,  the  parliament  of  which 
had  appointed  commiflioners  for  that  purpofe:  He  told 
them  he  fhould  leave  the  adminiftration  in  the  hands  of  the 
queen,  and  defired  they  would  prepare  an  act  to  confirm 
her  authority  :  He  exhorted  them  to  difbatch  the  bufmefs 
for  which  they  were  aflembled,  to  avoiu  debates,  and  ex- 
prefTed  his  hope  that  they  ftiould  foon  meet  again,  to  fi- 
nifh  what  might  be  now  left  imperfect. 

The  commons,  in  compliance  with  his  requeft,  voted  a 
fupply  of  twelve  hundred  thoufand  pounds,  one  million  of 
that  fum  to  be  raifed  by  a  claufe  of  credit  in  the  revenue- 
bills  ;  but  he  could  not  prevail  upon  them  to  fettle  the  re 
venue  for  life.  They  granted,  however,  the  hereditary 
excife  for  that  term,  but  the  cuftoms  for  four  years  only. 
They  confidered  this  fhort  term  as  the  beft  fecurity  the 
kingdom  could  have  for  frequent  parliaments  ;  though 
this  precaution  was  not  at  all  agreeable  to  their  fovereign. 
A  poll-bill  was  likewife  pa/Ted;  other  fupplies  were  grant 
ed,  and  both  parties  feemed  to  court  his  majefty,  by  ad 
vancing  money  on  thofe  funds  of  credit.  The  Whigs, 
however,  had  another  battery  in  referve.  They  produced, 
in  the  upper  ho"fe,  a  bill  for  recognizing  their  majefties 
as  the  rightful  and  lawful  fovereigns  of  thefe  realms,  and 
for  declaring  all  the  a£ts  of  the  laft  parliament  to  be  good 
and  valid.  The  Tories  were  now  reduced  to  a  very  "per 
plexed  fituation.  They  could  not  oppofe  the  bill  without 
hazarding  the  intereft  they  had  fo  lately  acquired,  nor  af- 
fent  to  it  without  folemnly  renouncing  their  former  argu 
ments  and  diftinctions.  They  made  no  great  objections  to 
the  firft  part,  and  even  propofed  to  ena£t,  That  thofe 
fhould  be  deemed  good  laws  for  the  time  to  come  :  But 
they  refufed  to  declare  them  valid  for  that  which  was  paft. 
After  a  long  debate,  the  bill  was  committed  ;  yet  the 
Whigs  loft  their  majority  on  the  report:  Neverthelefs, 
the  bill  was  recovered,  and  pafled  with  fome  alteration  in 
the  words,  in  confequence  of  a  nervous,  fpirited  protefl, 


WILLIAM  AND  MARY.  73 

figned  Bolton,  Macclesfield,  Stamford,  Newport,  Bed-  CHAP. 
ford,  Herbert,  Suffolk,  Monmouth,  Delamere,  and  Ox- 
ford.  The  whole  intereft  of  the  court  was  thrown  into 
the  fcale  with  this  bill,  before  it  would  preponderate 
againft  the  Tories,  the  chiefs  of  whom,  with  the  earl  of 
Nottingham  at  their  head,  protefted  in  their  turn.  The 
fame  party  in  the  houfe  of  commons  were  determined  upon 
a  vigorous  oppofition ;  and  in  the  mean  time  fome  tri 
fling  objections  were  made,  that  it  might  be  committed 
for  amendment ;  but  their  defign  was  prematurely  difco- 
vered  by  one  of  their  faction,  who  chanced  to  queftion  the 
legality  of  the  convention,  as  it  was  not  fummoned  by  the 
king's  writ.  This  infmuation  was  anfwered  by  Somers, 
the  folicitor-general,  who  obferved,  that  if  it  was  not  a  le 
gal  parliament,  they  who  were  then  met,  and  who  had 
taken  the  oaths  enacted  by  that  parliament,  were  guilty 
of  high-treafon  :  The  laws  repealed  by  it  were  ftill  in 
force:  It  was  their  duty,  therefore,  to  return  to  King 
James;  and  all  concerned  in  collecting  and  paying  the 
money  levied  by  the  acts  of  that  parliament  were  highly 
criminal.  The  Tories  were  fo  ftruck  with  thefe  argu 
ments,  that  the  bill  pafled  without  further  oppofition,  and 
immediately  received  the  royal  affent.  Thus  the  fettle- 
ment  was  confirmed  by  thofe  very  people  who  had  fo  loud 
ly  exclaimed  againft  it  as  illegal :  But  the  Whigs,  with 
all  their  management,  would  not  have  gained  their  point, 
had  not  the  court  been  interefted  in  the  difpute. 

There  was  another  violent  conteft  between  the  two  par 
ties,  on  the  import  of  a  bill,  requiring   all  fubjects  in  of 
fice  to   abjure  King   James,    on  pain  of  imprifonmenr. 
Though  the  clergy  were  at  firft  exempted  from  this  teft, 
the  main  body  of  the  Tories  oppofed  it  with  great  vehe 
mence;  while  the  Whigs,  under  countenance  ofthemini- 
ftry,  fupported  it  with   equal  vigour.     It  produced   long 
and  violent  debates ;  and  the  two  factions   feemed   pretty 
equally  balanced.     At  length,  the  Tories  reprefented  to 
the  king,  that  a  great  deal  of  precious  time  would  be  loft 
in  fruitlefs  altercation :  That  thofe   who  declared  againft 
the  bill  would  grow  fallen  and  intractable,  fo  as  to  oppofe 
every  other  motion  that  might  be  made  for  the  king's  fer- 
vice:  That,  in  cafe  of  its  being  carried,  his  majefty  muft  - 
fall  again  into  the  hands  of  the  Whigs,  who  would  renew 
their  former  practices  againft  the  prerogative ;  and  many 
individuals,  who  were  now  either  well  affected  to  him,  or 
at  leaft  neutral,  would  become  Jacobites  from  refentment. 
Thefe  fuggeftions  had  fuch  weight  with  King  William, 
that  he  fent  an  intimation   to  the  commons,  defiring  they 
would  drop  the  debate,  and  proceed  to  matters  that  were 
VOL.  I.  K 


74  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK   more  prefan?.     The  Whigs  in  general  were  difgufted  at 
tbisinterpofition  ;  and  the  earl    of  Shrewfbury,  who    had 

***y~*J  interefred  himfelf  warmly  in  behalf  of  the  bill,  refented  it 
1690.  fo  deeply,  that  he  infiftcd  on  reiigning  his  office  of  fecreta- 
ry  of  ilatc.  The  king,  who  revered  his  talents  and  inte 
grity,  employed  Dr.  Tillotfon  and  others,  who  were  fup- 
pofed  to  have  credit  with  the  earl,  to  difiuade  him  from 
quitting  his  employment:  But,  he  continued  deaf  to  all 
their  remonftrance?,  and  would  not  even  comply  with  the 
requeft  of  his  majefty,  who  prefled  him  to  keep  the  feals 
until  he  fhould  return  from  Ireland.  Long  debates  were 
likewife  managed  in  the  houfe  of  lords,  upon  the  bill  of 
abjuration,  or  rather  an  oath  of  fpecial  fidelity  to  William, 
in  oppofition  to  James.  The  Tories  profefled  them- 
felves  willing  to  enter  into  a  negative  engagement  againft 
the  late  king  and  his  adherents:  But  they  oppofed  the  oath 
of  abjuration  with  all  their  might  •,  and  the  houfe  was  fo 
equally  divided  that  neither  fide  was  willing  to  hazard  a 
decifion:  So  that  all  the  fruit  of  their  debates  was  a  pro 
longation  of  the  feffion. 

An  act  was  prepared  for  inverting  the  queen  with  the 
adminiftration  during  the  king's  abfence;  another  for  re- 
verfmg  the  judgment  on  a  quo  ivarranto  againft  the  city 
of  London,  and  reftoring  it  to  its  ancient  rights  and  pri 
vileges;  and  at  length,  the  bill  of  indemnity,  fo  cordially 
recommended  by  the  king,  pafled  both  houfes  *.  On  the 
2ift  day  of  May,  the  king  clofed  the  feffion  with  a  (hort 
fpcech,  in  which  he  thanked  them  for  the  fupplies  they 
had  granted ;  and  recommended  to  them  a  punctual  dif- 
charge  of  their  duties  in  their  refpeclive  counties,  that  the 
peace  of  the  nation  mic;ht  not  be  interrupted  in  his  ab- 
fence.  The  houfes  were  adjourned  to  the  yth  day  of 
July;  when  the  parliament  was  prorogued  and  adjourned 
fucceffively.  As  a  further  fecurity  for  the  peace  of  the 
kingdom,  the  deputy-lieutenants  were  authorifed  to  raife 
the  militia  in  cafe  of  neceffity.  All  Papifts  were  prohi 
bited  to  ftir  above  five  miles  from  their  refpective  places 
of  abode:  A  proclamation  was  publifhed  for  apprehending 
certain  difaftecled  perfons :  Sir  John  Cochran  and  Fergu- 

*  The  following  perfons  were  exccptcd  from  the  benefit  of  this  aft,  Willi 
am,  Marquis  of  Powis ;  Theophilus,  ?arl  of  Huntingdon ;  Robert,  earl  of 
Sunclerland  ;  John,  earl  of  Melfort ;  Roger,  earl  of  Caftlemain ;  Nathaniel, 
lord-bifhop  of  Durham  ;  Thomas,  lonl-bifhop  of  St.  David's;  Henry,  Lord 
Dover  ;  Lord  Thomas  Howard,  Sir  Edward  Hales,  Sir  Francis  Withers,  Sir 
Edward  Lutwych,  Sir  Thomas  Jenner,  Sir  Nicholas  Butler,  Sir  William 
Herbert,  Sir  Richard  Holloway,  Sir  Richard  Heath,  Sir  Roger  L'Eitrange, 
William  Molineur,  Thomas  Tyndcfley,  Colonel  Townly,  Colonel  Lundy, 
Robert  Brent,  Edward  Morgan,  Philip  Burton,  Richard  Graham,  Edward 
Petre,  Obadiab.  Walker,  Matthew  Crone,  and  George,  Lord  Jeffries  dfi- 
e-eafed, 


WILLIAM  AND  MARY.  75 

fon  were   a&ually   arrefted,   on   (jffpiciou  of  treafonable  C  H  A  p. 
practices.     On  the  4th  day  of  June  the    king  fit  out  f>r         J- 
Ireland,  attended  by  Prince  George  of  Denmark,  the  duke  ^"Y"*-'1 
ofOrmond,the  earls  of  Oxford,  Scarborough,  JVIanchcfter,'    .  l69°: 
and  many  other  perfons  of  diftin&ion.     On  the   I4th  d.y  uplands" 
of  the  month  he  landed  at  Carrickfergus,  from  whence  he  i~  iix-a.;d. 
immediately  proceeded  to  Belfaft,  where    he   was   met  by 
the  duke  of  Schomberg,  the  prince  of  Wirtemberg,  Ma 
jor-General  Kirke,  and  other  officers.      By  this  time  Co 
lonel  Wolfey,  at  the  head  of  a  thoufand  men,  had  defeated    - 
a  ftrong  detachment   of  the   enemy   near    Belturbat:   Sir 
John  Lanier  had  taken  Eedloe-caftle  ;  and  that  of  Charle- 
mont,  a  ftrong    poft  of  great   importance,  together  with 
Balingargy,  near  Cavan,  had  been  reduced.     King  Wil 
liam  having  repofed  himfelf  for  two   or  three  days   at  Bcl- 
faft,   vifited  the  duke's  head-quarters    at  Lifburne  :  Then 
advancing   to  Hillfborough,    publifhed    an   order  againft 
preffing  horfes,  and  committing  violence  on  the  country - 
people.     When  fome  of  his  general-officers  propofed  cau 
tious  meafures,  he  declared  he  did  not  come  to   Ireland  to 
let  the  grafs  grow  under  his    feet.     He    ordered  the  army 
to  encamp  and   be    reviewed   at  Loughbriilund,  where  he 
found  it  amount  to  fix-and-thirty   thoufand    effective  men 
well  appointed.     Then   he   marched  to  Dundalk;  and  af 
terwards  advanced  to  Ardcc,  which  the   enemy   had  jufc 
abandoned. 


[    76     I 


CHAP.    II. 


Battle  of  the  Boyne Englijh  and  Dutch  fleets  defeated 

at  Beachy  head Succefs  of  William  in  Ireland 

Affairs  on    the    Continent Meeting   of  Parliament 

King  William  returns  to  England Conspiracy 

again/I  the   Government Affairs  of  Scotland in 

Flanders^  Germany,  and  Italy General  Ginckle  de. 

feats  and  kills  the  French  General  in  Ireland^  and  puts 
an  end  to  the  war. 


BOOK  "IT""  ING  JAMES  trufted  fo  much  to  the  difputes  in 
I.  _|S^  the  Englifh  parliament,  that  he  did  not  believe  his 

L— yO  fon-in-law  would  be  able  to  quit  that  kingdom ;  and  Wil- 
1690.  Jiarn  had  been  fix  days  in  Ireland  before  he  received  inti 
mation  of  his  arrival.  This  was  no  fooner  known,  than 
he  left  Dublin  under  the  guard  of  the  militia  commanded 
by  Luttrel,  and  with  a  re-enforcement  of  fix  thoufand  in 
fantry,  which  he  had  lately  received  from  France,  joined 
the  reft  of  his  forces,  which  now  almoft  equalled  Willi 
am's  army  in  number,  exclufive  of  about  fifteen  thoufand 

King  James  men  who  remained  in  different  garrifons.     He  occupied  a 

refoives  to  very  advantagous  port  on  the  bank  of  the  Boyne,  and,  con- 
trary  to  the  advice  of  his  general  officers,  refolved  to  ftand 
battle.  They  propofed  to  ftrengthen  their  garrifons,  and 
retire  to  Shannon,  to  wait  the  effe£t  of  the  operations  at 
fea.  Louis  had  promifed  to  equip  a  powerful  armament 
againft  the  Englifh  fleet,  and  fend  over  a  great  number  of 
fmall  frigates  to  deftroy  William's  tranfports,  as  foon  as 
their  convoy  fhould  be  returned  to  England.  The  execu 
tion  of  this  fcheme  was  not  at  all  difficult,  and  muft  have 
proved  fatal  to  the  Englifh  army;  for  their  ftores  and  am 
munition  were  ftill  on  board ;  the  fhips  failed  along  the 
coaft  as  the  troops  advanced  in  their  march ;  and  there 


WILLIAM    AND    MARY.  77 

was  no  one  fecure  harbour  into  which  they  could  retire  on  c  H  A  P- 

any  emergency.     James,  however,  was  bent  upon  hazard- 

ing  an  engagement ;  and  exprefied  uncommon   confidence     *"^'> 

and   alacrity.     Befides  the    river,  which   was   deep,    his 

front  was  fecu red  by  a   morafs   and  a   rifing-ground:   So 

that  theEnglifh  army  could  not  attack  him  without  mani- 

feft  difadvantage. 

King  William  marched  up  to  the  oppofite  bank  of  the 
river,  and,  as  he  reconnoitred  their  fituation,  wasexpofed  llirnm 
to  the  fire  of  fome  field-pieces,  which  the  enemy  purpofely  ^at 
planted   againft   his  perfon.     They  killed  a  man  and  two 
horfes    clofe   by   him  ;  and    the  fecond  bullet  rebounding 
from  the  earth,  grazed  upon  his   right  fhoulder,  fo  as  to 
carry   off  part  of  his  clothes  and  llcin,  and  produce  a  con- 
fiderable  contufion.     This  accident,  which  he  bore  with 
out  the  leaft  emotion,  created  fome  confufion  amon*  his 

O 

attendants,  which  the  enemy  perceiving,  concluded  he 
was  killed,  and  fhouted  aloud  in  token  of  their  joy.  Their 
whole  camp  refounded  with  acclamation;  and  feveral 
fquadrons  of  their  horfe  were  drawn  down  towards  the  ri 
ver,  as  if  they  had  intended  to  pafs  it  immediately,  and 
attack  the  Englifh  army.  The  report  was  initantly  com 
municated  from  place  to  place,  until  it  reached  Dublin  ; 
from  thence  it  was  conveyed  to  Paris,  where,  contrary  to 
the  cuftom  of  the  French  court,  the  people  were  encou 
raged  to  celebrate  the  event  with  bonfires  and  illumina 
tions.  William  rode  along  the  line  to  fhow  himfelf  to  the 
army  after  this  narrow  efcape.  At  night  he  called  a  coun 
cil  of  war  ;  and  declared  his  refolution  to  attack  the  ene 
my  in  the  morning.  Schomberg  at  firft  oppofed  this  de- 
fign  :  But  finding  the  king  determined,  he  advifed  that 
a  ftrong  detachment  of  horfe  and  foot  fhould  that  night 
pafs  the  Boyne  at  Slane-bridge,  and  take  poft  between  the 
enemy  and  the  pafs  of  Duleck,  that  the  action  might  be 
the  more  decifive.  This  counfel  being  rejected,  the  kino- 
determined,  that,  early  in  the  morning,  Lieutenant- 
General  Douglas,  with  the  right  wing  of  infantry,  and 
young  Schomberg,  with  the  horfe,  fhould  pafs  at  Slane- 
bridge,  while  the  main  body  of  foot  fhould  force  their  paf- 
fage  at  Old-bridge,  and  the  left  at  certain  fords  between 
the  enemy's  camp  and  Droeheda.  The  duke,  perceivirxr 
his  advice  was  not  reliftied  by  the  Dutch  generals,  retir 
ed  to  his  tent,  where  the  order  of  battle  being  brought  to 
him,  he  received  it  with  an  air  of  difcontent,  faying,  it 
was  the  firft  that  had  ever  been  fent  him  in  that  manner. 
The  proper  difpofitions  being  made,  William  rode  quite 
through  the  army  by;  torch-light,  and  then  retired  to  his 
tent,  after  having  given  orders  for  the  foldiers  to  diftin- 


•/3  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK   gujfli   themklves  from    the    enemy    by    wearing    green 

,  ,    boughs  in  their  hats  during  the  action. 

V*''          At  fix  o'clock  in  the  morning,  General  Douglas,  with 
young  Schomberg,  the  earl  of  Portland,  and  Auverquer- 

Battleof      que,  marched  towards  Slane-bridge,  and  paffed  the  river 

tnc  Boyne.  \vith  very  little  oppofition.  When  they  reached  the  far 
ther  bank,  they  perceived  the  enemy  drawn  up  in  two 
lines,  to  a  confiderable  number  of  horfe  and  foot,  with 
a  morafs  in  their  front;  fo  that  Douglas  was  obliged  to 
wait  for  a  re-enforcement.  This  being  arrived,  the  in 
fantry  were  led  on  to  the  charge  through  the  morafs 
while  Count  Schomberg  rode  round  it  with  his  cavalry, 
to  attack  the  enemy  in  flank.  The  Irifh,  inftead  of  wait 
ing  the  afTault,  faced  about,  and  retreated  towards  Du- 
leck  with  fome  precipitation;  yet  not  fo  faft,  but  that 
Schomberg  fell  in  among  their  rear,  and  did  confiderable 
execution.  King  James,  howdver,  foon  re-enforced  his 
left  wing  from  the  centre  ;  and  the  Count  was  in  his  turn 
obliged  to  fend  for  afTiftance.  At  this  juncture,  King 
William's  main  body,  confifting  of  the  Dutch  guards, 
the  French  regiments,  and  fome  battalions  of  Englifh, 
paffed  the  river,  which  was  waift  high,  under  a  general 
difcharge  of  artillery.  King  James  had  imprudently  re 
moved  his  cannon  from  the  other  fide  ;  but,  he  had  pofted 
a  ftrong  body  of  mufqueieers  along  the  bank,  behind 
hedges,  h6ufc?,  and  fome  works  raifed  for  the  occafion. 
Thefe  poured  in  a  clofe  fire  upon  the  Englifh  troops  be 
fore  they  reached  the  fhore ;  but  it  produced  very  little 
eftecl: :  Then  the  Irifh  gave  way ;  and  fome  battalions 
landed  without  further  oppoiition.  Yet,  before  they  could 
form,  they  were  charged  with  great  impetuofity  by  a  fqua- 
dron  of  the  enemy's  horfe;  and  a  confiderable  body  of 
their  cavalry  and  too",  commanded  by  General  Hamilton, 
advanced  from  behind  fome  little  hillocks,  to  attack  thofe 
that  were  landed,  as  well  as  to  prevent  the  reft  from 
reaching  the  fhore.  His  infantry  turned  their  backs  and 
fled  immediately ;  but  the  horfe  charged  with  incredible 
fury,  both  upon  the  bank  and  in  the  river,  fo  as  to  put 
the  unformed  regiments  in  confafion.  Then  the  duke  of 
Schomberg,  paffing  the  river  in  perfon,  put  himfelf  at  the 
head  of  the  French  Proteftants,  and  pointing  to  the  ene 
my,  "  Gentlemen  (faid  he)  thofe  arc  your  perfecutors  ;" 
with  thefe  words  he  advanced  to  the  attack,  where  he, 
himfelf  fuftained  a  violent  onfet  from  a  party  of  the  Irifh 
horfe,  which  had  broke  through  one  of  the  regiments 
and  were  now  on  their  return.  They  were  miftaken  for 
Englilh,  and  allowed  to  gallop  up  to  the  duke,  who  re 
ceived  two  feverc  v/ounds  in  the  head  :  But  the  French 


WILLIAM  AND  MARY.  79 

regiments  being  now  feniible  of  their  miftake,  rafhly  CHAP. 
threw  in  their  fire  upon  the  Irifh  while  they  were  engaged  .^ ", 
with  the  duke;  and,  inftead  of  faving,  fhot  him  dead  up-  ""Y"*' 
on  the  fpot.  The  fate  cfthis  general  had  well  nigh  proved 
fatal  to  the  Englifh  army,  which  was  immediately  in-  Duke 
volved  in  tumult  and  diforder;  v/hile  the  infantry  of  King  Schomberg 
James  rallied,  and  returned  to  their  pofts  with  a  face  of 
refolution.  They  were  juft  ready  to  fall  upon  the  centre, 
when  King  William  having  pafTcd  with  the  left  wing, 
compofed  of  the  Danifh,  Dutch,  and  Innifkillin  horfe, 
advanced  to  attack  them  on  the  right.  They  were  ftruck 
with  fuch  a  panic  at  his  appearance,  that  they  made  a  fud- 
den  halt,  and  then  facing  about,  retreated  to  the  village  of 
Dunore.  There  they  made  fuch  a  vigorous  ftand,  that  the 
Dutch  and  Danifh  horfe,  though  headed  by  the  king  in 
perfon,  recoiled;  even  the  Innifkilliners  gave  way;  and  the 
whole  wing  would  have  been  routed,  had  not  a  detach 
ment  of  dragoons,  belonging  to  the  regiments  of  Cun 
ningham  and  Levifon,  difmounted,  and  lined  the  hedges 
on  each  fide  of  the  defile  through  which  the  fugitives  v/ere 
driven.  There  they  did  fuch  execution  upon  the  purfuers, 
as  foon  checked  their  ardour.  The  horfe,  which  were 
broken,  had  now  time  to  rally,  and,  returning  to  the 
charge,  drove  the  enemy  before  them  in  their  turn.  In 
this  action  General  Hamilton,  who  had  been  the  life  and 
foul  of  the  Irifh  during  the  whole  engagement,  was 
wounded  and  taken;  an  incident  which  difcouraged  them 
to  fuch  a  degree,  that  they  made  no  further  efforts  to  re 
trieve  the  advantage  they  had  loft.  He  was  immediately 
brought  to  the  king,  who  afked  him  if  he  thought  the 
Irifh  would  make  any  further  refiftarice  ?  and  he  replied, 
"  Upon  my  honour,  I  believe  they  will ;  for  they  have 
ftill  a  good  body  of  horfe  entire."  Williarr,  eying  him 
with  a  look  ofdifdain,  repeated,  "Your  honour!  your 
honour!"  but  took  no  other  notice  cf  his  having  ailed 
contrary  to  I*. is  engagement,  when  he  was  permitted  to  go 
to  Ireland,  on  promife  of  perfuading  Tyrconnel  to  fubmit  Kln^jamii 
to  the  new  government.  The  Irifh  now  abandoned  the  defeats.!. 
field  with  precipitation ;  but  the  French  and  Swifs 
troops,  that  acted  as  their  auxiliaries,  under  Lauzun,  re 
treated  in  good  order,  after  having  maintained  the  battle 
for  fome  time  with  intrepidity  and  perfeverance. 

As  King  William  did  not  think  proper  to  purfus  the 
enemy  the  carnage  was  not  great.  The  Irifh  loft  fifteen 
hundred  men,  and  the  Englifh  about  one  third  of  that 
number  ;  though  the  victory  was  dearly  purchafed,  con- 
fidering  the  death  of  the  gallant  duke  of  Schombcrg,  who 
fell  in  the  eighty-facond  year  of  his  age,  afcer  having  ri- 


80  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK,  vailed  the  beft  generals  of  the  time  in  military  reputation, 
He  was  defcended  of  a  noble  family  in  the  Palatine,  and 

^*"Y^  his  mother  was  an  Englifh  woman,  daughter  of  Lord  Dud- 
1  9°'  ley.  Being  obliged  to  leave  his  country  on  account  of 
the  troubles  by  which  it  was  agitated,  he  commenced  a 
foldier  of  fortune,  and  ferved  fucceffively  in  the  armies  of 
Holland,  England,  France,  Portugal,  and  Brandenburgh. 
He  attained  to  the  dignities  of  marefchal  in  France,  gran 
dee  in  Portugal,  generaliffimo  in  Pruffia,  and  duke  in 
England.  He  profefled  the  Proteftant  religion  ;  was 
courteous  and  humble  in  his  deportment ;  cool,  penetrat 
ing,  refolute,  and  fagacious ;  nor  was  his  probity  inferior 
to  his  courage.  This  battle  likewife  proved  fatal  to  the 
brave  Caillemote,  who  had  followed  the  duke's  fortunes, 
and  commanded  one  of  the  Proteftant  regiments.  After 
having  received  a  mortal  wound,  he  was  carried  back 
through  the  river  by  four  foldiers,  and  though  almoft  in 
the  agonies  of  death,  he  with  a  cheerful  countenance  en 
couraged  thofe  who  were  eroding  to  do  their  duty,  ex 
claiming,  "A  la  gloire,  mes  enfans^  a  la.gloire  !  To 
glory,  my  lads;  to  glory  !"  The  third  remarkable  perfon 
who  loft  his  life  on  this  occafion,  was  Walker  the  clergy 
man,  who  had  fo  valiantly  defended  Londonderry  againft 
the  whole  army  of  King  James.  He  had  been  very  gra- 
cioufly  received  by  King  William,  who  gratified  him 
with  a  reward  of  five  thoufand  pounds,  and  a  promife  of 
further  favour :  But,  his  military  genius  ftill  predominating, 
he  attended  his  royal  patron  in  this  battle,  and,  being  {hot 
in  the  belly,  died  in  a  few  minutes.  The  perfons  of  dif- 
tinction  who  fell  on  the  other  fide  were  the  Lords  Dongan 
and  Carlingford,  Sir  Neale  O'Neile,  and  the  marquis  of 

His  pufila-  Hocquincourt.     James  himfelf  ftood  aloof  during  the  ac- 

cimouscon-  tion,  on  the  hill  of  Dunmore,  furrounded  with  fome  fqua- 
drons  of  horfe ;  and  feeing  victory  declare  againft  him, 
retired  to  Dublin,  without  having  made  the  leaft  effort  to 
re-aflemble  his  broken  forces.  Had  he  pofiefTed  either 
fpirit  or  conduct,  his  army  might  have  been  rallied,  and 
re-enforced  from  his  garrifons,  fo  as  to  be  in  a  condition 
to  keep  the  field,  and  even  act  upon  the  offenfivc ;  for  his 
iofs  was  inconfiderable,  and  the  victor  did  not  attempt  to 
moleft  his  troops  in  their  retreat — an  omiflion  which  has 
been  charged  upon  him  as  a  flagrant  inftance  of  mifcon- 
duct.  Indeed,  through  the  whole  of  this  engagement, 
William's  perfonal  courage  was  much  more  confpicuous 
than  his  military  fkill. 

King  James  no  fooner  arrived  at  Dublin,  than  he  af- 
fembled  the  ma'giftrates  and  council  of  the  city,  and  in  a 
ihort  fpeeeh  rcfigncd  them  to  the  fortune  of  the  vittor. 


WILLIAM  AND  MARY.  81 

He  complained  of  the  cowardice  of  the  Irifh ;    fignified  his  C  H  A  P. 
refolution  of  leaving  the  kingdom  immediately  ;  forbad  them, 
on  their  allegiance,  to  burn  or  plunder  the  city  after  his  de-  (~^y~*J 
parture;  and  afTured   them,  that,  though  he  was  obliged  to       l69°- 
yield  to  force,  he  would  never  ceafe  to  labour  for  their  deli 
verance.   Next  day  he  fet  out  for  Waterford,  attended  by  the 
duke  of  Berwick,  Tyrconnel,and  the  marquis  of  Powis.  He 
ordered  all  the  bridges  to  be  broken  down  behind  him,  and 
embarked  in  a  veflel  which  had  been   prepared  for   his  re 
ception.     At  fea  he  fell  in  with  the  French  fquadron,  com 
manded  by  the  Sieur  de  Foran,   who  perfuaded  him  to    go 
on  board  one  of  his  frigates,  which  was  a  prime  failor.     In 
this  he  was  fafely  conveyed  to  France,  and  returned  to  the  He  retl»™ 
place  of  his  former  refidence  at   St.    Germain's.     He  had  to 
no  fooner  quitted  Dublin,   than  it  was  alfo  abandoned  by 
all  the  Papifts.     The  Proteftants  immediately  took  pofTef- 
COQ  of  the  arms  belonging  to  the  militia,  under  the  conduit 
of  the   bifhops  of   Meath  and   Limerick.     A    committee 
was   formed  to  take  charge  of  the  adminiftration  ;  and  an 
account  of  thefe  tranfactions  was  tranfmitted  to  King  Wil 
liam,  together  with  a  petition,   that  he  would  honour   the 
city  with  his  prefence. 

On  the  morning  after  the  battle  of  the  Boyne,    William 
fent  a  detachment  of  horfe  and  foot,  under  the  command  of 
M.  Mellionere,  to  Drogheda,  the  governor  of  which  fur- 
rendered  the  place  without  oppofition.     The  king,  at  the 
head  of  the  army,  began  his  march  for   Dublin,  and  halted 
the  firft  night  at  Bally-Breghan,   where,  having   received 
advice  of  the  enemy's   retreat  from  the  capital,  he  fent  the 
duke  of  Ormond,  with  a  body  of  horfe,  to   take  pofTeffion. 
Thefe  were  immediately  followed  by  the  Dutch   guards, 
who  fecured  the  caftle.     In  a  few  days  the  king  encamped 
at  Finglas,  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Dublin,  where  he  was 
vifited  by  the  bifhops  of  Meath  and  Limerick,  at  the  head 
of  the  Proteftant  clergy,  whom  he  afTured  of  his  favour  and 
protection.     Then  he  publifhed  a  declaration  of  pardon  to 
all  the  common  people  who  had  ferved  againft  him,  provi- 
de-d  they  fhould  return  to   their   dwellings,  and   furrender 
their  arms  by  the  ift  day  of  Auguft.     Thofe   that  rented 
lands  of  Popifh    proprietors,  who   had  been  concerned  in 
the  rebellion,  were  required  to  retain  their  rents  in  their 
own  hands,   until  they  fhould  have  notice  from  the  com- 
miffioners  of  the  revenue   to  whom  they  fhould   be   paid. 
Tke  defperate  leaders  of  the  rebellion,   who  had   violated 
the  laws  of  the  kingdom,   called  in  the  French,  authorifed 
the  depredations   which  had   been  committed  upon   Pro- 
teftants,  and  rejected  the  pardon   offered  to  them  on   the 
kings'  firft  proclamation,  were  left  to  the  event  of  war,  un- 

VOL.  I.  L 


HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 


lefs  by  evident  demonftiations  of  repentance  they  fliould  de~ 
fcrve    mercy,    which  w(  uM  never  be  refuftd  to  thofe  who 


B  o  o  K 

crve    mercy 

•""Y"^  were  truly  penitent.  The  next  ftep  taken  by  King  Wil- 
1J';0'  Inrn  was  to  iffue  a  proclamation,  reducing  the  brafs  mo 
ney  to  nearly  its  intrinfic  value.  In  the  mean  time,  the 
principal  officers  in  the  army  of  James,  after  having  feen 
hi.  11  embark  at  Watefford,  returned  to  their  troops,  deter 
mined  to  profecute  the  war  as  long  as  they  could  be  fup- 
plied  with  means  to  fupport  their  operations. 

During  thefe  translations,  the  queen,  as  regent,  fount! 
herf.-lf  furrounded  with  nurnberlefs  cares  and  perplexities. 
Her  council  was  pretty  equally  divided  into  Whigs  and 
Tories,  who  did  not  always  sft  with,  unanimity.  She  was 
diH  rafted  between  her  apprehenilons  for  her  father's  fafety 
and  her  hufband's  life:  She  was  threatened  with  an  inva- 
ficn  by"  the  Fiench  from  abroad,  ami  with  an  infurreftion 
by  the  Jacobites  at  home.  Neverthelefs,  ihe  difguifed  her 
fears  and  behaved  with  equal  prudence  and  fortitude.  Ad 
vice  being  received  that  a  fket  was  ready  to  fail  from 
B.-eil,  Lord  Torrington  hoifted  his  flag  in  the  Downs,  and 
failed  round  to  St.  Helen's,  in  order  to  affemble  fuch  a 
number  of  fhips  as  would  enabij  him  to  give  them  battle. 
The  enemy  being  difcovered  off  Plymouth,  on  the  20th 
day  of  June,  the  Englifh  Admiral,  re-enforced  with  a 
.Dutch  fquadron,  flood  out  to  fea,  with  a  view  to  intercept 
them  at  the  back  of  the  Ifle  of  Wight,  mould  they  prefumc 
to  fail  up  the  channel  :  Not  that  he  thought  himfclf  ftrong 
enough  to  cope  with  them  in  battle.  Their  fleet  confided 
of  feventy-eight  (hips  of  war,  and  two-and-twenty  fire- 
fhips  ;  whereas,  the  combined  fquadrons  of  England  and 
Holland  did  not  exceed  iix-and-fifty  ;  but  he  had  received 
orders  to  hazard  an  engagement,  if  he  thought  it  might  be 
done  with  any  profpeft  of  fuccefs.  After  the  hoftile  fleets 
had  continued  five  days  in  fight  of  each  other,  Lord  Tor 
rington  bore  down  upon  the  enemy  of}"  Beachy-head  on 
the  3Oth  day  of  June  at  day  break.  The  Dutch  fquadron, 
which  compofsd  the  van,  began  the  engagement  about 
nine  in  the  morning:  In  about  half  an  hour  the  blue  divi- 
Co:-nbin:d  iion  of  the  Englifli  were  clofe  engaged  with  the  rear 
fleet  of  the  of  the  French  ;'  but  the  red,  which  formed  the  centre,  un- 
'.*"  /'nd  der  the  command  of  Torrington  in  perfon,  did  not  fill  the 
fca:ed  by  line  till  ten  o'clock,  fo  that  the  Dutch  were  almoft  fur- 
tht  i-rtnch.  rounded  by  the  enemy,  and,  though  they  fought  with  great 
valour,  fuflained  confiderablc  damage.  At  length,  the 
achviral's  divifion  drove  between  them  and  the  French, 
and  in  that  fituation  the  fleet  anchored  about  five  in  the 
afternoon,  when  the  action  was  interrupted  by  a  calm. 
The  Dutch  had  fuffercd  fo  fcverely,  that  Torrington 


WILLIAM  AND  MARY.  £3 

t  it  would  be  imprudent  to  renew  the  battle  ;  he,  CHAP 
therefore,  weighed  anchor  in  the  night,  and  with  the  tide 
of  flood  retired  to  the  eaftwarcl.  The  next  day  the  dif- 
abled  fliips  were  deftroyed,  that  they  might  not  be  retard- 
ed  in  their  retr-at.  They  were  purfued  as  far  as  Rye: 
An  Engliih  (hip  of  feventy  guns  being  ftranded  near 
Winchelfea,  was  fet  en  fire,  and  deferted,  by  the  captain's 
command.  A  Dutch  {hip  of  fixty-four  guns  met  with 
the  fame  accident,  and  fome  French  frigates  attempted 
to  burn  her  ;  but  the  captain  defended  her  fo  vigoroufly 
that  they  were  obliged  to  defift,  and  he  afterwards  found 
means  to  carry  her  fafe  to  Holland.  In  this  engagement 
the  Englifh  loft  two  {"hips,  two  fea-captains,  and  about 
four  hundred  men  ;  but  the  Dutch  were  more  unfortunate, 
f:x  of  their  great  fhips  were  destroyed.  Dick  and  Brack.*.-!, 
rear-admirals,  wore  fl.un,  together  with  a  great  number 
of  in'r:rior  officers  and  fearnen.  Torrington  retreated 
without  further  interruption  into  the  mouth  of  tlve 
Thames,  and,  having  taken  precautions  again!!  any  at 
tempts  of  the  enemy  in  that  quarter,  returned  to  London, 
the  inhabitants  of  which  were  overwhelmed  with  con- 
fternation. 

The  government  was  iftreCTSd  with  the  fame  pa:m\ 
The  miniflry  pretended  to  believe  that  the  French  act.-j 
in  concert  with  the  malcontents  of  the  nation  ;  that  in- 
furreclions  in  different  parts  of  the  kingdom  had  been 
projected  by  the  Jacobites  ;  and  that  there  would  be  a  ^e- 
tieral  revolt  in  Scotland.  Thefe  insinuations  were  circu 
lated-  by  ths  court- agents,  in  order  to  juftify,  in  th:-  opini 
on  of  the  public,  the  meafures  that  w^re  deemed  necef! a;  v 
at  this  jurvflure;  and  they  produced  the  defircd  (..{•' 
The  apprehenfions  thus  artfully  raifcd  among  the  pec,'  ;,: 
inflamed  their  averfion  to  Nonjurors  and  Jacobites.  Ac;- 
dreffes  wqre  prcfented  to  the  queen  by  the  Cormfh  tin 
ners,  by  the  lieutenancy  of  Middicfex,  and  by  the  mayor, 
aldermen,  and  lieutenancy  of  London,  filled  with  profef- 
fions  of  loyalty,  and  promises  of  fupporting  their  mrjef- 
ties,  as  their  lav/ful  fovertign?,  a^ainft  all  oppofition. 
The  queen,  at  this  crifis,  exhibited  remarkable  proofs  of 
courage,  activity,  and  difcretion.  She  iilued  out  proper 
orders  and  directions  for  putting  the  nation  in  a  poflure 
of  defence,  as  well  as  for  rehtting  and  augmenting  the 
fleet:  She  took  meafures  for  appealing  the  refentment  of 
the  States-general,  who  exclaimed  againlt  the  earl  of  Tcr- 
rington  for  his  behaviour  in  the  rate  action.  lie  was  de 
prived  of  his  command,  and  (ent  prifoner  to  the  Tower  ; 
and  comrnifTioners  were  appointed  to  examine  the  parti 
cular  circumftances  of  his  conduit.  A  carnp  was  formed 


84  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK,  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Torbay,  where  the  French  feem- 
,  ed  to  threaten  a  defcent.    Their  fleet,  which  lay  at  anchor 

""V*1  in  the  bay,  cannonaded  a  fmall  village  called  Tingmouth. 
About  a  thoufand  of  their  men  landed  without  oppofition, 
fet  fire  to  the  place,  and  burned  a  few  coafting  veflels  : 
Then  they  re-embarked,  and  returned  to  Breft,  fo  vain  of 
this  achievement,  that  they  printed  a  pompous  account  of 
their  invafion.  Some  of  the  Whig  partifans  publifhed 
pamphlets,  and  diffufed  reports,  implying,  that  the  fuf- 
pended  bifhops  were  concerned  in  the  confpiracy  againft 
the  government;  and  thefe  arts  proved  fo  inflammatory  a- 
mong  the  common  people,  that  the  prelates  thought  it 
necefTary  to  print  a  paper,  in  which  they  afierted  their  in 
nocence  in  the  moft  folemn  proteftations.  The  court 
feems  to  have  harboured  no  fufpicion  againft  them,  other- 
wife  they  would  not  have  efcaped  imprifonment.  The 
queen  iflued  a  proclamation  for  apprehending  the  earls  of 
Lichfield,  Aylefbury,  and  Caftlemain;  vifcount  Prefton; 
the  lords  Montgomery  and  Bellafis  ;  fir  Edward  Hales, 
fir  Robert  Tharold,  fir  Robert  Hamilton,  fir  Theophilus 
Oglethorpe,  colonel  Edward  Sackville,  and  fome  other 
officers.  Thefe  were  accufed  of  having  confpired  with  o- 
ther  difaffecled  perfons  to  difturb  and  deftroy  the  govern 
ment,  and  of  a  defign  to  concur  with  her  majefty's  ene 
mies  in  the  intended  invafion.  The  earl  of  Torrington 
continued  a  prifoner  in  the  Tower  till  next  fefiion,  when 
he  was  brought  into  the  houfe  of  commons,  and  made 
a  fpeech  in  his  own  defence.  His  cafe  produced  long  de 
bates  in  the  upper  houfe,  where  the  form  of  his  commit 
ment  was  judged  illegal :  At  length  he  was  tried  by 
a  court-martial,  appointed  by  the  commiflioners  of  the 
admiralty,  though  not  before  an  adl  had  parted,  declaring 
the  power  of  a  lord  high-admiral  vefted  in  thofe  commif- 
fioners.  The  prefident  of  the  court  was  Sir  Ralph  Dela- 
val,  who  had  a£ted  as  vice-admiral  of  the  blue  in  the  en 
gagement.  The  earl  was  acquitted,  but  the  king  difmif- 
fed  him  from  the  fervice ;  and  the  Dutch  exclaimed  a- 
gainft  the  partiality  of  his  judges. 

SuccefTesof  William  is  faid  to  have  intercepted  all  the  papers  of  his 
Ireland"1  "*  father-in-law  and  Tyrconnel,  and  to  have  learned  from 
them,  not  only  the  defign  projected  by  the  French  to 
burn  the  Englifh  tranfports,  but  likewife  the  undertaking 
of  one  Jones,  who  engaged  to  aflaffinate  King  William. 
No  fuch  attempt,  however,  was  made,  and,  in  all  proba 
bility,  the  whole  report  was  a  fiction,  calculated  to  throw 
an  odium  on  James's  character.  On  the  gth  day  of  July 
William  detached  General  Douglas  with  a  confiderable 
body  of  horfe  and  foot  towards  Athlone,  while  he  himfelf, 


WILLIAM  AND  MARY.  85 

having  left  Trelawny  to  command  at  Dublin,  advanced  CHAP, 
with  the  reft  of  his  army  to  Inchiquin,  in  his  way  to  Kil-  ,  ' 
kenny.  Colonel  Grace,  the  governor  of  Athlone  for  King  *PV*> 
James,  being  fummoned  to  furrender,  fired  a  piflol  at  the 
trumpeter,  faying,  "  Thefe  are  my  terms."  Then  Doug 
las  refolved  to  undertake  the  fiege  of  the  place,  which 
was  naturally  very  ftrong,  and  defended  by  a  refolute 
garrifon.  An  inconfiderable  breach  was  made,  when 
Douglas,  receiving  intelligence  that  Sarsfield  was  on  his 
march  to  the  relief  of  the  befieged,  abandoned  the  enter- 
prize,  after  having  loft  above  four  hundred  men  in  the  at 
tempt.  The  king  continued  his  march  to  the  weftward ; 
and,  by  dint  of  fevere  examples,  eftablifhed  fuch  order 
and  difcipline  in  his  army,  that  the  peafants  were  fecure 
from  the  leaft  violence.  At  Carlow  he  detached  the  duke 
of  Ormond  to  take  poffeflion  of  Kilkenny,  where  that  no 
bleman  regaled  him  in  his  own  caftle,  which  the  enemy 
had  left  undamaged.  While  the  army  encamped  at  Car 
rie,  Major-General  Kirke  was  fent  to  Waterford,  the 
garrifon  of  which,  confiftins;  of  two  regiments,  capitulat 
ed,  upon  condition  of  marching  out  with  their  arms  and 
baggage,  and  being  conducted  to  Mallow.  The  fort  of 
Duncannon  was  fur  rendered  on  the  fame  terms.  Here  the 
Lord  Dover  and  the  Lord  George  Howard  were  admitted 
to  the  benefit  of  the  king's  mercy  and  protection. 

On  the  ift  day  of  Auguft,  William  being  at  Chapel- 
Izard,  published  a  fecond  declaration  of  mercy,  confirm 
ing  the  former,  and  even  extending  it  to  perfons  of  fupe- 
rior  rank  and  ftation,  whether  natives  or  foreigners,  pro 
vided  they  would,  by  the  25th  day  of  the  month,  lay 
down  their  arms,  and  fubmit  to  certain  conditions.  This 
offer  of  indemnity  produced  very  little  effect ;  for  the  I- 
rifli  were  generally  governed  by  their  priefts,  and  the 
news  of  the  victory  which  the  French  fleet  had  obtained 
over  the  Englifti  and  Dutch  was  circulated  with  fuch  ex 
aggerations  as  elevated  their  fpirits,  and  effaced  all 
thoughts  of  fubmifiaon.  The  king  had  returned  to  Dub 
lin,  with  a  view  to  embark  for  England;  but  receiving 
notice  that  the  defigns  of  his  domeftic  enemies  were  dif- 
covered  and  fruftrated  ;  that  the  fleet  was  repaired,  and 
the  French  navy  retired  to  Breft,  he  poftponed  his  voyage, 
and  refolved  to  reduce  Limeric,  in  which  Monfieur  Boif- 
felau  commanded  as  governor,  and  the  duke  of  Berwic 
and  colonel  Sarsfield  acted  as  inferior  ofScers.  On  the 
9th  day  of  Auguft,  the  king  having  called  in  his  detach 
ments,  and  advanced  into  the  neighbourhood  of  the  place, 
fummoned  the  commander  to  deliver  the  town  ;  and  Boif- 
felau  anfwered,  that  he  imagined  the  beft  way  to  gain  the 


86  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK   good   opinion  of  the  prince  of  Orange  would  be  a  vigor 
ous  defence  of  the  town  which  his  majefty  had  committed 
^"Y^*"'   to  his  charge.     Before  the  place  was  fully  inveftcd,  Colo- 
if.;o.      nej    Sarsfield,  v/ith    a  body  of  horfe  and  dragoons,  pa  fled 
the  Shannon  in  the  night,  intercepted  the  king's   train  of 
artillery  on   its    way  to  the  camp,  routed  the  troops  that 
guarded   it,  difabled   the  cannon,  deftroyed  the  carriage?, 
waggons,  and  ammunition,  and  returned  in  fafety  to  Li- 
rneric.     Notwithftanding  this  difafter,  the  trenches    were 
opened  on  the   iyth  day  of  the  month,  and  a  battery  was 
raifed  with  fome  cannon  brought  from  Waterford.     The 
fiege  was  carried   on  v/ith  vigour,  and  the  place  defended 
with  great   refolution.     At   length,  the  king  ordered  his 
troops  to  mske  a    lodgment  in   the  covered  way  or  coun- 
terfcarp,  which  was  accordingly  afiaulted  with  great  fury: 
But    the   a'flailants  met  with  fuch  a  warm  reception  from 
the  befieged,  that  they   were   repulfed    v/ith   the   lofs  of 
twelve  hundred  men,  either  killed  on  the  fpot  or  mortally 
Heisobli-   wounded.     This  difappcintment  concurring  with  the  bad- 
ged  to  raife  nels  of  the  weather,  which   became  rainy  and  un  whole - 
the  fiege  of  fome     induced    the  kin;?;    to    renounce  his    undertakinc-. 

i.imenc,         r  _       '  ^>  » 

and  returns  *  he  heavy  baggage  and  cannon  being  lent  away,  the  ar- 
to  England,  my  decamped,  and  marched  towards  Clonmel.  William 
having  conftituted  the  Lord  Sidney  and  Thomas  Co- 
ningfby,  lords  juftices  oflreland,  and  left  the  command  cf 
the  army  with  Count  Solmes,  embarked  at  Duncannon. 
v/ith  Prince  George  of  Denmark,  on  the  5th  of  Septem 
ber,  and  next  day  arrived  in  King-Road,  near  Briftol, 
from  whence  he  repaired  to  Windfor. 

About  the  latter  end  of  this  month,  the  earl  of  Marlbo- 
rough  arrived  in  Ireland,  with  rivcthoufand  Englifh  troops, 
to  attack  Cork  and  Kinfale,  in  conjunction  with  a  detach 
ment  from  the  great  army,  according  to  a  fcheme  he  had 
propofed  to  King  William.  Having  landed  his  foldiers 
without  much  oppofition  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Cork,  he 
was  joined  by  five  thoufand  men,  under  the  Prince  of  Wir- 
temberg,  between  whom  and  the  earl  a  difpute  arofe  about 
the  command  ;  but  this  was  compromifed  by  the  interpofi- 
tion  of  La  Mellionere.  The  place  being  inverted,  and  the 
batteries  raifed,  the  befiegers  proceeded  with  fuch  rapidity 
that  a  breach  was  foon  effecled.  Colonel  Mackillicut,  the 
governor,  demanded  a  parley,  and hoftages  were  exchanged; 
but  he  reje&ed  the  conditions  that  were  offered,  and  hoili- 
lities  recommenced  with  redoubled  vigour.  'The  duke  of 
Grafton,  who  ferved  on  this  occafion  as  a  volunteer,  was 
mortally  wounded  in  one  of  the  attacks,  and  died  regretted 
as  a  youth  ofpromifing  talents.  Preparations  being  made 
for  a  general  afTault,  the  befieged  thought  proper  to  capitu- 


WILLIAM  AND  MARY.  87 

late,  and  furrendered  thernfelves  prifoners  of  war.  Befides  CHAP. 
the  governor  and  Colonel  Ricaut,  the  victor  found  the  earls  ,^. 
of  Clancarty  and  Tyrone  among  the  individuals  of  the  gar-  "T^P* 
rifon.  Marlborough  having  taken  pofleffion  of  Cork, 
detached  Brigadier  Villiers  with  a  body  of  horfe  and  dra 
goons  to  fummon  the  town  and  forts  of  Kinfale,  and  next 
day  advanced  with  the  reft  of  the  forces.  The  old  fort  was 
immediately  taken  by  rffault  ;  but  Sir  Edward  Scot,  who 
commanded  the  other,  fuflained  a  regular  fiege,  until  the 
breach  was  practicable,  and  then  obtained  an  honourable 
capitulation.  Thefe  maritime  places  being  reduced,  all 
communication  between  France  and  the  enemy,  on  this  fide 
c;f  (he  iiland,  was  cut  off,  and  the  Iriih  were  confined  to 
Ulfter,  where  they  could  not  fubfiir.  without  great  difficulty. 
The  earl  of  Marlborough  having  finished  this  expedition  in 
thirty  days,  returned  with  his  prifoners  to  England,  where 
the  fame  of  this  exploit  added  greatly  to  his  reputation. 

During  thefe  tranfa&ions,  Count  de  Lauzun,  comman 
der  of  the  French  auxiliaries  in  Ireland,  lay  inactive  in  the 
Keighbourhood  of  Galway,  and  tranfmitted  fuch  a  lament  - 
able  account  of  his  fituation  to  the  court  of  France,  that 
tranfports  were  fent  over  to  bring  home  the  French  forces. 
In  thefe  he  embarked  with  his  troops,  and  the  command  of 
the  Irifh  forces  devolved  to  the  duke  of  Berwick,  though  it 
was  afterwards  transferred  to  M.  St.  Ruth.  Lauzun  was 
difgraced  atVerfaiiles,  for  having  deferted  the  caufe  before 
it  was  defperate :  Tyrconnel,  who  accompanied  him  in  his 
voyage,  folicited  the  French  court  for  a  further  fupply  of 
officers,  arms,  clothes,  and  ammunition  for  the  Irjfh  army, 
which  he  faid  would  continue  firm  to  the  intereft  of  King 
James,  if  thus  fupported.  Mean  while,  they  formed  them- 
ielves  into  feparate  bodies  of  freebooters,  and  plundered  the 
country,  under  the  appellation  of  Rapparies  ;  while  the 
troops  of  King  William  either  enjoyed  their  eafe  in  quar 
ters,  or  imitated  the  rapine  of  the  enemy  ;  fo  that,  between 
both,  the  poor  people  were  miferably  harraffed. 

The  affairs  of  the  continent  had  not   yet   undergone  any   . 

i  r-  i    CL     c   u      j    t          c  State  of  af- 

change  of  importance,  except  mtn?  conduct  of  the  duke  of  foir;,  on  the 
Savoy,  who  renounced  his  neutrality,  engaged  in  an  alliance  continent. 
with  the  emperor  and  king  of  Spain  ;  and,  in  a  word,  acced 
ed  to  die  grand  confederacy.  He  had  no  fooner  declared 
himfelf,  thaaCatinat,  the  French  general,  entered  his  terri 
tories,  at  the  head  of  eighteen  thoufand  men,  and  defeated 
him  in  a  pitched  battle  near  Saluces,  which  immediately 
furrendered  to  the  conqueror.  Then  he  reduced  Savillana, 
V  ilia  Franca,  with  fevsral  other  places,  purfued  the  duke  to 
Carigrum,  furprifed  Sufo,  and  diftributcd  his  forces  in 
winter-  quarters,  partly  in  Provence,  and  partly  in  the  duchy 


88  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK   of  Savoy,  which  St.  Ruth  had  lately  reduced  under  the  do 
minion  of  France.     The  duke  rinding  himfelf  difappointed 

^""V*^  in  the  fuccours  he  expected  from  the  emperor  and  king  of 
1689.  Spain,  demanded  aiTiftance  of  the  States-general  and  King 
William  ;  to  this  laft  he  fent  an  ambaflador,  to  congratulate 
him  upon  hrs  acceffion  to  the  throne  of  England.  The  con 
federates,  in  their  general  congrefs  at  the  Hague,  had  agreed 
that  the  army  of  the  ftates  under  Prince  Waldec  fhould  op- 
pofe  the  forces  of  France,  commanded  by  the  duke  of  Lux 
embourg  in  Flanders;  while  the  elector  of  Brandenburgh 
fhould  obferve  the  marquis  de  Boufflers  on  the  Mofelle : 
But,  before  the  troops  of  Brandenburgh  could  be  aflembled; 
BoufHers  encamped  between  the  Sambre  and  the  Meufe, 
and  maintained  a  free  communication  with  Luxembourg. 

Prince  Waldec  underftanding  that  this  general  intended 
to  crofs  the  Sambre  between  Namur  and  Charleroy,  in 
order  to  lay  the  Spanifh  territories  under  contribution, 
decamped  from  the  river  Pieton,  and  detached  the  count  of 
Berlo,  with  a  great  body  of  horfe,  to  obferve  the  motions  of 
the  enemy.  He  was  encountered  by  the  French  army 
near  Fleurus,  and  flain  ;  and  his  troops,  though  fupported 
by  two  ocher  detachments,  were  hardly  able  to  rejoin  the 
main  body,  which  continued  all  night  in  order  of  battle. 
N ext  day  they  were  attacked  by  the  French,  who  were 
greatly  fuperior  to  them  in  number:  After  a  very  obftinate 
engagement  the  allies  gave  way,  leaving  about  five  thou 
fand  iren  dead  upon  the  field  of  battle.  The  enemy  took 
about  four  thoufand  prifoners,  and  the  greateft  part  of  their 
artillery;  but  the  vi<fWy  was  dearly  bought.  The  Dutch 
infantry  fought  with  furprifing  refolution  and  fuccefs.  The 
duke  of  Luxembourg  owned,  with  furprife,  that  they  had 
furpafTed  the  Spanifh.  foot  at  the  battle  of  Rocroy.  "  Prince 
"  Waldec  (faid  he)  ought  always  to  remember  the  French 
"  horfe  ;  and  1  mail  never  forget  the  Dutch  in- 
«  fantry."  The  Dutch  general  exerted  himfelf  with  fuch 
activity,  that  the  French  derived  very  little  advantage  from 
their  victory.  The  Prince  being  re-enforced  with  the  five 
Englifh  regiments,  nine  thoufand  Hanoverians,  ten  thou 
fand  from  the  bifhopric  of  Liege  and  Holland,  joined  the 
elector  of  Brandenburgh ;  fo  that  the  confederate  army 
amounted  to  five-and-fifty  thoufand  men,  and  they  marched 
by  the  way  of  Genap  to  Bois-Seigneur-Ifaac.  They  were 
now  fuperior  to  Luxembourg,  who  thoughtproper  to  fortify 
his  camp,  that  he  might  not  be  obliged  to  fight,  except 
with  considerable  advantage.  Neverthelefs,  Prince  Waldec 
would  have  attacked  him  in  his  entrenchments,  had  not  he 
been  prohibited  from  hazarding  another  engagement,  by  an 
exprefs  order  of  the  States-general ;  and,  when  this  reftric- 
tion  was  removed,  the  elector  would  not  venture  a  battle, 


WILLIAM  AND  MARY.  89 

By  this  time  the  emperor's  Ton  Jofeph  was  by  the  elec-  CHAP, 
toral  college  chofen  king  of  the  Romans  ;  but  his  intereft 
fuftained  a  rutle  fliock  in  the  death  of  the  gallant  duke  of  ^°V^ 
Lorraine,  who  was  fuddenly  fdzed  with  a  quinfey,  at 
a  fmall  village  near  Lintz,  and  expired,  not  without  fuf- 
picion  of  having  fallen  a  facrifice  to  the  fears  of  the  French 
king)  againft  whom  he  had  formally  declared  war,  as 
a  fovereign  prince  unjuftly  expelled  from  his  territories. 
He  pofFeiTed  great  military  talents,  and  had  threatened  to 
enter  Lorraine,  at  the  head  of  forty  thoufand  men,  in  the 
courfe  of  the  enfuing  fummer.  The  court  of  France,  a- 
larmed  at  this  declaration,  is  faid  to  have  had  recourfe  to 
poifon,  for  preventing  the  execution  of  the  duke's  defign* 
At  his  death  the  command  of  the  imperial  army  was  con 
ferred  upon  thj  elector  of  Bavari?..  This  prince,  having 
joined  the  elector  of  Saxony,  advanced  againft  the  dau 
phin,  who  had  pafTed  the  Rhine  at  Fort  Louis,  with 
a  confiderable  army,  and  intended  to  penetrale  into  Wir- 
temberg  ;  but  the  duke  of  Bavaria  checked  his  progrefs, 
and  he  afted  on  the  defenfive  during  the  remaining  part 
of  the  campaign.  The  emperor  was  lefs  fortunate  in  his 
efforts  againft  the  Turks,  who  rejected  the  conditions  of 
peace  he  had  offered,  and  took  the  field,  under  a  new  vi- 
fir.  In  the  month  of  Auguft  Count  Tekeli  defeated  a  bo 
dy  of  Imperialifts  near  Cronftadt,  in  Tranfylvania;  then 
convoking  the  ftates  of  that  province  at  Albajulia,  ha 
compelled  them  to  elect  him  their  fovereign ;  but  his 
reign  was  of  fhort  duration.  Prince  Louis,  of  Baden, 
having  taken  the  command  of  the  Auftrian  army,  detach 
ed  four  regiments  into  Belgrade,  and  advanced  againft 
Tekeli,  who  retired  intoValachia  ata  his  approach.  Mean 
while,  the  grand  vifir  inverted  Belgrade,  and  carried  on 
his  attacks  with  furprinng  refolution.  At  length,  a  bomb 
falling  upon  a  great  tower,  in  which  the  powder-magazine 
of  the  befieged  was  contained,  the  place  blew  up  with 
a  dreadful  explofion.  Seventeen  hundred  foldiers  of  the 
garrifon  were  deftroyed  ;  the  walls  and  ramparts  were  o- 
verthrown  ;  the  ditch  was  filled  up,  and  fo  large  a  breach 
was  opened,  that  the  .Turks  entered  by  fquadrons  and 
battalions,  cutting  in  pieces  all  that  fell  in  their  way. 
The  fire  fpread  from  megazine  to  magazine  until  eleven 
were  deftroyed  :  and,  in  "the  confufion,  the  remaining 
part  of  the  garrifon  efcaped  to  Pcterwaradin.  By  this 
time  the  knpeiialifts  were  in  poileilion  of  Tranfylvania, 
and  cantoned  at  Cronftadt  and  Claufinburgh.  Tekeli 
undertook  to  attack  the  province  on  one  fide,  while  a  bo 
dy  of  Turks  flvould  invade  it  on  the  other :  Thefe  laft 
were  totally  difperfed  by  Prince  Louis,  of  Baden  y  but 

VOL.  I.  M 


go  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  Prince  Aut";uftus,  of  Hanover,  whom   he  had  detached  a- 
,  ,  gainft    the    count,  was   flain    in    a  narrow  defile,  and  his 

""»"     trbops  were  obliged  to  retreat  with  precipitation.    Tekeli, 
i6;o.      ,  j- j         •  i  •      j  i>  •  -r 

however,  did  not  improve  tbis  advantage.     i>eing  appnl- 

ed  of  the  fate  of  his  allies,  and  afraid  of  feeing  his  retreat 
cut  off  by  the  fnow,  that  frequently  choaks  up  the  paffes 
of  the  mountains,  he  retreated  again  to  Valachia,  and 
Prince  Louis  returned  to  Vierma. 

parliament        King    William   having   publifhed  a  proclamation,  re- 
s!eets!S        quiring    the   attendance   of  the  members  on  the  2d  day  ot 
October,  both  houfes  met  accordingly,  and  he  opened  the 
feffion  with  a  fpeech  to  the  ufual  purport.     He  mentioned 
what  he  had  done  towards  the  reduction  of  Ireland  ;  com 
mended  the  behaviour  of  the  trooops  ;  told  them  the  fup- 
plies  were  not  equal  to  the  neceffary"  expence  :  reprefent- 
ed    the  danger  to  which  the  nation  would  be  expofed,  un- 
lefs    the  war  fhould  be  profecuted  with  vigour;  conjured 
them   to  clear  his  revenue,  which  was  mortgaged  for  the 
payment  of  former  debts,  and  enable  him  to  p^.y  off  the 
arrears   of  the  army;  affured  them  that  the  fuccefs  of  ths 
confederacy  abroad  would  depend  upon  the  vigou;  &difp?.tch 
of  their   proceedings ;   expreffed  his    refentment  againft 
thofe  who  had  been  guilty   of  mifcondu6l  in  the  manage 
ment  of  the  fleet ;  recommended  unanimity  and  expedi 
tion  ;  and  declared,  that  whoever  mould  attempt  to  divert 
their  attention  from  thofe  fubjedts  of  importance  which  he 
had  propofed,  could  neither  be  a  friend    to  him  nor  a  well 
wiflier   to   his  country.     The  late  attempt  of  the  French 
upon   the  coaft  of  England,  the  rumours  of  a  confpirac^ 
by   the  Jr.cobites,  the  perfonal  valour  which  William  had 
tiifplayed   in   Ireland,  and   the  puiillanimous  behaviour  of 
James,  concurred  in   warming  the  refentment  of  the  na 
tion   againft  the  adherents  of  the  late  king,  and  in  railing 
a  tide  uf  loyalty  in  favour  of  the   new  government.     Both 
houfes    prefented   feparate  addreffes   of  congratulation  to 
the  king  and  queen,  upon  his  courage  and  conduct  in  the 
field,  and  her  fortitude  and  fagacity  at  the  helm,  in  times 
of  danger  and  difquiet.    The  commons,  purfuantto  an  ef- 
timate  laid  before  them  of  the  next  year's  expences,  voted 
a  fupply  of  four  millions  for  the  maintenance  of  the  army 
and  navy,  and  fettled  the  funds  for  that  purpofe. 

They  propofed  to  raife  one  million  by  the  fale  of  forfeit 
ed  eftates  in  Ireland  :  They  refolved,  that  a  bill  fhould  be 
brought  in  for  confifcatina;  thofe  cftatos,  with  a  claufe, 
empowering  the  king  to  beftow  a  third  part  of  them  on 
thofe  who  had  ferved  in  the  war,  as  well  as  to  grant  fuch 
articles  and  capitulations  to  thofe  who  were  in  arms,  as 
he  fhoulti  think  proper  .This  claufe  was  rejected  ;  and 


WILLIAM  AND  MARY.  91 

a  great  nnmber  of  petitions  were  offered  againft  the  bill,  c  H  A  r* 
by  creditors  and  heirs,  who  had  continued  faithful  to  the  i^^J^j 
government.  Thefe  were  fuppofed  to  have  been  fuggefted 
by  the  court,  in  order  to  retard  the  progrefs  of  the  bill; 
for  the  eftates  had  been  already  promifed  to  the  king's  fa 
vourites  :  TSeverthelefs,  the  bill  palled  the  lower  houfe 
and  was  font  up  to  the  lords,  among  whom  it  was  pur-' 
pofely  delayed  by  the  influence  of  the  miniftry.  It  was  at 
this  juncture  that  Lord  Torrington  was  tried  and  acquit 
ted,  very  much  to  the  diffctisfacSlion  of  the  king,  who  not 
only  difmifTed  him  from  the  fervice,  but  even  forbade  him 
to  appear  in  his  prefsnce.  When  William  came  to  the 
houfe  of  lords,  to  give  the  royal  afTent  to  a  bill  for  doub 
ling  the  excife,  he  told  the  parliament,  thaf.  the  pofture  of 
affairs  required  his  prrfence  at  tho  Hague  ;  that,  there 
fore,  they  ought  to  lofe  no  time  in  perfe£tin/  fuch  other 
fupplies  as  were  ftill  neceflary  for  the  maintenance  of  the 
army  and  navy  ;  and  he  reminded  them  of  making  fome 
provifion  for  the  expence  of  the  civil  government.  Two 
bills  were  accordingly  puff-d  for  rranting  to  their  majef- 
ties  the  duties  on  goods  imported,  fur  fi'/3  years ;  and 
thefe,  together  with  the  mutiny  bill,  received  the  royal 
aflent :  Upon  which  occafion  the  kin^  cbferved,  that  if 
fome  annual  provifion  could  be  made  for  augmenting  the 
navy,  it  would  greatly  conduce  to  the  honour  and  ftfety 
of  the  nation.  In  confequence  of  this  hint,  they  voted 
a  confiderable  fupply  for  building  additional  fliips  of  war*, 
and  proceeded  with  fuch  alacrity  and  expedition,  as  even 
feemed  to  anticipate  the  king's  defires.  This  liberality 
and  difpatch  v/ere  in  a  great  meafure  owing  to  the  man 
agement  of  Lord  Godolphin,  who  was  now  placed  at  the 
head  of  the  treafury,  and  Sir  John  Somers,  the  folicitor- 
general.  The  place  of  fecretary  of  {late,  which  had  re 
mained  vacant  fmce  the  refignation  of  the  earl  of  Shrewf- 
bury,  was  now  filled  with  Lord  Sidney;  and  Sir  Charles 
Porter  was  appointed  one  of  the  juftices  of  Ireland,  in  the 
room  of  this  nobleman. 

Notwithftanding  the  act  for  reverfing  the  proceedings 
againft  the  city-charter,  the  Whigs  had  made  fhift  toakeep 
pofleflion  of  the  magiftracy:  Pilkington  continued  mayor, 
and  Robinfon  retained  the  office  of  chamberlain.  The  To- 

*  This  fupply  was  raifed  by  the  additional  duties  upon  beer,  ale,  and  other 
liquors.  They  alfo  provided  in  the  bill,  that  the  impofitions  on  wines,  vine 
gar,  and  tobacco,  fhould  be  made  a  fund  of  credit  :  That  the  furplus,  of  the 
g'ants  they  had  made,  after  the  current  fervice  was  provided  for,  fhould  be  ap 
plicable  to  the  payment  of  the  debts  contracted  by  the  war:  and,  That  it  fhould 
be  lawful  for  their  majefties  to  make  life  c.f  five  hundred  thoufand  pounds, 
cut  of  the  faid  grants,  oa  'conditi-an  cf  that  fum'*  being  repaid  from  the  revenue 


9*  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK    ries  of  the  city,  prefuming  upon  their  late  fervices,  prefent- 
ed  a  petition  to  the   late  houfe  of  commons,   complaining, 

i"'*Vs->  That  the  intent  of  the  late  act  of  parliament,  for  rever- 
;6?°  fing  the  Judgement  on  the  quo  warranty,  was  fruftrated 
by  fome  doubtful  expreflion  ;  fo  that  the  old  aldermen  elect 
ed  by  commifiions  under  the  late  king's  great  feal  dill  ailed 
by  virtue  of  that  authority :  That  Sir  Thomas  Pilkington 
was  not  duly  returned  as  mayor  by  the  common-hall;  and, 
That  he  and  the  aldermen  had  impofed  Mr.  Leonard  Robin- 
fon  upon  them  as  chamberlain,  though  another  perfon  was 
duly  elected  into  that  office :  That  divers  members  of  the 
common-council  were  illegally  excluded,  and  others,  duly 
elected,  were  refufed  admittance.  They  fpecefied  other 
grievancies,  and  petitioned  for  relief.  Pilkington  and  his 
iifTociates  undertook  to  prove,  that  thofe  allegations  were  ei 
ther  falfe  or  frivolous;  and  reprefented  the  petetionas  a  con 
trivance  of  the  Jacobites,  to  difturb  the  peace  of  the  city, 
that  the  fupply  might  be  retarded,  and  the  government  di- 
ftrefled.  In  the  late  panic  which  overfpread  the  nation,  the 
the  Whigs  had  appeared  to  be  the  monied  men,  and  lub- 
icribed  largely  for  the  fecurity  of  the  fettlement  they  had 
made,  while  the  Tories  kept  aloof  with  a  fufpicious  cau 
tion.  For  this  reafon,  the  court  now  interpofcd  its  influence 
in  fuch  a  manner,  that  little  or  no  regard  was  paid  to  their 
remonftrancc. 

The  marquis  of  Caermarthen,  lord-prefident,  who  was  at 
the  head  of  the  Tory  intereft  in  the  miniftry,  and  had  ac 
quired  great  credit  with  the  king  and  queen,  now  fell  under 
the  difpleafure  of  the  oppofite  faction ;  and  they  refolved 
(if  poffible)  to  revive  his  old  impeachment.  The  earl  of 
jShrewfbury,  and  thirteen  other  leading  men,  had  engaged 
in  this  defign.  A  committee  of  Lords  was  appointed  to 
examine  precedents,  and  enquire  whethet  impeachments 
continued  injlatu  quo  from  parliament  to  parliament.  Se 
veral  fuch  precedents  were  reported  ;  and  violent  debates 
cnfued  :  But,  the  marquis  eluded  the  vengeance  of  his  ene 
mies,  in  confluence  of  the  following  queftion,  Whether 
"  the  earls  of  Salifbury  and  Peterborough,  who  had  been  im- 
*c  peached  in  the  forner  parliament,  for  being  reconciled  to 
"  the  church  of  Rome,  mall  be  difcharged  from  their  bail  ?" 
<l  The  houfe  refolved  in  the  affirmative,  and  feveral  lords 
entered  a  proteft.  The  commons  having  rimmed  a  bill  for 
appointing  commiflioners  to  take  and  ftate  the  public  ac 
counts  ;  and  having  chofen  the  commiffioners  from  among 
their  own  members,  fent  it  up  to  the  houfe  of  lords.  There 
the  earl  of  Rochefter  moved,  that  they  ihould  add  fome  of 
their  number  to  thofe  of  the  commons  :  They  accordingly 
ehofe  an  equal  number  by  ballot  j  but  Rochefter  hirnfelf 


WILLIAM  AND  MARY.  93 

being  elected,  refufed  to  act  :  The  others  followed  his  ex-  c  H  A  p. 
ampFe,  and  the  bill  paffed  without  alteration.     On  the   5th  _^ 

day  of  January,  the  king  put  an  end  to  the  fefiicn  with  a  (~~Y~*J 
Speech,  in  which  he  thanked  them  for  the  repeated  inftan- 
ces  tii  -y  had  exhibited  of  their  affection  to  his  perfon  and 
government.  He  told  them  it  was  high  time  for  him  to 
embark  for  Holland;  recommended  unanimity;  and  allured 
them  of  his  particular  favour  and  protection.  Then  Lord 
Chief  Baron  Atkins  fignifLd  his  majefty's  pleafurc,  that 
the  two  houfes  ihould  adjourn  themfelves  to  3ift  dry  of 
March*. 

William,  having  fettled  the  affairs  of  the  nation,  fet  out  V/;I1^ 
for  Margate  on  the  6th  day  of  January;  but,  the  fhip  in  fets  Out  for 
which  he  propofed  to  embaik  being  detained  by  an  eafterly  Holland, 
wind  and  hard  froft,  he  returned  to  Kenfington.  On  the 
1 6th,  however,  he  embarked  at  Gravefend  with  a  nume 
rous  retinue,  and  fet  fail  for  Holland,  under  convoy  of 
twelve  fl-iips  of  war,  commanded  by  Admiral  Rooke. 
Next  day,  being  informed  by  a  fifherman,  that  he  was 
within  a  league  and  a  half  of  Goree,  he  quitted  the  yacht, 
and  went  into  an  open  boat,  attended  by  the  duke  of  Or- 
mond,  the  earls  of  Devonfhire,  Dorfet,  Portland,  and 
Monmouth,  with  Auverquerquq,  and  Zuyleftein.  In- 
flead  of  landing  immediately,  they  loft  fight  of  the  fleet, 
and  night  coming  on,  were  expofed  in  very  fevere  \veather 
to  the  danger  of  the  enemy  and  the  fea,  which  ran  very 
high  for  eighteen  hours,  during  which,  the  king  and  all 
his  attendants  were  drenched  with  fea-water.  When  the 
failors  expreffed  their  apprehenfions  of  perifliing,  the  king 
afkcd  if  they  were  afraid  to  die  in  his  company  ?  At  day 
break,  he  landed  on  the  Ifle  of  Goree,  where  he  took 
fome  refrefhment  in  a  fifherman's  hut;  then  he  commit 
ted  himfelf  to  the  boat  again,  and  was  conveyed  to  the 
fhore  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Maeflanfluyr.  A  deputa 
tion  of  the  ftates  received  him  at  Hounflardykc  :  About 
fix  in  the  evening  he  arrived  at  the  Hague,  where  he 
was  immediately  complimented  by  the  ftates-c;eneral,  the 
ftates  of  Holland,  the  council  of  Ilat.e,  the  other  colleges, 
and  the  foreign  minifters.  He  afterwards,  at  the  requeft 
of  the  magiftrates,  made  his  public  entry  with  furprifintx 
magnificence  ;  and  the  Dutch  celebrated  his  arrival  with 
bonfires,  illuminations,  and  other  marks  of  tumultuous 
joy.  He  aflifted  at  their  different  affemblies  ;  informed 
them  of  his  fucceffes  in  England  and  Ireland  ;  and  af- 
fured  them  of  his  conftant  zeal  and  affection  for  his  native 
country. 

*  In  this  year  the  English  planters  repoiTeiTed  thernfelves  of  part  of  the 
Inand^  of  St'.  Chriftophrr's  from  which  they  haft  btea  driven  by  the 
French. 


$4  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK        At  a  folemn  congrefs  of  the  confederate  princes,  he  re- 
prefented,  in  a  let  fpecch,  the  dangers  to  which  they  were 

^*y~*~'  expofed  from  the  power  and  ambition  of  France  ;  and  the 
a69J-  neceffity  of  acting  with  vigour  and  difpatch.  He  declared 
he  would  fpare  neither  his  credit,  forces,  nor  perfon,  in 
concurring  with  their  meafures;  and  that  in  the  fpring  he 
would  come  at  the  head  of  his  troops  to  fulfil  his  engage 
ments.  They  forthwith  refolved  to  employ  two  hundred 
and  twenty-two  thoufand  men  againft  France  in  the  enfu- 
ing  campaign.  The  proportions  of  the  differv-nt  princes 
and  ftates  were  regulated  ;  and  the  king  of  England  a- 
greed  to  furnifn  twenty  thoufand.  He  fupplied  the  duke 
of  Savoy  fo  liberally,  that  his  affairs  foon  afTumed  a  more 
promifing  afpect.  The  plan  of  operations  was  fettled  ;  and 
they  tranfa&ed  their  affairs  with  iuch  harmony,  that  no  dif- 
pute  interrupted  their  deliberations.  In  the  beginning  of 
March,  immediately  after  the  congrefs  broke  up,  the  fiege 
of  Mons  was  undertaken  by  the  French  king  in  perfon,  ac 
companied  by  the  dauphin,  the  dukes,  of  Orleans  and 
Chartres.  The  garrifon  confifted  of  about  fix  thoufand 
men,  commanded  by  the  prince  of  Bergue  :  But  the  be- 
fiegers  carried  on  rheir  works  with  fuch  rapidity  as  they 
could  not  wit.hfr.and.  King  William  no  fooner  under- 
ftood  that  the  place  was  inrefted,  than  he  ordered  Prince 
Waldec  to  affbmble  the  army,  determined  to  march  againft 
the  enemy  in  perion.  Fifty  thoufand  men  were  foon  col 
lected  at  Hal!  ,  near  BiulTels:  But,  when  he  went  thither, 
he  found  the  Spaniards  had  neglected  to  provide  carriages, 
and  orther  nectfTan; c  for  the  expedition.  Mean  while, 
the  burghers  of  Mons,  feeing  their  town  in  danger  of 
being  utterly  deftroyed  by  the  bombs  and  cannon  of  the 
enemy,  prefTed  the  govejnor  to  capitulate,  and  even 
threatened  to  introduce  the  befiegers :  So  that  he  was 
forced  to  ooirply,  and/  obtained  very  honourable  condi- 

Returnsto     tions.     William,  being  apprifrd    of  this    event,   returned 

England.      to   tne   Han;ue,   embarked   for    England,   and   arrived  at 
Whitehall  on  the  131!!  day  of  April*. 

A  confpiracy  aa^.inft  the  government  had  been  lately 
difcovered.  In  the  latter  end  of  December,  the  Mafter  of 
a  veflel  who  lived  at  Bilking,  in  Eflex,  informed  the  mar 
quis  of  Caermarth.n,  that  '.is  wife  had  let  out  one  of  his 
boats  to  carry  over  fo're  perfjns  to  France  ;  and  that  they 
would  embark  on  the  30th  day  of  the  month.  This  intel 
ligence  being  conmunicated  to  the  king  and  council,  an  or 
der  was  fent  to  Captain  Billop,  to  watch  the  motion  of  the 
vefiel,  and  fccure  the  pafTengers.  He  accordingly  boarded 

*  A  few  days  before  his  arrival  great  part  of  the  palace  of  Whitehall  wuu 
eynfumed  by  fire,  through  the  negligence  of  a  fsraale  fervaxt. 


WILLIAM  AND  MARY.  95 

her  at  Gravefend,  and  found  in  the  hold  Lord  Prefton,  Mr.  C  H^A  P. 
Afhton,  a   fervent  of  the  late  queen,  and  one  Elliot.     He 
likewifc  feized  a  bundle  of  papers,   fome   of  which   were 
fcarce  intelligible ;  among  the  reft,  two  letters,  fuppofed  to 
be  written  by  Turner,  bifhop  of  Ely,  to  King   James  and 
his  queen,  under  fictitious  names.     The  whole   amounted 
to  aii  invitation  to  the  French  King,  to  affift  King  James 
in  reafcending  the  throne,   upon  certain  conditions,   while 
William  fhould  be   abfent   from   the  kingdom :   But,   tha 
fcheme  was  ill  laid,  and  countenanced  tut  by  a  very  few  per- 
fons  of  confideration,  among  whom  the  chiefs  were  the  earl  of 
Clarendon,  the  bifhop  of  Ely,  Lord  Prefton,  his  brother, 
Mr.  Graham,  and  Penn,  the  famous  quaker.    Notwithftan- 
ding  the  outcries  which  had  been  made  againft  the  fever  i- 
ties   of  the  late  government,  Prefton,  and  his  accomplice 
Afhton,  were  tried  at  the   old  bailey  for   comparting     the 
death  of  their  majefties  King  William  and  queen  Mary; 
and  th<_ir  trials  were  hurried  on,  without  any  regard  to  their 
petitions  for  delay.    'Lord  Prefton  alledged,  in  his  defence 
that  the  treafons  charged  upon  him  were  not  committed  in 
the  county  of  Middlefex,  as  laid  in   the    indictment ;   that 
none  of  the  witncfles  declared  he  had  any  concern  in  hiring 
the  veflel  ;  that  the  papers  were  not  found  upon  him  ;  that 
there  ought  to   be   two  credible  witnefles  to  every  facl, 
whereas,  the  whole  proof  againft  him  refted  on  fimilitude 
of  hand,  and  mere  fuppofition.  He  was,  neverthelefs,  found 
guilty.     Aftiton  behaved  with  great  intrepidity  and   com- 
pofure.     He  owned  his  purpofe  of  going  to  France,  in  pur- 
iuance  of  a  promife  he  had  made  the  General  Worden,  who, 
on  his  death-bed,   conjured   him  to  go  thither,  and   finifli 
fume  affairs  of  confequence  which  he  had  left  there  depend 
ing  ;  as  well  as  with  a  view  to  recover  a  conflderable  fum 
of  money  due  to  himfelf.     He  denied  that  he  was  privy  to 
the  contents  of  the  papers  found  upon  him :  He  complained 
of  his  having  been  denied  time  to  prepare  for  his  trial  j 
and  called  feveral  perfons  to  prove  him  a  proteftant  of  ex 
emplary  piety  and  irreproachable  morals.     Thefe  circum- 
ftances  had  no  weight  with  the  court.     He  was  brow-bea 
ten  by  the  bench,  and  found  guilty  by  the  jury,  as  he   had 
the  papars  in  his  cuftody  :    Yet,  there  was  no  privity  prov 
ed  ;  and  the  Whig  party  tbemfelves  had  often  exprefsly  de 
clared,  that  of  all  forts  of  evidence,  that  of  finding  papers  in 
a  perfon's  pofleflion  is  the  weakeft,  becaufe  no  man  can  fe- 
cure  himfelf  from  fuch  danger.     Afhton  fuffered  with  equ.il 
courage  and  decorum.     In  a  paper  which  he  delivered   to 
the  fherifF,  he  owned  his  attachment  to  King  James :    He 
witneffed  to  the  birth  of  the  prince  of  Wales";   denied  bis 
knowledge  of  the  contents  of  the  papers  that  were  comxiit- 


0  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  ted  to  his  charge;  complained  of  the  hard  meafures  he  hac£ 
met  with  from  the  Judges  and  the  Jury,  but  forgr.ve   them, 
^*VvJ   in  the  fight  of  heaven.     This  man  was  celebrated    by   the 
1  91'       Nonjurors  as  martyr  to  loyalty ;   and  they  boldly  affirmed, 
Purnet        t'iat  k's  c'mc^  crime  in  the  eyes  of  the  government,  was  his 
StateTrails  having  air.ong  his  baggage,  an  accoum  of  fuch  evidence  as 
Burchet.      would  have  been  convincing  to  all  the  world,   concerning 
Ran*''        ^e  birth  °f  t^6  prince  of  Wales,  which  by  a  grefit  number 
of  people  was  believed  funoofitious  *.  Lord  Pi  efton  obtain 
ed  a  pardon  :  Elliot  was  not  tried,  becaufe  no  evidence  ap 
peared  againft  him:  the  earl  of  Clarendon  was  feat  to  the 
Tower,  where  he  re  nai.jcd  foi-  e  months,  and  he  was  after 
wards  confined  to  his  own  houfe  in  the  country  :  An  indul 
gence  which  he  owed  to  his  confanguinity  with  the  queen, 
who  was  his  firfr,  coufm.     The  bi/hop  of  Ely,  Graham,  and 
Perm  abfconded;  and  a  proclamation  was  iffued  for   appre 
hending  them  as  traitors. 

This  prelate's  being  concerned  in  a  confpiracy  fur- 
nifhcd  the  king  with  a  plaufible  pretence  for  filling  up  the 
vacant  bifhoprics.  The  deprived  bifhops  had  been  giv 
en  to  understand,  that  an  act  of  parliament  might  be  ob 
tained  to  excufe  them  from  talcing  the  oaths,  provided  they 
would  perform  their  Epifcopal  functions:  But,  as  they 
declined  this  expedient,  the  king  refolved  to  fill  up  their 
places  at  his  return  from  Holland.  Acccordingly,  the 
archbiihopric  of  Canterbuiy  was  conferred  upon  Dr. 
Tillotfonf,  one  of  the  moft  learned,  moderate,  and  vir 
tuous  ecclefiaftics  of  the  age,  who  did  not  accept  of  this 
promotion  without  great  reluctance,  becaufe  he  forefaw 
that  he  fhould  be  expofed  to  the  flander  and  malevolence 
of  that  party  which  efpoufed  the  caufe  of  his  predecefTor. 
The  other  vacant  fees  were  given  to  divines  of  unblemifh- 
ed  character ;  and  the  public  in  general  teemed  very  well 
fatisfied  with  this  exertion  of  the  king's  fupremacy.  The 
deprived  bifhops  at  firft  afFecled  all  the  meeknefs  of  refig- 
nation.  They  remembered  thofe  fhouts  of  popular  ap 
probation,  by  which  they  had  been  animated  in  the  per- 
fecution  they  fuffered  under  the  late  government;  and  they 
hoped  the  fame  cordial  would  fupport  them  i-n'thcir  pre- 

*To  one  of  the  pamphlets  publifhed  on  this  occafion,  is  r.nne:ced  a  petition  to 
t'ic  p'.x'fer.t  £overnm>-nt,  in  the  name  of  King  James's  adherents,  importing, 
that  fome  grave  and  learned  pcrfon  fhould  be  authorifed  to  compile  the  treadle, 
fliowing  tiie  grounds  of  William's  title;  and  declaring,  taut  in  cafe  the  per- 
iomumce  fliould  carry  conTidion  along  with  it,  they  would  fubmit  to  that  ti 
tle,  as  they  hnd  hirhcrto  oppofed  it  from  a  principle  of  conftience.  Th;  belt 
anfwer  that  could  be  made  to  this  fummons,  was  Locke's  book  of  government, 
which  appeared  at  this  period.— Ralph. 

•f  Beveridge  was  promoted  to  the  fee  of  Bath  and  Wells,  Fowler  to  that 
of  Gloucefter,  Cumberland  to  Peterborough,  Moore  to  Norwich,  Grove  t» 
Sliichefter,  and  Patrick  to  Ely. 


WILLIAM  AND  MARY.  97 

font  affliction  :  But,  finding  the  nation  cold  in  their  con-  CHAP. 
cern,  they  determined  to  warm  it  by  argument  and  de 
clamation.  The  prefs  groaned  with  the  efforts  of  their 
learning  and  refentment  ;  and  every  eflay  was  anfwered 
by  their  opponent*.  The  Nonjurors  affitmed,  that  Chrif- 
tianity  was  a  doctrine  of  the  crofs  ;  that  no  pretence 
whatever  could  juftify  an  infun»ecHon  againft  the  fove- 
reign  ;  that  the  primitive  Chriftians  thought  it  their  in- 
difpenfable  duty  to  be  pafiive  under  every  invafion  of  their 
rights  ;  and,  that  non-refiftance  was  the  do&rinc  of  the 
Englifh  church,  confirmed  by  all  the  fanctions  that  could 
be  derived  from  the  laws  of  God  and  man.  The  other 
party,  not  only  fupported  the  natural  rights  of  mankind^ 
and  explained  the  ufe  that  might  be  made  of  the  doctrine 
of  non-refiftance,  in  exciting  frefh  commotions,  but  they 
alfo  argued,  that  if  paflive  obedience  was  right  in  any  in- 
ftance,  it  was  conclufively  fo  with  regard  to  the  prefent 
government ;  for  the  obedience  required  by  fcripture  was 
indifcriminate,  "  the  powers  that  be,  are  ordained  of  God 
"  — let  every  foul  be  fubject  to  the  higher  powers." 
From  thefe  texts  they  inferred,  that  the  new  oaths  ought 
to  be  taken  without  fcruple ;  and  that  thofe  who  refufed 
them,  concealed  party  under  the  cloak  of  confcience.  On 
the  other  hand,  the  fallacy  and  treachery  of  this  argument 
were  demonftrated.  They  faid,  it  levelled  all  diftindlions 
of  juftice  and  duty ;  that  thofe  who  taught  fuch  doctrines, 
attached  themfelves  folely  to  pofieflion,  however  unjuftly 
acquired  ;"  that  if  twenty  different  ufurpers  (hould  fucceed 
one  another,  they  would  recognize  thelaft,  notwithftanding 
the  allegiance  they  had  fo  folemnly  fworn  to  his  predecef- 
for,  like  the  fawning  fpaniel  that  followed  the  thief  who 
mounted  his  mafter's  horfe,  after  having  murdered  the 
right  owner.  They  alfo  denied  the  juftice  of  a  lay-de 
privation,  and,  with  refpecl  to  church-government,  ftarted 
the  fame  diftindlions  "  de  jure  and  de faflo"  which  they 
had  formerly  made  in  the  civil  adminiftration.  They  had 
even  recourfe  to  all  the  bitternefs  of  inve£live  againft 
Tillotfon  and  the  new  biftiops,  whom  they  reviled  as  in 
truders  and  ufurpers :  Their  acrimony  was  chiefly  di 
rected  againft  Dr.  Sherlock,  who  had  been  one  of  the 
Mtioft  violent  fticklers  againft  the  Revolution,  but  thought 
proper  to  take  the  oaths  upon  the  retreat  of  King  James 
from  Ireland.  They  branded  him  as  as  an  apoftate,  who 
had  betrayed  his  caufe,  and  publifhed  a  review  of  his 
whole  conduct,  which  proved  a  fevere  fatire  upon  his  cha 
racter.  Their  attacks  upon  individuals  were  mingled 
with  their  vengeance  againft  the  government :  And  in 
deed  the  great  aim  of  th'.ir  divines,  as  well  as  of  their  pe- 
VOL.  f  N 


$3  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  liticians,  was  to  fap  the  foundation  of  the  new  fettlement. 
In  order  to  alienate  the  minds  of  the  people  from  the  in- 

^""Y"*^1^  terefts  of  the  reigning  prince,  they  ridiculed  his  character  ; 
-*6*1-  inveighed  againfr.  his  meafurcs  .  They  acc-ifed  him  of  fa- 
crificing  the  concerns  of  England  to  the  advantage  of  his 
n.uive  country  ;  and  drew  invidious  comparifons  between 
the  wealth,  the  trade,  the  taxes  of  the  laft,  and  of  the  pre- 
fent  reign.  To  frufcrate  thefe  efforts  of  the  malcontents, 
the  court  employed  their  engines  to  anfwer  and  recrimi 
nate  :  All  forts  of  informers  were  encouraged  and  ca-. 
refll'd:  In  a  proclamation  irTued  againft  Papifts  and  other 
difaffecled  pcrfons,  all  ma^ifl-ates  were  enjoined  to  make 
fearch,  and  apprehend  thofe  who  mould,  by  feditious  dif- 
courfes  and  libels,  prefume  to  defame  the  government. 
Thus  the  revolutioners  commenced  the  profefTed  enemies 
of  thofe  very  arts  and  practices  which  had  enabled  them  to 
bring  their  fcheme  to  perfection. 

Affairs  in          The   Prefbyterians  in   Scotland    acted  with    fuch   folly, 

><.wi  ind.  violence,  and  tyranny,  as  rendered  them  equally  odious  and 
contemptible.  The  tranfactions  in  their  general  afTembly 
were  carried  on  with  fuch  peevifhncfs,  partiality,  and  in- 
juilice,  that  the  king  diffblved  it  by  an  act  of  ftate,  and 
convoked  another  for  the  month  of  November,  in  the  fol 
lowing  year.  The  Epifeopal  party  papiriifed  to  enter 
heartily  .into  the  interefts  of  the  new  government,  to 
keep  the  Highlanders  quiet,  and  induce  the  clergy  to 
acknowledge  and  ferve  King  William,  provided  he  would 
balance  the  power  of  A-lelvill  and  his  partifans  in  fuch  a 
manner  as  would  fecure  them  from  violence  and  oppreffion  ; 
provided  the  Epifcopal  minifters  mould  be  permitted  to 
perform  their  functions  among  thofe  people  by  whom  they 
were  beloved  ;  and  that  fuch  of  them  as  were  willing  to 
mix  with  the  Prefbyterians  in  their  judicatories,  mould  bs 
admitted  without  any  fevere  jmpofition  in  point  of  opi 
nion.  The  kina;,  who  was  extremely  difgufted  at  the 
Prefbyterians,  reiimed  the  propofal ;  and  young  Dalrym- 
ple,  fon  of  Lord  Stair,  was  appointed  joint  fecretary  of 
ftare  with  Meivill.  He  undertook  to  bring  over  the  ma 
jority  of  the  Jacobites,  and  a  great  number  of  them  took 
the  oaths  :  But  at  the  fame  time  they  maintained  a  cor- 
refpondence  with  the  court  of  St.  Germains,  by  the  con 
nivance  of  which  they  fuVmitted  to  William,  that  they 
might  be  in  a  condition  to  ferve  James  the  more  effec 
tually.  The  Scottifh  parliament  was  adjourned  by  pro 
clamation  to  the  i6th  day  of  September.  Precautions  were 
taken  to  prevent  any  dangerous  communication  with  the 
continent :  A  committee  was  appointed  to  put  the  kingdom 
in  a  pofture  of  defence;  to  exercife  the  powers  of  the  regen 
cy,  ia  fecuring  the  enemies  of  the  government ;  and  the 


WILLIAM  AND  MARY.  9? 

eari  of  Home,  with  Sir  Peter  F refer  and  Sir  ./Eneas  Mac-  c  II  A  ;• 
pherfon  were  apprehended  and  imprifoned, 

The  king  having  fettled  the   operations  of  the  enfuing  '^^f^ 
campaign   in   Ireland,  where    General  Ginckcl   exerciC:d       l'")l~ 
the  lupreme  cornrr.and,  manned  his  H.jet  by  ciint  of  prefTing  r_, 
failors,  to  the  incredible  annoyance  of  commerce  :   Then,  l^'^-.,. 
]. .. .  His,  the  queen  as  before  at  the  helm  of  government  in  mcnts  of 
England,  he  returned   to  Holland,   accompanied   bv  Lord  ^' 

o .  ,  r  r  0  1  1  r     \  1        1\.  '  1  1    ''a 

Sidney,  fccretary  of  State,  the  eails  of  Marlbocpugh   and  £01 

Pcuilaiid,  and  began  to  make  preparations   for  taking  the 
fiud  in  perfon.     On  the  1 3th   ciay  of  May,   the   duke  of 
Luxembourg})  having   paffed  the  Scheld  at  the   head  of  a 
la''-  any.    took   pofleffion   of  Halle,  and  gave   U  up  to 
plunder,  in  fight  of  the  confederates,  who  were   obliged  to 
throw  up  entrenchments    for  their  prefervation.     At  the 
fame  time  the   marquis    de  BouiHers,  with  a  confiderable 
body  of  forces,   entrenched  himfeif  before    Liege,   with  a. 
view  to  bombard  that   city.     In    the   beginning  of   June, 
King  William  took    upon  hirnftlf  the  command   of  the 
allied  army,  by  this  time  re-enforced  in    fuch  a  manner  ;  s 
to  be  fuperior  to  the  enemy.     He   forthwith    detached  the 
Count  de  Tilly,  with  ten  thoufand    men,  to   the  relief  of 
Liege,  which  was  already  reduced  to  ruins  and   defalatton 
by  the  bombs,  bullets,  and  repeated   attacks  of  the  Bcuf- 
f.ers,    who  now    thought  proper    to   retreat    to  Dinant. 
Tilly,  having  thus    railed  the    fiege,   and   thrown  a  body 
of  troops  into  Huy,  rejoined   the  confederate  army,  which 
had  been  augmented,  even  fince   his    departure,  with    fix 
thoufand  men  from  Brandenburgh,  and  ten  thoufand  Hef- 
fians,  commanded  by  the    landgrave  in  perfon.     Such  was 
the   vigilance  of  Luxembourg,   that    William   could   not 
avail  himfeif  of  his  fuperiority.     In   vain  he  exhaufbed  his 
invention  in  marches,    counter-marches,   and   firatagems, 
to  bring  on  a  general  engagement :  The   French  marfhal 
avoided   it  with   fuch  dexterity,  as  baified  all  his  endea 
vours.     In   the  courfe  of  this  campaign,  the  two  armies 
twice  confronted  each  other  :  But  they  were   fituated    in 
fuch  a  manner  that  neither  couid  begin  the  attack  without 
a  manifeft  difadvantage.     While    the  king  lay   encamped 
at   Court-fur-heure,  -v  foldier  corrupted  by  the  enemy,  let 
fire  to  the  fufees  of  feveral  bombs,  the  explofion  of  which 
miffht  have  blown  up   the  whole  magazine,  an<l  produced 
infinite  confufion  in   the  army,  had  not  the  mifchief  been 
prevented  by  the  courage  of  the  men    who  guarded    the 
artillery :  Even  while  the  fufees  were  burning    they  dif- 
engaged  the  waggons  from  the  line,  and  overturned  them 
down  the  fide  of  a  hiil  ;  fo  that   the  communication  of  the 
fire  was  intercepted.     The    perfon   who   made  this  trea- 


ico  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  cherous  attempt  being   difcovercd,   owned   he   had   been 
employed  for  this  purpofe  by    the  duke  of  Luxembourg, 

V-""Y"N"^  He  was  tried  by  a  court-martial,  and  fuffered  the  death  of 
3*»  a  traitor.  Such  perfidious  practices  not  only  fix  an  in 
delible  {hare  of  infamy  on  the  French  general,  but  prove 
how  much  the  capacity  of  William  was  dreaded  by  his 
enemies.  King  William,  quitting  Courr-fur-heure,  en 
camped  upon  the  plain  of  St.  Girard,  where  he  remained 
till  the  4th  day  of  September,  confuming  the  forage,  and 
exhaufting  the  country.  Then  he  pafled  the  Sarrbre  near 
Jemeppe,  while  the  French  crofied  it  at  La  Bufiere,  and 
both  armies  marched  towards  Enghcin.  The  enemy,  per 
ceiving  the  confederates  were  at  their  heels,  proceeded  to 
Gramont,  paffed  the  Dender,  and  took  polTeflion  of  a 
ftrong  camp  between  Aeth  and  Oudenarde:  William  fol 
lowed  the  fame  route,  and  encamped  between  Aeth  and 
Leufe.  While  he  continued  in  this  poll,  the  Hefiinn  for 
ces  and  thofe  of  Liege,  amounting  to  about  eighteen 
thoufand  men,  feparated  from  the  army,  and  pallid  the 
Meufe  at  Namur  :  Then  the  King  returned  to  the  Hague, 
leaving  the  command  to  Prince  Waldec,  who  forthwith 
removed  to  Leufe,  and  on  the  2Oth  day  of  the  month  be<ran 
his  march  to  Cambron.  Luxembourg,  who  watched  his 
motions  with  a  curious  eye,  found  means  to  attack  him  in 
his  retreat  fb  fuddenly,  that  his  rear  was  furprifed  and  de 
feated,  though  the  French  were  at  laft  obliged  to  retire  : 
The  prince  continued  his  route  to  Cambron,  and  in  a 
little  time  both  armies  retired  into  winter-quarters.  In 
the  mean  time,  the  duke  de  Noailles  brfieged  and 
took  Urgel  in  Catalonia,  while  a  French  fqnadron, 
commanded  by  the  Count  D'Etrees,  bombarded  Barcelona 
and  Alicant, 

The  confederates  had  propofed  to  act  vigoroufly  in  Italy 
againit  the  French  ;  but  the  feafon  was  far  advanced  before 
they  were  in  a  condition  to  take  the  field.  The  emperor 
and  Spain  had  undertaken  to  furnifh  troops  to  join  the  duke 
of  Savoy;  and  the  maritime  powers  contributed  their  pro 
portion  in  money.  The  elector  of  Bavaria  was  nominated 
to  the  fupreme  command  of  the  imperial  forces  in  that  coun 
try :  The  marquis  de  Leganez,  governor  of  the  Milanefe, 
a£r.ed  as  truftee  for  the  Spanifh  monarch;  DukeSchomberg, 
fon  of  that  great  general  who  loft  his  life  at  the  Boyne, 
lately  created  duke  of  Leinfter,  managed  the  intereft  of 
William,  as  king  of  England  and  fladtholder,  and  com 
manded  a  body  of  the  Vaudois  paid  by  Great  Britain.  Be 
fore  the  German  auxiliaries  arrived,  the  French  had  rmtde 
great  progrefs  in  their  conquefts.  Catinat  bcfieged  and 
took  Villa-Franca,  Nice,  and  feme  other  fortifications ; 


WILLIAM  AND  iMARY.  ici 

then  he  reduced  Villana  and  Carrnagnola,  and  detached  the  C  H  A  P. 
marquis  de  Feuquieres  to  inveft  Coni,  a  ftrong  fortrefs 
garr.lbned  by  the  Vaudoisand  French  refugees.  The  duke 
of  Savoy  was  now  reduced  to  the  brink  of  ruin.  He  ftw 
almoft  "all  his  places  of  ftrength  in  the  polTeflion  of  the 
enemy  :  Coni  was  bcfieged  ;  and  La  Hoguettc,  another 
French  general,  had  forced  the  pailes  of  the  valley  of  Aofte, 
fo  that  he  had  free  admjffion  into  the  Verceillois,  and  the 
frontiers  of  the  Milaneie.  Turin  was  threatened  with  a 
bombardment  ;  the  people  were  difpirited  and  clamorous, 
and  their  fovere'crn  lay  with  his  little  army  encamped  on 
the  hill  of  Montcallier,  from  whence  he  beheld  his  towns 
taken,  and  his  palace  of  Rivoli  deftroyed.  Duke  Schom- 
bcrg  exhorted  him  to  a£t  on  the  offensive,  and  give  battle 
to  Catinat,  while  that  officer's  army  was  weakened  by  de 
tachments,  and  prince  Eugene*  fupported  hisremonftrance: 
But  this  propofal  was  vehemently  oppofed  by  the  marquis 
de  Leganez,  who  forefaw  that,  if  the  duke  (hould  be  defeat 
ed,  the  French  would  penetrate  into  the  territories  of 
Milan  ;  the  relief  of  Coni,  however,  was  undertaken  by 
Prince  Eugene,  who  began  his  march  for  that  place  with 


of  his  approach  than  he  retired  with  the  utmoft  precipita-  French, 
tion,  leaving  behind  feme  pieces  of  cannon,  mortars,  bombs, 
arms,  ammunition,  tents,  provifions,  utenfils,  with  all  his 
iick  and  wounded.  When  he  joined  Catinat,  he  was  im 
mediately  put  under  ar  rift,  and  afterwards  cafniered  with 
difgrace.  Hoguette  abandoned  the  valley  of  Aofte:  Feu 
quieres  was  fent  with  a  detachment  to  change  the  garrifon 
of  Cafal  ;  and  Catinat  retired  with  his  army  towards  Villa 
Is1  ova  d'Afte. 

The  mifcarriage  of  the  French  before  Coni  affected 
Louvois,  the  minifter  of  Louis,  fo  deeply,  that  he  could  not 
help  fhedding  tears  when  he  communicated  the  event  to 
his  matter,  who  told  him,  with  great  compofure,  that  he  was 
fpoiled  by  good  fortune.  But  the  retreat  of  the  French 
from  Piedmont  had  a  ftill  greater  influence  over  the  refo- 

*  Prince  Eugene  of  Savoy,  who  in  the  feqtiel  rivalled  the  fame  of  the  greateft 
warriors  oi  antiquity,  was  defcended  on  the  father's  fide  from  the  houfe  of  Savoy, 
and  on  the  mother's  from  the  family  of  SoirTons,  a  branch  of  the  houfe  of 
Bourbon.  His  father  was  Eugene  Maurice,  of  Savoy,  Count  of  Soillbas,  col  >- 
nel  of  the  Switzers,  and  governor  of  Champagne  and  Brie  :  His  mother  was 
the  celebrated  Olympla  cL  Mancini,  niece  of  Cardinal  Mazarine.  Prijice  Eugene, 
finding  hirnftlf  n;  giecled  at  the  court  of  France,  engage-das  a  foldier  of  for 
tune  in  the  fsrvice  of  the  emperor,  and  foon  diftwguifned  himfelf  by  his  great 
military  talents  ;  He  was,  moreover,  an  accompliihed  gentleman,  learned, 
liberal,  mild,  and  courteous  ;  an  unfhaken  fr;;ad  ,  a  ge::trous  enemy  ;  AH  in 
vincible  caf  tain  ;  a  confummate  politician. 


HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  lutions  of  the  conclave  at  Rome,  then  fitting  for  the  ele&ioil 
i"  ,  of  a  new  pope,  in  the  room  of  Alexander  VIII.  who  died 
in  the  beginning  of  February.  Notwi thftand ing  the  power 
and  intrigues  of  the  French  faction,  headed  by  Cardinal 
D'Etrees,  the  affairs  of  Piedmont  had  no  fooner  taken  this 
turn,  than  the  Italians  joined  the  Spanifh  and  Imperial  in- 
tereft,  and  Cardinal  Pignatelli,  a  Neapolitan,  was  elected 
pontiff.  He  affumed  the  name  of  Innocent,  in  honour  of 
the  laft  pope  known  by  that  appellation,  and  adopted  all 
his  maxims  againfl  the  French  monarch.  When  the  Ger 
man  auxiliaries  arrived,  under  the  command  of  the  elector 
of  Bavaria,  the  confederates  refolved  to  give  battle  to  Ca- 
tinat;  but  he  repaffed  the  Po,  and  fent  couriers  to  Ver&ille?, 
to  folicit  a  re-enforcement.  Then  Prince  Eugene  inveft- 
cd  Carmagnola,  and  carried  on  the  fieo;e  with  fuch  vigour, 
that  in  eleven  days  the  garrifon  capitulated.  Mean  while 
the  marquis  de  Hoquincourt  undertook  the  conqueft  of 
Montmelian,  ana  reduced  the  town  without  much  refinance. 
The  caftle,  however,  rrrade  fuch  a  vigorous  defence,  that 
Catinat  marched  thither  in  pcrfon  j  and,  notwithstanding 
all  his  efforts,  the  place  held  out  till  the  2d  day  of  December, 
when  it  furrendered  on  honourable  conditions. 

This  fummer  produced  nothing  of  importance  on  the 
Rhine.  The  French  endeavoured  to  furprife  Mentz,  by 
maintaining  a  correspondence  with  one  of  the  emperor's 
commiffioners  :  But  this  being  difcovered,  their  defign  was 
fruftrated.  The  imperial  army,  under  the  elector  oi  Sax 
ony,  patted  the  Rhine  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Manheim  ; 
and  the  French  croffingthe  fame  river  at  Philipfburgh,  re 
duced  the  town  of  Portzheim  in  the  marquilite  of  Baden- 
Dourlach.  The  execution  of  the  fcheme,  projected  by  the 
emperor  for  this  campaign,  was  prevented  by  the  death  of 
his  general,  the  elector  of  Saxony,  which  happened  on  the 
2d  day  of  September.  His  affairs  wore  a  more  favourable 
fuccef,  afpe&  in  Hungary,  where  the  Turks  were  totally  defeated 
Tulkl  b7  P^nce  Louis  of  Baden  on  the  banks  of  the  Danube. 
The  imperialifts  afterwards  undertook  the  fiege  of  Greac 
Waradin  in  Tranfylvania ;  but  this  was  turned  into  a 
blockade,  and  the  place  was  not  furrendered  till  the  follow 
ing  fpring.  The  Turks  were  fo  difpirited  by  the  defeat  by 
which  they  had  loft  the  grand  vifir,  that  the  emperor  might 
have  made  peace  upon  very  advantageous  terms  ;  but  his 
pride  and  ambition  overfhot  his  fuccefs.  He  was  weak, 
vain,  and  fuperftitious ;  he  imagined  that  now  the  war  of 
Ireland  was  almoft  extinguifhed,~King  William,  with  the 
reft  of  the  allies,  would  be  able  to  humble  the  French 
power,  though  he  himfelf  fhould  not  co-operate  with  here 
tics,  whom  he  abhorred;  and  that,  in  the  meantime,  he 


WILLIAM  AND  MARY.  £CI 

fhould  not  only  make  an  entire  conqueft  of  Tranfylvania,  CHAP. 
b  t  alfo  carry  his  victorious  arms  to  the  gatis  of  Uonltan-  IL 
tinople,  according  to  fome  ridiculous  prophecy  by  waich  ^^y^^ 
h'is  vanity  had  been  flattered.  The  Spariifh  government  l69J- 
was  become  fo  feeble,  that  the  miniitry,  rather  than  be  at 
the  expence  of  defending  the  Netherlands,  offered  to  deli 
ver  the  whole  country  to  King  William,  either  as  monarch 
of  England,  or  itadtholder  of  the  United  Provinces.  He 
declined  this  offer,  becaufe  he  knew  the  people  would  never 
be  reconciled  to  a  Proteftant  government ;  but  he  propofed 
that  the  Spaniards  fhould  confer  the  adminiftration  of  Flan 
ders  upon  the  elector  of  Bavaria,  who  was  ambitious  of 
fignalizing  his  courage,  and  able  to  defend  the  country  with 
his  own  troops  and  treafure.  This  propofal  was  relifhed 
by  the  court  of  Spain:  The  emperor  imparted  it  to  the 
elector,  who  accepted  the  office  without  hesitation  ;  and  he 
was  immediately  declared  governor  os.  the  Low  Countries 
by  the  council  of  ftate  at  Madrid.  King  William,  after 
his  return  from  the  army,  continued  fome  time  at  the  Hague, 
fettling  the  operations  of  the  enfuing  campaign.  That 
affair  being  difcufTed  he  embarked  in  the  Maefe,  and  landed 
in  England  on  the  igth  day  of  October. 

Before  we  explain  the  proceedings  in  parliament,  it  will 
be  neceflary  to  give  a  detail  of  the  late  tranfactions  in  Ire 
land.  In  the  beginning  of  the  feafon  the  French  king  had 
fent  a  large  fupply  of  provifion,  clothes,  and  ammunition, 
for  the  uie  of  the  Irilh  at  Limeric,  under  the  conduct  of 
Monfieur  St.  Ruth,  accompanied  by  a  great  number  of 
French  officers,  furnifhed  v/ith  comrniffions  from  King- 
James,  though  St.  Ruth  iflued  all  his  orders  in  the  name  of 
Louis.  Tyrconnel  had  arrived  in  January,  with  three  fri 
gates  and  nine  veflels,  laden  with  fuccours  of  the  fame  na 
ture:  Otherwife  the  Irifh  could  not  have  been  fo  long  kept 
together.  Nor,  indeed,  could  thefe  fupplies  prevent  them 
from  forming  feparate  and  independent  bands  of  Rapparees, 
who  plundered  the  country,  and  committed  the  molt  fhock- 
ing  barbarities.  The  lords  juftices,  in  conjunction  with 
General  Ginekel,  had  taken  every  ftep  their  prudence  could 
fuggefr.,  to  quiet  the  diftur'iances  of  the  country,  and  pre 
vent  fu.ch  violence  and  rapine,  of  which  the  foldiers  in  King 
William's  army  were  not  entirely  innocent.  The  juftices 
had  iflued  proclamations,  denouncing  fevere  penalties 
againlt  thofe  who  fhould  countenance  or  conceal  fuch  acts 
ot  cruelty  and  oppreilion:  They  promifed  to  protect  all 
Papifls  who  fhould  live  quietly  within  a  certain  Frontier 
line;  and  Ginekel  gave  the  Catholic  rebels  to  underitaud, 
that  ha  was  authorised  to  treat  with  them,  if  they  were  in 
s-lined  to  r-turn  to  their  duty.  B^fsre  the  armies  took  the 


«°4  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  Held  feveral  fkirmim.es  had  been  fought  between  pal-tics  : 
and  thefe  had  always  turned  out  fo  unfortunate  to  the  ene- 
niy,  that  their  fpirits  were  quite  depreffed,  while  the  confi- 
dence  of  the  Englifh  rofe  in  the  fume  proportion. 

St.  Ruth  and  Tyrconnel  were  joined  by  the  Rapparees, 
and  General  Ginckel  was  re-enforced  by  Mackay,  v.-it'h 
thofe  troops  which  had  reduced  the  Highlanders  in  Scotland. 
Thus  ftrengthened,  he,  in  the  beginning  of  June,  marched 
from  Mullingar  to  Ballyrnore,  which  was  garrifoned  by  a 
thoufand  men  under  Colonel  Bourke,  who,  when  fummoned 
to  furrender,  returned  an  evafive  anfwer.  But,  when  a 
breach  was  made  in  the  place,  and  the  befiegers  began  to 
make  preparations  for  a  general  afTault,  his  men  laid  down 
their  arms,  and  fubmitted  at  difcretion.  The  fortifications 
of  this  place  being  repaired  and  augmented,  the  general  left 
a  garrifon  for  its  defence,  and  advanced  to  Athlone,  fituated 
on  the  other  fide  of  &••  Shannon,  and  fupported  by  the  Irifh 
army  encamped  almoil  under  its  walls.  The  Engliih  town, 
on  the  hither  iide  of  the  river,  was  taken  fword  in  hand,  and 
the  enemy  broke  down  an  arch  of  the  bridge  in  their  retreat. 
Batteries  were  raifed  againft  the  Irifn  town,  and  feveral  un- 
fuccefsful  attempts  were  ,ru;de  to  force  the  pafTage  of  the 
bridge,  which  was  defended  with  great  vigour.  At  length, 
it  was  refolved,  in  a  council  of  war,  that  a  detachment  fhould 
pafs  at  a  ford  a  little  to  the  left  of  the  bridge,  though  the 
river  was  deep  and  rapid,  the  bottom  foul  andftony,  and  the 
pafs  guarded  by  a  raveline,  creeled  for  that  purpofc.  The 
forlorn  hope  confided  of  fixty  grenadiers  in  armour,  headed 
by  Captain  Sandys,  and  two  lieutenants.  They  were  fe- 
conded  by  another  detachment,  and  this  was  fupported  by 
fix  battalions  of  infantry.  Never  was  a  more  defperate 
JTervice,  nor  was  ever  exploit  performed  with  more  valour 
and  intrepidity.  They  palled  twenty  a-breaft,  in  the  face 
of  the  enemy  through  an  inceflant  fhower  of  balls,  bullets, 
and  grenades.  Thofe  who  followed  them  took  poflefSon  of 
the  bridge,  and  laid  planks  over  the  broken  arch.  Pontoons 
were  fixed  at  the  fame  time,  that  the  troops  might  pafs  in 
different  places.  The  Irifh  were  amazed,  confounded,  and 
abandoned  the  town  in  the  utmoft  confirmation  ;  fo  that,  in 
half  an  hour,  it  was  wholly  fecured  by  the  Englifh,  who  did 
not  lofe  above  fifty  men  in  this  attack.  Mackay,  Tetteau, 
and  Ptolemache,  exhibited  proofs  of  the  moil  undaunted 
courage  in  paffing  the  river,  and  General  Ginckel,  for  his 
conduct,  intrepidity,  and  fuccefs,  on  this  occafion,  was  cre 
ated  earl  of  Athlone.  When  St.  Ruth  was  informed  by  ex- 
prefs,  that  the  Englifli  had  entered  the  river,  he  faid,  it  was 
itnpoffible  they  flioulu  pretend  to  take  a  town  which  he  co 
vered  with  his  army,  an«l  that  he  wouU  sjive  a  thoufand  pif- 


WILLIAM  AND  MARY.  105 

toles  they  would  attempt  to  force  apaffage.  Sarsfield  infiil-   CHAP 

ed  upon  the    truth  of  the  intelligence,  and  prefk-d  him  to 

fend  fuccours  to  the  town  :  He  ridiculed  this  officer's  fears,    ^"V*^ 

and  fome  warm  expostulation  pafl'ed  between  them.    Being       In51- 

at  length  convinced  that  the   Englifti  were  in  poffeflion   of 

the  place,  he  ordered  fome  detachments  to  drive  them   out 

again  ;  but,    the    cannon  of  their  own  works  being  turned 

againft  them,  they  found  the  tafk  impracticable  ;   and   that 

very  night  their  army  decamped.     St.  Ruth,  after  a  march 

of  ten   miles,  took  poft  at  Aghrim,  and  having,  by   drafts 

from   garrifons,  augmented  his  army  to   five-and-twenty 

thoufand  men,  refolved  to  hazard  a  decifive  engagement. 

Ginckel  having  put  Athlone  inapofture  of  defence,  paf-  St-  Ruth, 
fed  the  Shannon,  and  marched  up  to  the  enemy,  determined  l 
to  give  them  battle,  though  his  forces  did  not  exceed  eigh-  Ireland  kil- 
teen  thoufand,  and  the  Irifh  were  ported  in  a  very  ad  van-  !ed>  and  his 
tageous  fituation.  St.  Ruth  had  made  an  admirable  difpofi-  ^l^b" 
tion,  and  taken  every  precaution  that  military  fkill  could  Genial 
fuggeft.  His  centre  extended  along  a  riling  ground,  une-  Cinckol. 
ven  in  many  places,  interfected  with  banks  and  ditches, 
joined  by  lines  of  communication,  and  fronted  by  a  large 
bog  almolr.  impaflable.  His  right  was  fortified  with  en 
trenchments  and  his  left  fecured  by  the  caftle  of  Aghr'im. 
He  harangued  his  army  in  the  moil  pathetic  {train,  conju 
red  them  to  exert  their  courage  in  the  defence  of  their  holy 
religion,  in  the  extirpation  of  herefy,  in  recovering  their 
ancient  honours  and  eilates,  and  in  reftoring  a  pious  kinjr 
to  the  throne,  from  whence  he  had  been  expelled  by  an  un 
natural  ufurper.  He  employed  the  priefls  to  enforce  his 
exhortations  ;  to  aflure  the  men  that  they  might  depend  up 
on  the  prayers  of  the  church  ;  and  that,  in  cafe  they  ihould 
fall  in  battle,  the  faints  and  angels  would  convey  their  fouls 
to  heaven.  They  are  faid  to  have  fvvorn  upon  the  facrament, 
that  they  would  not  dcfert  their  colours,  and  to  have  re 
ceived  an  order  that  no  quarter  fhould  be  given  to  the 
French  heretics  in  the  army  of  the  prince  of  Orange. 
Ginckel  had  encamped  on  th^  Rofcommon  fide  of  the  river 
Sue,  within  three  miles  of  the  enemy :  After  having  recon- 
noitered  their  poiture,  he  refolved,  with  the  advice  of  a  coun 
cil  of  war,  to  attack  them  on  Sunday  the  I2th  day  of  July. 
The  necefTary  orders  being  given,  the  army^afTed  the  river 
at  two  fords  and  a  ftone  bridge,  and,  advancing  to  the  edge  of 
the  great  bog,  began  about  twelve  o'clock  to  force  the  two 
paiTages,  in  order  to  pofTefs  the  ground  on  the  other  fide. 
The  enemy  fought  with  furprifmg.fury,  and  the  horfe  were 
fevcral  times  repulfed  ;  but,  at  length,  the  troops  upon  the 
right  carried  their  point  by  means  oT  fome  field  pieces.  The 
day  was  now  fo  far  advanced,  that  the  eeneri.1  deterrrtiaed  to 

VOL.  I.  O 


io6  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  poftpone  the  battle  till  the  next  morning  ;  but,  perceiving 
l-  fome  difordsr  among  the  enemy,  and  fearing  they  would  de- 
camp  in  the  night,  he  altered  his  refolution,  and  ordered  the 
attack  to  be  renewed.  At  fix  o'clock  in  the  evening  the 
left  wing  of  the  Englifh  advanced  to  the  right  of  the  Irifh, 
from  whom  they  met  with  fuch  a  warm  andobftinate  rccep~ 
tion,  that  it  was  not  without  the  moft  furprifmg  efforts  of 
courage  and  perfeverance  that  they  nt  length  obliged  them, 
to  give  ground  ;  and  even  then  they  loft  it  by  inches.  St. 
Ruth,  feeing  them  i-n  danger  of  being  overpowered,  imme 
diately  detached  fuccours  to  them  from  his  centre  and  left 
wing.  Mackay  no  fooner  perceived  them  weakened  by 
thefe  detachments,  than  he  ordered  three  battalions  to  fkirt 
the  bog,  and  attack  them  on  the  left,  while  the  centre  ad 
vanced  through  the  middle  of  the  morals,  the  men  wading  up 
to  the  waift  in  mud  and  water.  After  they  had  reachecf  the 
ether  fide,  they  found  themfelves  obliged  to  afcend  a  rug 
ged  hill,  fenced  with  hedges  and  ditches;  and  thefe  were 
lined  with  mufqueteers,  fupported  at  proper  intervals  with 
fquadrons  of  cavalry.  They  made  fuch  a  defperate  refift- 
ance,  and  fought  with  fuch  impetuofity,  that  the  afTailants 
were  repulfed  into  the  middle  of  the  bog  with  great  lofs, 
and  St.  Ruth  exclaimed — •"  Now  will  I  drive  the  Englifh 
to  the  gates  of  Dublin."  In  this  critical  conjuncture  Pto- 
lemache  came  up  with  a  frefh  body  to  fuftain  them,  rallied 
the  broken  troops,  and  renewed  the  charge  with  fuch  vi 
gour,  that  the  Irifh  gave  way  in  their  turn,  and  the  Englifh 
recovered  the  ground  they  had  loft,  though  they  found  it 
impoffible  to  improve  their  advantage.  Mackay  brought 
a  body  of  horfe  and  dragoons  to  the  afliftance  of  the  left 
wing,  and  firft  turned  the  tide  of  battle  in  favour  of  the 
Englifh.  Major-General  Rouvigny,  who  had  behaved 
with  great  gallantry  during  the  whole  action,  advanced  with 
five  regiments  of  cavalry  to  fupport  the  centre,  when  St. 
Ruth  perceiving  his  defign,  refolved  to  fall  upon  him  in  a 
dangerous  hollow  way>  which  he  was  obliged  to  pafs.  For 
this  purpofe  he  began  to  defcend  Kirkcommodon-hill  with 
his  whole  referve  of  horfe:  But  in  his  way  he  was  killed  by 
a  cannon-ball.  His  troops  immediately  halted,  and  his 
guards  retreated  with  his  body.  His  fate  difpirited  the 
troops,  and  produced  fuch  confufion  as  Sarsfield  could  net 
remedy;  for  though  he  was  next  in  command,  he  had  been 
at  variance  with  St.  Ruth  fince  the  affair  at  Athlone,  and 
was  ignorant  of  the  plan  he  had  concerted.  Rouvigny, 
having  pafled  the  hollow  way  without  oppofition,  charged 
the  enemy  in  flank,  and  bore  down  all  before  him  with 
furprifmg  impetuofity :  The  centre  redoubled  their  efforts, 
and  pufhed  the  Irifh  to  the  top  of  the  hill,  and  then  the 


WILLIAM    AND    MARY.  107 

whole  line  giving  way  at  once  from  right  to  left,  threw  c  H  A  P 
down  their  arms.  The  foot  fled  towards  the  bog  in  their  H. 
rear,  and  their  horfe  took  their  route  by  the  highway  to 
Loughneagh:  Both  were  purfued  by  the  Englifh  cavalry 
who  for  four  miles  made  a  terrible  daughter.  In  the  battle, 
which  lafted  two  hours,  and  in  the  purfuit,  above  fou r  thou- 
fand  of  the  enemy  were  flain,  and  fix  hundred  taken,  toge 
ther  with  all  their  baggage,  tents,  provifion,amunition,  and 
artillery,  nine-and-twenty  pair  of  colours,  twelve  (buidaras, 
and  almoft  all  the  arms  of  the  infantry.  In  a  word,  the  vic 
tory  was  decifive,  and  not  above  eight  hundred  of  Englifh 
were  killed  upon  the  field  of  battle.  The  vanquished  re 
treated  in  great  confufion  to  Limeric,  where  they  rcfolved 
to  make  a  final  ftand,  in  hope  of  receiving  fuch  fuccours 
from  France  as  would  either  enable  them  to  retrieve  their 
affairs,  or  obtain  good  terms  from  the  court  of  England. 
There  Tyrconnel  died  of  a  broken  heart,  after  having  fur- 
vived  his  authority  and  reputation.  He  had  incurred  the 
contempt  of  the  French,  as  well  as  the  hatred  of  the  Irifh, 
whom  he  had  advifed  to  fubmit  to  the  new  government,  ra 
ther  than  totally  ruin  themfelves  and  their  families. 

Immediately  after  the  battle,  detachments  were  fcnt  to 
reduce  Portumny,  Bonnachar,  and  Moorcaftle,  conlider- 
able  pafles  on  the  Shannon,  which  were  accordingly  fe- 
cured.  Then  Ginckel  advanced  to  Gal  way,  which  he 
fummoned  to  furrender  ;  but  he  received  a  defiance  from 
Lord  Dillon  and  General  D'Uflbne,  who  commanded  the 
garrifon.  The  trenches  were  immediately  opened  ;  a 
fort  which  commanded  the  approaches  to  the  town  v/as 
taken  by  aflault ;  fix  regiments  of  foot,  and  four  fquadrons 
of  horfe,  pafTed  the  river  on  pontoons  ;  and  the  place  be 
ing  wholly  inverted,  the  governor  thought  proper  to  ca 
pitulate.  The  garrifon  marched  out  with  the  honors  of 
war,  and  was  allowed  fafe-condu6l  to  Limeric.  Ginckel 
directed  his  march  to  the  fame  town,  which  was  the  only 
poft  of  confequence  that  now  held  out  for  King  James. 
Within  four  miles  of  the  place  he  halted,  until  the  heavy 
cannon  could  be  brought  from  Athlone.  Hearing  that 
Luttrel  had  been  feized  by  the  French  general  D'UlTone, 
and  fentenced  to  be  mot  for  having  propofed  to  furrender 
he  fent  a  trumpet  to  tell  the  commander,  that  if  any  per- 
fon  (hould  be  put  to  death  for  fuch  a  propofal,  he  would 
make  retaliation  on  the  Iriih  prifoners.  On  the  25th  day 
of  Auguft  the  enemy  were  driven  from  all  their  advan 
ced  pofts :  Captain  Cole,  with  a  fquadron  of  fhips,  failed 
up  the  Shannon,  r.nd  his  frigates  anchored  in  fight  of  the 
town.  On  the  26th  day  of  the  month  the  batteries  were 
opened,  r.nd  a  line  of  contravallation  was  formed  :  The 


io8  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

O  o  K  Irifh  army  lay  encamped  on  the  other  fide  of  the  river,  on 
the  road  to  Killalow,  and  the  fords  were  guarded  with  four 
^~Y~S>'>  regiments  of  their  dragoons.  On  the  5th  day  of  Septem- 
l69I;  ber,  after  the  town  had  been  almoft  laid  in  ruins  by  the 
bombs,  and  large  breaches  made  in  the  walls  by  the  bat 
tering  cannon,  the  guns  were  dismounted,  the  out-forts 
evacuated,  and  fuch  other  motions  made  as  indicated  a  re- 
folution  to  abandon  the  fiege.  The  enemy  expreficcl  their 
joy  by  loud  acclamations  ;  but  this  was  of  fhort  continuance. 
In  the  night  the  befiegers  began  to  throw  a  bridge  of  pon 
toons  over  the  river,  about  a  mile  higher  up  than  the 
camp ;  and  this  Work  was  fmifhed  before  morning.  A 
conftderable  body  of  horfe  and  foot  had  parted  when  the 
alarm  was  given  to  the  enemy,  v/ho  were  feized  with  fuch 
confirmation,  that  they  threw  down  their  arms,  and  be 
took  themfelves  to  flight,  leaving  behind  them  their  tents, 
baggage,  two  pieces  of  cannon,  and  one  ftandard.  The 
bridge  was  immediately  removed  nearer  the  town,  and 
fortified  :  All  the  fords  and  paffes  were  fecured,  and  th; 
batteries  continued  firing  inceflantly  till  the  22d  day  of 
the  month,  when  Ginckel  parted  over  with  a  divifion  of 
the  army,  and  fourteen  pieces  of  cannon.  About  four  in 
the  afternoon,  the  grenadiers  attacked  the  forts  that  com 
manded  Thomond-bridge,  and  carried  them  fword  in  hand, 
after  an  obfHnate  refiftance.  The  garrifon  had  made  a 
fally  from  the  town  to  fupport  them  ;  and  this  detachment 
was  driven  back  with  fuch  precipitation,  that  the  French 
officer  on  command  in  that  quarter,  fearing  the  Englifh 
would  enter  pell-mell  with  the  fugitives,  ordered  the 
bridge  to  be  drawn  up,  leaving  his  own  men  to  the  fury 
of  a  victorious  enemy.  Six  hundred  were  killed,  two 
hundred  taken  prifoners,  including  many  officers,  and  a 
great  number  were  drowned  in  the  Shannon. 

Llmeric  ca-       Then  the  Englifh,  made  a  lodgment    within   ten    paces 
pltd!lltes'     of  the  bridge-foot ;  and   the   Irifh   feeing  themfelves   fur- 
Iriftwaris   rounded  on  all   fides,   determined  to    capitulate.     General 
finifned.       Sarsfield  and  Colonel  Wahop    fignified  their  refolution  to 
Scravenmore  and  Rouvigny  :  Hoftages    were  exchanged; 
a  negociation  was  immediately  begun,  and  hoftilities  ceafed 
on  both  fides  the  river.     The  lords  juftices  arrived  in  the 
carnp  on  the  ift  day  of  October,  and  on  the  4th  the   capi 
tulation  was  executed,  extending  to  all   the  places   in  the 
kingdom  that  were  ftill  in   the   hands  of  the   Irifh.     The 
Roman  Catholics  were  reftored  to  the  enjoyment  of  fuch 
liberty  in    the  exercife  of  religion  as  wns  confiftent   with 
the  laws  of  Ireland,  and  conformable  with  th;.t  which   they 
poflefled  in  the  reign  of  Charles  II.     All  perfons,  whatever 
were  entitled  to  the  protection  of  thefe  laws,  and  reftored 


WILLIAM  AND  MARY.  109 

to  the  poiTemon  of  their  eftates,  privileges  and  immuni-  CHAP, 
ties,  upon  their  fubmitting  to  the  prefcnt  government,  and 
taking  the  oath  of  allegiance  to  their  majefties  King  Wjl-  v^~Y""*-' 
liam  and  Queen  Mary,  excepting  however,  certain  perfons  Ifc9r- 
who  were  forfeited  or  exiled.  This  article  even  extended 
to  all  merchants  of  Lirneric,  or  any  other  garrifon  pofleffed 
by  the  Iriih,  who  happened  to  be  abroad,  and  had  not  borne 
arms  finre  the  declaration  in  the  firft  year  of  the  prefent 
reign,  provided  they  fliould  return  within  the  term  of  eight 
months.  All  the  perfons  comprifed  in  this  and  tK°  fore 
going  article  were  indulged  with  a  general  pardon  of  all 
attainders,  outlawries,  treafons,  mifprifions  of  treafon,  pre- 
munires,  felonies,  trefpaffes,  and  other  crimes  and  mifde- 
meanors,  whatfoever,  committed  fince  the  beginning  of  the 
reign  of  James  II.  and  the  lords  julraces  promifed  to  ufe 
their  beft  endeavours  towards  the  reverfal  of  fuch  attaind 
ers  and  outlawries  as  had  paffed  againft  any  of  them  in 
parliament.  In  order  to  allay  the  violence  of  party,  and 
extinguifh  private  animofities,  it  was  agreed,  that  no  per- 
fon  fhould  be  fued  or  impleaded  on  either  fide,  for  any 
trefpafs,  or  made  accountable  for  the  rents,  tenements, 
lands,  or  houfes  he  had  received  or  enjoyed  finee  the  be 
ginning  of  the  war.  Every  nobleman  and  gentleman  com 
prifed  in  thefe  articles  was  authorifed  to  keep  a  fword,  a 
cafe  of  piftols,  and  a  gun  for  his  defence  or  amufement. 
The  inhabitants  of  Limeric  and  other  garrifons  were  per 
mitted  to  remove  their  goods  and  chattels,  without  fearch, 
vifitation,  or  payment  of  duty.  The  lords  juftices  pro 
mifed  to  ufe  their  beft  endeavours,  that  all  perfons  compre 
hended  in  this  capitulation  ihould  for  eight.months  be  pro 
tected  from  all  arrefts  and  executions  for  debt  or  damage  : 
They  undertook,  that  their  majefties  fhould  ratify  thefe 
articles  within  the  fpace  of  eight  months,  and  ufe  their  en 
deavours  that  they  might  be  ratified  and  confirmed  in  the 
parliament.  The  fubfequent  article  was  calculated  to  in 
demnify  Colonel  John  Brown,  whofe  eftate  and  effecls  had 
been  feized  for  the  ufe  of  the  Irifh  army  by  Tyrconnel 
and  Sarsfield,  which  laft  had  been  created  Lord  Lucan  by 
King  James,  and  was  now  mentioned  by  that  title.  All 
perfons  were  indulged  with  free  leave  to  remove  with 
their  families  and  effects  to  any  other  country  except 
England  and  Scotland.  All  officers  and  foldiers  in  the 
iervice  of  King  James,  comprehending  even  the  Rappa- 
rees,  willing  to  go  beyond  fea,  were  at  liberty  to  march  i.i 
bodies  to  the  places  of  embarkation,  to  be  conveyed  to  the 
continent  with  the  French  officers  and  troops.  They 
were  furnifhed  with  pafiports,  convoys,  and  carriages  by 
land  and  water  ;  and  General  Ginckel  engaged  to  provide 


no  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  feventy  {hips,   if  neceffary,  for   their  tranfportation,  with 
two  men  of  war   for  the  accommodation  of  their   officers, 

^"V^  and  to  ferve  as  a  convoy  to  the  fleet.  It  was  ftipulated, 
1691.  Tnat  the  provifions  and  forage  for  their  fubfiftence  fhould 
be  paid  for  on  their  arrival  in  France  :  That  hoflages  fhould 
be  given  for  this  indemnification,  as  well  as  for  the  return 
of  the  fhips  :  That  all  the  garrifons  fliould  march  out  of 
their  rcfpective  towns  and  fortreffes  with  the  honours  of 
war:  That  the  Irifh  fhould  have  liberty  to  tranfport  nine 
hundred  horfes :  That  thofe  who  fhould  choofe  to  flay  be 
hind,  might  difpofe  of  themfelves  according  to  their  own 
fancy,  after  having  furrendered  their  arras  to  fuch  com- 
iniflioners  as  the  general  fhould  appoint :  That  all  pri- 
foners  of  war  fhould  be  fet  at  liberty  on  both  fides :  That 
the  general  fhould  provide  two  veffels  to  carry  over  two 
different  perfons  to  France,  with  intimation  of  this  treaty  ; 
and  that  none  of  thofe  who  were  willing  to  quit  the  king- 
corn  fhould  be  detained  on  account  of  debt,  or  any  other 
pretence — This  is  the  fubftance  of  the  famous  treaty  of 
Limeric,  which  the  Irifh  Roman  Catholics  conftder  as  the 
great  charter  of  their  civil  and  religious  liberties.  The 
town  of  Limeric  was  furrendered  to  Ginckel;  but  both 
fides  agreed,  that  the  two  armies  fhould  entrench  them 
felves,  till  the  Irifli  could  embark,  that  no  diforders  might 
arife  from  a  communication. 

The  Proteflant  fubjects  of  Ireland  were  extremely  dif- 
gufted  at  thefe  conceflions  made  in  favour  of  vanquifhed 
rebels,  who  had  exercifed  fuch  acts  of  cruelty  and  rapine. 
They  complained,  that  they  themfelves,  who  had  fuffered 
for  their  loyalty  to  King  William,  were  neglected  and 
obliged  to  fit  down  with  their  loffes,  while  their  enemies, 
who  had  fhed  fo  much  blood  in  oppofing  his  government, 
were  indemnified  by  the  articles  of  the  capitulation,  and 
even  favoured  with  particular  indulgences.  They  were 
difniifled  with  the  honours  of  war:  They  were  traniported 
at  the  government's  expence,  to  fight  againft  the  Englilh 
in  foreign  countries  :  An  honourable  provifion  was  made 
for  the  Rapparees,  who  were  a  profeffed  banditti  :  The 
Roman  Catholic  intereft  in  Ireland  obtained  the  fanction 
of  regal  authority  :  Attainders  were  overlooked,  forfeitures 
annulled,  pardons  extended,  and  laws  fet  afide,  in  order  to 
effect  a  pacification.  Ginckel  had  received  orders  t®  put 
an  end  to  the  war  at  any  rate,  that  William  might  convert 
Vis  whole  influence  and  attention  to  the  affairs  of  the  con 
tinent.  When  the  articles  of  capitulation  were  ratified, 
and  hoftagcs  exchanged  for  their  being  duly  executed, 
about  two  thoufand  Irifh  foot,  and  three  hundred  horfe, 
began  their  march  for  Cork,  where  they  propofcd  to  take 


WILLIAM  AND  MARY.  in 

(hipping  for  France,  under  the  conduct  of  Sarsfield  :  But,  CHAP. 
three  regiments  refufmg  to  quit  the  kingdom,  delivered  up         II. 
their   arms    and     difperfed   to   their    former     habitations.  L*-y^J 
Thofe  who  remained  at  Limeric  embarked  on  the  yth  day      1691- 
of  November,  in  French  tranfports  ;  and  failed  immediate 
ly  to  France,  under  convoy  of  a  French   fquadron  which 
had  arrived  in  the  bay  of  Dingle  immediately  after  the  ca 
pitulation  was   figned.     Twelve   thoufand   men  chofe  to 
undergo  exile  from  their  native  country,   rather  than  fub- 
mit  to  the  government  of  King  William.     When  they 
arrived  in  France,  they   were  welcomed  by  a  letter  from 
James,  who  thanked  them  for  their  loyalty;  afiured  them 
they  fliould  ftill  ferve  under  his  comrniflion  and  command  ; 
and  that  the  king  of  France  had  already  given  orders  for 
their  being  new   clothed,   and   put  into  quarters  of  re- 
frefhment. 


CHAP.     III. 


Meeting     of    Parliament Affairs     of    Scotland — — 

MaJJacrc  of  Glencoe Viftory  at  La  Hague Na- 

mur  taken  in  fight  of  King  William Duke  of  Hano~ 

ver  created  an  clcEior   of  the  empire National  dif- 

contents Proceedings  of  Parliament Alterations 

in  the  mlnijlry. 


BOOK   'HT^HE  redu&ion  of  Ireland  being   thus  completed,  Ba- 
L  JL     ron  Ginckel  returned  to  England,   where   he    was 

^"Y^  folemnly  thanked  by  the  houfe  of  commons  for  his  great 
1691.  fervices,  after  he  had  been  created  earl  of  Athlone  by  his 
majefty.  When  the  parliament  met  on  the  22d  day  of 
October,  the  king,  in  his  fpeech,  infifted  upon  the  ne- 
ceffity  offending  a  ftrong  fleet  to  fea,  early  in  the  feafon, 
and  of  maintaining  a  considerable  army,  to  annoy  the  ene 
my  abroad,  as  well  as  to  protect  the  kingdom  from  infult 
and  invafion  ;  for  which  purpofes,  he  faid,  fixty-five  thou- 
fand  men  would  be  barely  fufficient.  Each  houfe  pre- 
fented  an  addrefs  of  congratulation  upon  his  majefty's  fafc 
return  to  England,  and  on  the  reduction  of  Ireland : 
They  pronaifed  to  affift  him  to  the  utmoft  of  their  power, 
in  profeeuting  the  war  with  France;  and,  at  the  fame 
time,  drew  up  addrcffes  to  the  queen,  acknowledging  her 
prudent  adminiflnuion  during  his  majefty's  abfence-. 
Notwirhftanding  this  appearance  of  cordiality  and  com- 
plaifance,  a  fpirit  of  difcontent  had  infmuated  itfclf  into 
both  houfes  of  parliament,  and  even  infected  great  part  of 
the  nation. 

A  great  number  of  individuals,  who  wiflied  well  to 
their  country,  could  not,  without  anxiety  and  rcfentment 
behold  the  intereit  of  the  nation  facrificed  to  foreign 
connections,  and  the  king's  favour  fo  partially  befrowed 
upon  Dutchmen,  in  prejudice  to  his  Engliih  fubjcc"ts. 


WILLIAM  AND  MARY.  113 

They  obferved,  that  the  number  of  forces  he   demanded  CHAP. 
was  confiderably  greater  than  that  of  any  army  which  had        HI. 
ever  been   paid  by  the   public,  even   when  the  nation  was   O"Y-O 
in  the   moft  imminent  danger :    That,   inftead  of  contri-       1691. 
buting  as  allies  to  the  maintenance  of  the  war  upon   the 
continent,  they  had  embarked  as  principals,   and  bore  the 
greateft    part  of  the    burthen,   though    they  had  the  leaft 
{hare  of  the   profit.     They  even   infmuated,    that   (uch    a 
{landing  army  was  more  calculated  to  make  the   king  ab- 
folute  at   home,  than    to    render  him  formidable    abroad; 
and  the  fecret  friends  of  the  late    king  did  not  fail    to  en 
force  thefe  infmuations.     They  renewed  their  animadver- 
fions  upon  th?  difagreeable   part  of  his   character :  They 
dwelt  upon  his  proud  referve,  his  fullen  filence,  his  impe 
rious  difpofition,  and  his  bafc  ingratitude,   particularly  to 
the  earl  of  Marlborougb,  whom  he  had   difmifled   from  all 
his  employments,  immediately  after  the  fignul    exploits   he 
had  performed  in  Ireland.     The  difgrace  of  this  nobleman 
was   partly   afcribed  to  the  frecdem    with  which   he  had 
complained  of  the   king's  undervaluing  his   fervices,   and 
paidy  to  the  intrigues  of  his   wife,  who  had   gained  an  af- 
ccndancy  over  the   Princefs    Anne   of  Denmark,  and  is 
laid  to  have  employed  her    influence  in    fomenting  a  jea- 
loufy  between  the  two  fifters.     The    malcontents  of  the 
Whiggifli  faction,  enraged  to  find  their   credit   declining 
at  court,  joined  in  the  cry  which  the  Jacobites  had  raifed 
againft  the  government.     They  fcrupled  not  to  fay,   that 
the  arts  of  corruption  were  {hamefully  pra£nfed,  to  fecure 
a  majority   in   parliament:  That  the  king  was   as  tender 
of  the  prerogative  as  any  of  his  predecefiors  had  ever  been; 
and,  that  he   even   ventured  to  admit  Jacobites    into  his 
council,  becaufe   they  were  the    known  tools  of  arbitrary 
power.     Thefe  reflections  alluded  to  the  earls  of  Rochef- 
ter  and  Ranelagh,  who,  with   Sir    Edward    Seymour,  had 
been  lately  created  privy-counfellors.     Rochefter  enter 
tained  very  high  notions  of  regal  authority  :   He  propofed 
fevcrity  as  one  of  the   beft  fupports  of  government  ;  was 
clear  in  his  underftanding,  violent  in  his   temper,  and  in 
corrupt  in  his  principles.     Ranelagh  was  a  man  of   parts 
and  pleafure,  who  poflefled  the  moft  plaufible  and  winning 
addrefs  ;  and  was  capable  of  tranfa£ting  the  moft   import 
ant  and  intricate  affairs  in  the  midft  of  riot  and  debauchery. 
He  had  managed  the  revenue  of  Ireland,  in   the  reign   of 
Charles  II.     He  enjoyed  the  office  of  pay-mafter   in    the 
army  of  King  James  ;  and  now  maintained  the  fame  foot 
ing  under  the  government   of  William   and  Mary.      Sir 
Edward  Seymour  was  the  proudeft  commoner  in  England, 
and  the  boldeft  orator  that  ever  filled  the  fpeaker's  chair. 
VOL.  I.  P 


n4  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  He  was  intimately  acquainted  with  the  bufinefs  of  the  houfs, 
and  knew  every  individual  member  fo  exactly,  that  Vvlth 

^V*"^   one    glance  of  his  eye    he    could   prognofticate  the   fate 

1691.      Of  every  motion.    ,He   had    oppofed  the  court  with  great 

acrimony,  queftioned  the  king's  title,  cenfured  his  conduct, 

and  reflected  upon  his  character.     Neverthelefs,    he   now 

became  a  profelyte,  and  was  brought  into  the  treafury. 

The    commons    voted    three  millions  four  hundred  and 

Parlia-         eleven  thoufand  fix  hundred  and  feventy-five   pounds,  for 

n.eatary  ^  ufe  Qf  fa  enfuing  year  :  But,  the  eftablifhment  of  funds 
for  raifmg  thefe  fupplies  was  retarded,  partly  by  the  ill- 
humour  of  the  oppofition,  and  partly  by  intervening  af 
fairs  that  diverted  the  attention  of  the  commons.  Several 
eminent  merchants  prefented  a  petition  to  the  houfe  a- 
gaiaft  the  Eaft  India  Company,  charging  them  with  ma 
nifold  abufes;  at  the  fame  time,  a  counter-petition  was 
delivered  by  the  Company,  and  the  affair  referred  to  the 
examination  of  a  committee  appointed  for  that  purpofe. 
After  a  minute  enquiry  into  the  nature  of  the  complaints, 
the  commons  voted  certain  regulations  with  refpecl:  to  the 
ftock  and  the  traffic  ;  and  refolved  to  petition  his  majefty 
that,  according  to  the  faid  regulations,  the  Eaft  India 
Company  fhould  be  incorporated  by  charter.  The  com 
mittee  was  ordered  to  bring  in  a  bill  for  this  eftablifh 
ment:  But  divers  petitions  being  prefented  againft  it,  and 
the  company's  anfwers  proving  unfatisfaclory,  the  houfe 
addrefled  the  king  to  diffblve  it,  and  grant  a  charter  to 
a  new  company.  He  faid,  it  was  an  affair  of  great  im 
portance  to  the  trade  of  the  kingdom  ;  therefore,  he  would 
confider  the  fubjecl,  and  in  a  little  time  return  a  pofitive 
anfwer.  The  parliament  was  likewife  amufed  by  a  pre 
tended  confpiracy  of  the  Papifts  in  Lancamire,  to  raife 
a  rebellion,  and  reftore  James  to  the  throne.  Several  per- 
fons  were  feized,  and  forne  witnefles  examined:  But  no 
thing  appeared  to  juftify  the  information.  At  length,  one 
Fuller,  a  prifoner  in  the  King's  Bench,  offered  his  evi 
dence,  and  was  brought  to  the  bar  of  the  houfe  of  com 
mons,  where  he  produced  fome  papers.  He  obtained 
a  blank  pafs  from  the  king  for  two  perfons,  who,  he  faid, 
would  come  from  the  continent  to  give  evidence.  He 
was  afterwards  examined  at  his  own  lodgings,  where  he 
affirmed,  that  Colonel  Thomas  Delaval,  and  James  Hayes, 
were  the  witnefles  for  whom  he  had  procured  the  pafs  and 
the  protection.  Search  was  made  for  them  according  to 
his  direction  :  But  no  fuch  perfons  were  found.  Then 
the  houfe  declared  Fuller  a  notorious  importer,  cheat, 
and  falfe  accufer.  He  was,  at  the  requeft  of  the  com 
mons,  profecuted  by  the  attorney-general,  and  fentenced 


WILLIAM  AND  MAR1/.  115 

to  ftand   in  the  pillory;  a  difgrace  which  he  accordingly  CHAP. 
underwent.  .         ' 

A  bill  for  regulating  trials  in  cafes  of  high-treafon  hav- 
ing  been  laid  afide  by  the  lords  in  the  preceding  feflion, 
was  now  again  brought  upon  the  carpet,  and  patted  the 
lower  houfe.  The  defign  of  this  bill  was,  to  fecure  the 
fubjccl:  from  the  rigours  to  which  he  had  been  expofed  in 
the  late  reigns.  It  provided,  That  the  prifoner  fhould  be 
furnifhed  with  a  copy  of  his  indictment,  as  alfo  of  the 
pannel,  ten  days  before  his  trial ;  and,  That  his  witnefles 
fhould  be  examined  upon  oath,  as  well  as  thofe  of  the 
crown.  The  lords,  in  their  own  behalf,  added  a  claufe, 
enacting,  That  upon  the  trial  of  any  peer  or  peerefs,  for 
treafon  or  mifprifion  of  treafon,  all  the  peers  who  have 
a  right  to  fit  and  vote  in  parliament  fhould  be  duly  fum- 
moned  to  affift  at  the  trial :  That  this  notice  fhould  be 
given  twenty  days  before  the  trial;  and,  That  every  peer 
fo  fummoned,  and  appearing,  fhould  vote  upon  the  occa- 
fion.  The  commons  rejected  this  amendment  ;  and 
a  free  conference  enfued.  The  point  was  argued  with 
great  vivacity  on  both  fides,  which  ferved  only  to  inflame 
the  difpute,  and  render  each  party  the  more  tenacious  of 
their  own  opinion.  After  three  conferences  that  produced 
nothing  but  animofity,  the  bill  was  dropped  ;  for  the 
commons  rcfolvcd  to  bear  the  hardfhips  of  which  they 
complained,  rather  than  be  relieved  at  the  expence  of 
purchafing  a  new  privilege  to  the  lords;  and  without  this 
advantage.,  the  peers  would  not  contribute  to  their  relief. 

The  next  object  that  engroffed  the  attention  of  the 
lower  houfe,  was  the  mifcarriage  of  the  fleet  during  the 
fummer's  expedition.  Admiral  RufTel,  who  commanded 
at  fea,  having  been  joined  by  a  Dutch  fquadron,  foiled  in 
queft  of  the  enemy  :  But,  as  the  French  king  had  receiv 
ed  undoubted  intelligence,  that  the  combined  fquadrons 
were  fuperior  to  his  navy  in  number  of  ihips  and  weight 
of  metal,  he  ordered  Tourville  to  avoid  an  engagement. 
This  officer  a£ted  with  fuch  vigilance,  caution,  and  dex 
terity,  as  baffled  all  the  endeavours  of  RufTel,  who  was, 
moreover,  perplexed  with  obfcure  and  contradictory  or 
ders.  Neverthelefs,  he  cruized  all  fummer,  either  in  the 
channel  or  in  foundings,  for  the  protection  of  the  trade, 
and,  in  particular,  fecured  the  homeward-bound  Smyrna 
fleet,  in  which  the  Englifh  and  Dutch  had  a  joint  con 
cern,  amounting  to  four  millions  fterling.  Having  fcour- 
ed  the  channel,  and  failed  along  great  part  of  the  French 
coafr,  he  returned  to  Torbay  in  the  beginning  of  Augufr, 
and  received  frefh  orders  to  put  to  fea  again,  notwith- 
ftanding  his  repeated  remonftrances  againfl  expofmg  large 


n6  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  {hips  to  the  ftorms  that  always  blow  about  the  time  of  the 
.  .   equinox.     He   therefore    failed  back  to  foundings,  where 

"T*^      he  continued  cruizing  till  the  2d  day  of  September,  when 
he   wa?  overtaken  by  a  violent  tempeft,  which  drove  him 
into  the  channel,  and  obliged  him  to  make  for  the  port  of 
Plymouth.     The    weather   being   hazy,  he  reached    the 
Sound  with   great  difficulty :  The  Coronation,  a  fecond- 
rate,  foundered  at  anchor   off  the  Ram-head  :  The  Har 
wich,  a  third-rate,  bulged  upon  the  rocks,  and  perifhed  : 
Two  others  ran  afiiore,  but  were  got  oft  with  little  dam 
age  :  But  the   whole   fleet   was   fcattered    and  diftrefled. 
The    nation   murmured  at  the  fuppofed  mifcondu£t  of  the 
admiral,  and    the  commons  fubjec-ted  him  to  an  enquiry  : 
But,  when   they   examined    his    papers,  orders,   and    in- 
ftru&ions,   they   perceived  he   had   adhered  to  them  with 
great  punctuality,  and   thought  proper  to  drop  the  profe- 
cution,  out  of  tendernefs  to  the  miniftry.  Then  the  houfe 
took  into  confideration  fome  letters  which  had  been  inter 
cepted    in  a    French   {hip   taken  by    Sir  Ralph  Delaval. 
Three   of  thefe   are    faid    to  have  been  written  by  King 
James,  and  the  reft  fealed  with  his  feal.     They  related  to 
the   plan    of  an  infurrection  in  Scotland,  and   in  the  nor 
thern  parts    of  England  :  Legge  Lord  Dartmouth,  with 
one  Crew,  being  mentioned  in  them  as  agents  and  abet 
tors  in   the  defign,  warrants  were  immediately  ifTued  a- 
gainft  them.     Crew  abfccnded,  but  Lord  Dartmouth  was 
committed   to   the  Tower.     Lord  Prefton  was  examined 
touching  fomc  cyphers  which  they  could  not  explain,  and, 
pretending  ignorance,  was   imprifoned  in  Newgate,  from 
whence,  however,  he  foon  obtained  his  releafe.  The  funds 
for  the  fupplies  of  the  enfuing  year  being  eftabliftied,  and 
feveral    afts  *  paffed  relating  to  domeftic  regulations,  the 
king,  on  the  24th  day  of  February,  clofed  the  feflion  with 
a   fhort  fpeech,  thanking  the  parliament  for  their  demon- 
ftrations  of  affection  in  the  liberal  fupplies  they  had  grant 
ed,  and  communicating  his  intention  of  repairing  fpeedily 
to  the  continent.     Then  the  two  houfes,  at  his  defire,  ad 
journed  themfelves  to  the  I2th  day  of  April,  and  the  par 
liament  was  afterwards  prorogued  to  the  29th  day  of  May 
by  proclamation  f. 

*  The  laws  enafted  in  this  feffion  were  thcfe  : — An  aft  for  abrogating  the 
oath  of  fupremacy  in  Ireland,  and  appointing  other  oaths — an  aft  for  taking 
away  clergy  from  fome  offenders,  and  bringing  ethers  to  punifhment — an  aft 
againft  deer-ftealing — an  aft  for  repairing  the  highways,  and  fettling  the  rates 
of  carriage  of  goods— -  ;m  aft  for  the  relief  of  creditors  againft  fraudulent  de- 
vifcs — an  aft  for  explaining  and  fupplying  the  defefts  of  former  laws  for  the 
fettkment  of  the  poor — an  aft  for  the  ensouragement  of  the  breeding  and  feed 
ing  of  cattle— and  an  aft  for  ascertaining  the  tithes  of  herr.p  and  flax. 

•j-  In  the  courfe  of  tkis  feffion,  Dr.  Welwcod,  a  Scottifh  phyftcian,  was  taken 


WILLIAM  AND  MARY.  117 

The  king  had  fuffered  fo  much  in  his  reputation  by  his  C  H  A  P. 
corrplaifance  to  the  Prefbyterians  of  Scotland,  and  was  fo  ' 

difpleafed  with  the  conduit  of  that  ftubborn  feel  of  religi- 
onifts,  that  he  thought  proper  to  admit  fome  Prelatifts  in 
to  the  adminiftration.  Johnfton,  who  had  been  fent  envoy 
to  the  elector  of  Brandenburg,  was  recalled,  and  with  the 
mafter  of  Stair,  made  joint  fecretary  of  Scotland  ;  Mel- 
vill,  who  had  declined  in  his  importance,  was  made  lord 
privy-feal  of  that  kingdom  :  Tweedale  was  conftituted 
lord  chancellor:  Crawford  retained  the  office  of  prefidcnt 
of  the  council  ;  and  Lothian  was  appointed  high  commif- 
fioner  to  the  general  aflembly.  The  parliament  was  ad 
journed  to  the  1 5th  day  of  April  becaufe  it  was  not  yet 
compliant  enough  to  be  afiembled  with  fafety;  and  the 
Epifcopal  clergy  were  admitted  to  a  {hare  of  the  church- 
government.  Thefe  meafures,  inftead  of  healing  the  di- 
vifions,  ferved  only  to  enflame  the  animofity  of  the  two 
parties.  The  Epifcopalians  triumphed  in  the  king's  fa 
vour,  and  began  to  treat  their  antagonifts  with  infolence 
and  fcorn  :  The  Prefbyterians  were  incenfed  to  fee  their 
friends  difgraced,  and  their  enemies  djftinguifhed  by  the 
royal  indulgence.  They  infifted  upon  the  authority  of  the 
law,  which  happened  to  be  upon  their  fide :  They  be 
came  more  than  ever  four,  furly,  and  implacable  :  They 
refufed  to  concur  with  the  Prelatifts,  or  abate  in  the  leaft 
circumftance  of  difcipline ;  and  the  aflembly  was  diflblved, 
without  any  time  or  place  afligned  for  the  next  meeting. 
The  Prefbyterians  pretended  an  independent  right  of  af- 
fembling  annually,  even  without  a  call  from  his  majcfty; 
they  therefore  adjourned  themfelves,  after  having  protcft- 
ed  againft  the  diiTolution.  The  king  refented  .ins  mea- 
fure,  ss  an  infolent  invafion  of  the  prerogative,  and  con 
ceived  an  averfion  to  the  whole  feel,  who  in  their  turn 
began  to  lofe  all  refpecl:  for  his  perfon  and  government. 

As  the  Highlanders  were  not  yet  totally  reduced,  the 
earl  of  Breadalbane  undertook  to  bring  them  over,  bydif- 
tributing  fums  of  money  among  their  chiefs;  and  fifteen 
thoufand  pounds  were  remitted  from  England  for  this  pur- 
pofe.  The  clans  being  informed  of  this  remittance,  fuf- 

into  cuftody,  and  reprimanded  at  the  bar  of  the  houfe  of  commons,  for  having 
reflected  upon  that  houfe,  in   a  weekly  paper  entitled  Mercurius    Reformatus  ; 


. 

talents  and  eloquence.  The  privy-feal  was  committed  to  the  earl  of  Pembroke  ; 
Lord  Vifcount  Sidney  was  created  lord  lieutenant  of  Ireland  ;  Sir  John  Som- 
tr.ers  appointed  attorney -general  ;  and  the  fee  of  Lincoln,  vacant  by  the  death 
of  Barlow,  conferr ••>:  upon  Ur  Thomas  Tennifon,  who  haa  been  recommended 
to  the  king,  as  a  ilivint  remarkable  for  his  piety  and  moderation. 


iiS  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  peeled  that  the  earl's  defign  was  to  appropriate  to  himfelf 
the  beft  part  of  the  money,  and  when   he  began    to  treat 

^""Y*^  with  them  made  fuch  extravagant  demands,  that  he  found 
l69I-  his  fcheme  impracticable.  He  was,  therefore,  obliged  to 
refund  the  fum  he  had  received;  and  he  refolved  to  wreak 
his  vengeance  with  the  firft  opportunity,  on  thole  who 
had  fruftrated  his  intention.  He  who  chiefly  thwarted 
his  negociation,  was  Macdonald  of  Glencoe,  whofe  oppo- 
fition  rofe  from  a  private  circumftance,  which  ought  to 
have  had  no  effecT:  upon  a  treaty  that  regarded  the  public 
weal.  Macdonald  had  plundered  the  lands  of  Breadalbane 
during  the  courfe  of  hoftilities ;  and  this  nobleman  infifted 
upon  being  indemnified  for  his  lofles,  from  the  other's 
fhare  of  the  money  which  he  was  employed  to  diftribute. 
The  Highlanders  not  only  refufed  to  acquiefce  in  thefe 
terms,  but,  by  his  influence  among  the  clans,  defeated 
the  whole  fcheme,  and  the  earl  in  revenge  devoted  him  to 
deftruction.  King  William  had  by  proclamation  offered 
an  indemnity  to  all  thofe  who  had  been  in  arms  againft 
him,  provided  they  would  fubmit,  and  take  the  oaths  by  a 
certain  day;  and  this  was  prolonged  to  theclofe  of  the  pre- 
fent  year,  with  a  denunciation  of  military  execution  againft 
thofe  who  fhould  hold  out  after  the  end  of  December. 
Macdonald,  intimidated  by  this  declaration,  repaired  on 
the  very  laft  day  of  the  month  to  Fort  William,  and  defir- 
ed  that  the  oaths  might  be  tendered  to  him  by  Colonel 
Hill,  governor  of  that  fortrefs.  As  this  officer  was  not 
vefted  with  the  power  of  a  civil  magiftrate,  he  refufed  t© 
adminifter  them  ;  and  Macdonald  fet  out  immediately  for 
Inverary  the  country-town  of  Argyle.  Though  the 
ground  was  covered  with  fnow,  and  the  weather  intenfely 
cold;  he  travelled  with  fuch  diligence,  that  the  term  pre- 
fcribed  by  the  proclamation  was  but  one  day  elapfed  when 
he  reached  the  place,  and  addrefied  himfelf  to  Sir  John 
Campbell,  fherifF  of  the  county,  who,  in  confideration  of 
his  difapnointment  at  Fort- William,  was  prevailed  upon. to 
adminifter  the  oaths  to  him  and  his  adherents.  Then  they 
returned  to  their  own  habitations  in  the  valley  of  Glencoe, 
in  full  confidence  of  being  protected  by  the  government, 
to  which  they  had  fo  folemnly  fubmitted. 

Breadalbane  had  reprefented  Macdonald  at  court  as 
an  incorrigible  rebel,  as  a  ruffian  inured  to  bloodfhed  and 
rapine,  who  would  never  be  obedient  to  the  laws  of  his 
country,  nor  live  peaceably  under  any  fovereign.  He  ob- 
ferved  that  he  had  paid  no  regard  to  the  proclamation, 
and  propofed  that  the  government  fhould  focrifice  him  to 
the  quiet  of  the  kingdom,  in  extirpating  him,  withhis  fa 
mily  and  dependents,  by  military  execution.  His  adv;rr 


WILLIAM  AMD  MARY.  119 

was  fupported  by  the  fugs;eftions  of  the  other  Scottifhmi-  CHAP. 
nifters;  and  the  king,  whofe  chief  virtue  was  not  humanity, 
figned  a  warrant  for  the  deftruction  of  thofe  unhappy  peo-  v-^y^-' 
pie,  though  it  does  not  appear  that  he  knew  of  Mac-  *6qu 
donald's  fubmiflion.  An  order  for  this  barbarous  execu-  Ma(racre  of 
tion,  figned  and  counter-figned  by  his  majefty's  own  hand, 
keing  tranfmitted  to  the  mafter  of  Stair,  fecretary  for 
Scotland,  this  minifter  fent  particular  directions  to  Li- 
vingftone,  who  commanded  the  troops  in  that  kingdom,  to 
put  the  inhabitants  of  Glencoe  to  the  fword,  charging 
him  to  take  no  prifoners,  that  the  fcene  might  be  more 
terrible.  In  the  month  of  February,  Captain  Campbell 
of  Glenlyon,  by  virtue  of  an  order  from  Major  Duncan- 
fon,  marched  into  the  valley  of  Glencoe,  with  a  company 
of  foldiers  belonging  to  Argyle's  regiment,  on  pretence  of 
levying  the  arrears  of  the  land-tax  and  hearth-money. 
When  Macdonald  demanded  whether  they  came  as  friends 
or  enemies,  he  anfwered  as  friends,  and  promifed,  upon 
his  honour,  that  neither  he  nor  his  people  fhould  fuftain 
the  leaft  injury.  In  confequence  of  this  declaration,  he 
and  his  men  were  received  with  the  moft  cordial  hofpi- 
tality,  and  lived  fifteen  days  with  the  men  of  the  valley, 
in  all  the  appearance  of  the  moft  unreferved  friendfhip. 
At  length  the  fatal  period  approached.  Macdonald  and 
Campbell  having  patted  the  day  together,  parted  about 
feven  in  the  evening,  with  mutual  profeffions  of  the  warm- 
eft  affection.  The  younger  Macdonald,  perceiving  the 
guards  doubled,  began  to  fufpedl:  fome  treachery,  and  com 
municated  his  fufpicion  to  his  brother ;  but  neither  he  nor 
the  father  would  harbour  the  leaft  doubt  of  Campbell's 
lincerity  ;  neverthelefs,  the  two  young  men  went  forth 
privately,  to  make  further  obfervations.  They  overheard 
the  common  foldiers  fay  they  liked  not  the  work  ;  that 
though  they  would  have  willingly  fought  the  Macdonalds 
of  the  Glen  fairly  in  the  field,  they  held  it  bafe  to  murder 
them  in  cool  blood,  but  that  their  officers  were  anfwerable 
for  the  treachery.  When  the  youths  hafted  back  to  ap 
prize  their  father  of  the  impending  danger,  they  faw  the 
houfc  already  furrounded :  They  heard  the  difcharge  of 
mufkcts,  the  fhrieks  of  women  and  children,  and,  being 
deftitute  of  arms,  fecured  their  own  lives  by  immediate 
flight.  The  fava^e  minifters  of  vengeance  had  entered 
the  old  man's  chamber,  and  fhot  him  through  the  head. 
He  tell  down  dead  in  the  arms  of  his  wife,  who  died  next 
<lay,  diftracted  by  the  horror  of  her  hufband's  fate.  The 
laird  of  Auchinlrincken,  Macdonald's  gueft,  who  had 
three  months  before  this  period  fubmitted  to  the  govern 
ment,  and  at  this  very  time-  had  a  protection  in  his  pocket, 


120  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  was  put  to  death  without  queftion.     A  boy  of  eight  years, 
who  fell    at  Campbell's    feet,  imploring    mercy,   and  of- 

*-""Y"s^   fering  to  ferve  him  for  life,  was   (tabbed  to   the   heart  by 
!6gi.       one   Drummond,   a  fubaltern    officer.       Eight-and-thirty 
perfons  fufFered  in  this  manner,  the   greater  part  of  whom 
were  furprifed  in  their  beds,  and  hurried  into  eternity  be 
fore  they  had    time   to  implore  the  divine    mercy.      The 
defign  was  to  butcher   all    the    males    under  feventy   that 
lived  in  the  valley,  the  number  of  whom  amounted  to  two 
hundred  ;  but  fome  of  the  detachments  did  not  arrive  foon 
enough  to  fecure  the  pafTes ;  fo  that  one  hundred  and  fixty 
efcaped.     Campbell,  having  perpetrated  this  brutal    maf- 
facre,  ordered  all  the  houfes  to  be  burned,  made  a  prey  of 
all  the  cattle  and  effects  that  were  found  in  the  valley,  and 
left  the  helplefs    women  and  children,  whofe   fathers   and 
hufbands  he  had  murdered,   naked  and    forlorn,   without 
covering,  food,  or   flicker,  in  the  midft  of  the    fnow  that 
covered  the  whole  face  of  the  country,  at  the  diftance  of 
fix  long    miles    from    any    inhabited    place.       Diftracted 
with  grief  and  horror,  furrounded  by  the  fliades  of  night, 
fhivering  with  cold,  and  appalled  with  the  apprehenfion  of 
immediate  death,  From  the  fvvords  of  thofe  who  had    facri- 
ficed    their   friends  and    kinfmen,  they    could  not  endure 
fuch  a  complication  of  calamities,   but  generally  perifhed 
in  the  wafte,  before  they  could    receive  the  leaft  comfort 
or  afliftance.     This  barbarous  mafl'acre,  performed  under 
the  fancYicn  of  King  William's    authority,  anfwered   the 
immediate  purpofe  of  the  court,  by  ftriking  terror  into  the 
hearts  of  the  Jacobite  Highlanders;  but,  at  the  fame  time, 
excited  the  horror  of  all  thofe  who  had  not  renounced  eve 
ry  fentiment  of  humanity,  and  produced  fuch   an  averfion 
the  government,  as  all  the    arts  of  a  rniniftry  could  never 
totally  furmount.     A  detail  of  the   particulars  was    pub- 
liflied  at  Paris,  with  many  exaggerations,   and   the    Jaco 
bites  did  not  fail  to  expatiate  upon  every   circumftance,  in 
domeftic   libels    and    private   converfation.       The     king, 
alarmed  at  the  outcry  which  was  raifed  upon  this  occafion, 
ordered  an  enquiry  to  be  fet  on  foot,  and  difmifled  the  maf- 
ter  of  Stair    from  his  employment   of  fecretary;  he   like- 

Kennet.       wife   pretended  that  he  had  fubfcribed    the  order  amidft  a 

Life  of  K.  heap  of  other  papers,  without  knowing  the  purport  of  it ; 

Will'?."?-      but,  as  he  did  not  feverely  punifh    thofe  who  had  made  his 

N.    Hilt.  ........  ,'    J  ,  , 

Ralph.         authority  fubfervient  to  their  own  cruel  revenge,  the    im- 

Voluire.       putation  ftuck  faft  to  his  character,  and  the    Highlanders, 

though  terrified  into  filence  and   fubmiflion,  were  infpired 

with  the  moft  implacable  refentment  againft  his  perfoa  an<£ 

adminiftration. 


WILLIAM  AND  MARY.  121 

A  great  number  in  both  kingdoms  waited  impatiently  c  H  A  P. 
for  an  opportunity  to  declare  in  behalf  of  their  exiled  mo 
narch,  who  was  pun&ually  informed  of  all  thcfe  tranfac- 
tions,  and  endeavoured  to  make  his  advautage  of  the  grow- 
ing  difcontent.  King  William  having  fettled  the  don^eftic 
affairs  of  the  nation,  and  exerted  uncommon  care  and  afli- 
duity  in  equipping  a  formidable  fleet,  embarked  for  Holland 
on  the  5th  day  of  March,  and  was  received  by  the  States- 
general  with  expreffions  of  the  moft  cordial  regard.  While 
he  was  here  employed  in  promoting  the  meafures  of  the 
grand  confederacy,  the  French  king  refolded  to  invade  Eng 
land  in  his  abfence,  and  feemed  heartily  engaged  in  the  in- 
tereft  of  James,  whofe  emiflaries  in  Britain  began  to  beflir 
themfelves  with  uncommon  affiduity,  in  preparing  the  nation 
for  his  return.  One  Lant,who  wasimprifonedon  fufpicionof 
diftributinghiscommiflions,hadthe  good  fortune  to  be  relea- 
fed,  and  the  Papifts  of  Lancafhire  difpatched  him  to  the 
court  of  St.  Germain's,  with  an  afTurance  that  they  were 
in  a  condition  to  receive  their  old  fovereign.  He  returned 
with  advice  that  King  James  would  certainly  land  in  the 
fpring  ;  and  that  Colonel  Parker  and  other  officers  fhould 
be  fent  over  with  full  inftruclions,  touching  their  conduct 
at  and  before  the  king's  arrival.  Parker  accordingly  re 
paired  to  England,  and  made  the  Jacobites  acquainted 
with  the  whole  fcheme  of  a  defcent,  which  Louis  had  actual 
ly  concerted  with  the  late  king.  He  aflured  them,  that 
their  lawful  fovereign  would  once  more  vifit  his  Britifli  do 
minions,  at  the  head  of  thirty  thoufand  effective  men,  to  be 
embarked  at  La  Hogue:  That  the  tranfports  were  already 
prepared,  and  a  ftrong  fquadron  equipped  for  their  convoy; 
he,  therefore,  exhorted  them  to  be  fpeedy  and  fecret  in  their 
preparations,  that  they  might  be  in  readinefs  to  take  arms, 
and  co-operate  in  effecting  his  reftoration.  This  officer, 
and  one  Johnfon,  a  prieft,  are  faid  to  have  undertaken  the 
afTaffinating  of  King  William  ;  but,  before  they  could  exe 
cute  their  defign,  his  majefty  fet  fail  for  Holland. 

Mean  while,  James  addrefled  a  letter  to  feveral  lords, 
who  had  been  formerly  members  of  his  council,  as  well  as 
to  divers  ladies  of  quality  and  diftin&ion,  intimating  the 
pregnancy  of  his  queen,  and  requiring  them  to  attend  as 
witnefles  at  the  labour.  He  took  notice  gf  the  injury  his 
family  and  honour  had  fuftained,  from  the  cruel  afperfions 
of  his  enemies  concerning  the  birth  of  his  fon,  and  as  Pro 
vidence  had  now  favoured  him  with  an  opportunity  of  refu 
ting  the  calumny  of  thofe  who  affirmed  that  the  queen  was 
incapable  of  child-bearing,  he  aflured  them  in  the  name  of 
his  brother  the  French  king,  as  well  as  upon  his  own  royal 
word,  that  they  ihould  have  free  leave  to  vifit  his  court, 

VOL.  I, 


122  HISTORY  OF   ENGLAND. 

§  O  O  K  and  return  after  the  labour*.  This  invitation,  however  no 
I'  perfon  would  venture  to  accept.  He  afterwards  employed 
his  emiffaries  un  circulating  a  printed  declaration,  importing-, 
thnt  the  king  of  France  had  enabled  him  to  make  another 
effort  to  retrieve  his  crown  ;  and  that  although  he  was  fur- 
nifhed  with  a  number  of  troops  fufficient  to  unite  the  hands 
of  his  fubjecl:?,  he  did  not  intend  to  deprive  them  of  their 
fhareinthegloryof  reftoring  their  lawful  king,and  their  an  - 
tient  government.  He  exhorted  the  people  to  join  his  ftandard. 
He  allured  them,  that  the  foreign  auxiliaries  fhould  behave 
with  the  moft  regular  difcipline,  and  be  fent  back  immedi 
ately  after  his  re-eftablifhment.  He  obferved,  that  when 
fuch  a  number  of  fubje&s  were  fo  infatuated  as  to  concur 
with  the  unnatural  defign  of  the  prince  of  Orange,  he  had 
chofen  to  rely  upon  the  fidelity  of  his  Englifh  army,  andre- 
fufed  confiderable  fuccours  that  were  offered  to  him  by  his 
Moft  Chriftian  Majefty :  That  when  he  was  ready  to  op- 
pofe  force  with  force,  he  neverthelefs  offered  to  give  all  rea- 
fonable  fatisfa&ion  to  his  fubje&s  who  had  been  mifled, 
and  endeavoured  to  open  their  eyes  with  refpecl  to  the  vain 
pretences  of  his  adverfary,  whofe  aim  was  not  the  reforma 
tion  but  the  fubverfion  of  the  government :  That  when  he 
faW  himfdf  deferted  by  his  army,  betrayed  by  his  minifters, 
abandoned  by  his  favourites,  and  even  his  own  children,  and 
at  laft  rudely  driven  from  his  own  palace  by  a  guard  of  in- 
folent  foreigners,  he  had,  for  his  perfonal  fafety,  taken  re 
fuge  in  France  :  That  his  retreat  from  the  malice  and  cru 
el  defigns  of  the  ufurper,  had  been  conftrued  into  an  abdica 
tion,  and  the  whole  conftitution  of  the  monarchy  deftroyed, 
by  a  fet  of  men  illegally  affembled,  who  in  facl,  had  no 
power  to  alter  the  property  of  the  meaneft  fubjecr..  He  ex- 
preiTed  his  hope,  that  by  this  time  the  nation  had  fairly  ex 
amined  the  account,  and,  from  the  loffes  and  enormous  ex- 
pence  of  the  three  laft  years,  were  convinced  that  the  reme 
dy  was  worfe  than  the  difeafe  :  That  the  beginning,  like 
the  firft  years  of  Nero's  reign,  would  in  all  probability,  be 
found  the  mildeft  part  of  the  ufurpation,  and  theinftruments 
of  the  new  eftabliihment  live  to  fuffer  feverely  by  the  ty 
ranny  they  had  raifed  :  That  even,  though  the  ufurpation 
fhould  continue  during  his  life,  an  indifputable  title  would 
furvive  in  his  iffue,  and  expofe  the  kingdom  to  all  the  mife- 

*  The  letter  was  directed  not  only  to  privy  counfellors,  but  alfo  to  the  du- 
chefies  of  Som-rfet  and  Beaufort,  the  marchionefs  of  Hallifax,  the  countefles 
of  Derby,  Mulgrav?,  Rutland,  Brooks,  Nottingham,  Lumley,  and  Danby, 
the  ladies  Fitzharding  and  Fritchville,  thofe  of  Sir  John  Trevor,  Speaker  of 
the  Houfe  of,  Commons,  Sir  Edward  Seymour,  Sir  Chriftopher  Mufgrave,  the 
wives  of  Sir  Thomas  Stamford,  Lord  Mayor  of  London,  Sir  William  Aflihurfl: 
and  Sir  Richard  Levett,  the  Sheriffs,  aad,  laflly  to  Dr.  Chamberlain,  the  fa 
mous  praditioner  in  midwifery. 


WILLIAM  AND  MARY.  123 

ries  of  a  civil  war.  He  not  only  folicited,  but  commanded  c  H  A  P. 
his  good  fubj  eels  tojoinhim,  according  to  tharduty,  andt'ie 
oaths  they  had  taken.  He  forbade  them  to  pay  taxes,  or  a- 
ny  of  the  revenue,  to  the  ufurper.  He  promifed  pardon, 
and  even  rewards,  to  all  thofe  who  fhould  return  to  their 
duty,  and  to  procure  in  his  firft  parliament  an  act  ot  indem 
nity,  with  an  exception  of  certain  perfons  *  whom  he  now 
enumerated.  He  declared,  thut  all  foldiers  who  fhould  quit 
the  fervice  of  the  ufurper,  and  inlift  under  his  banners, 
might  depend  upon  receiving  their  pardon  and  arrears;  and 
that  the  foreign  troops,  upon  laying  down  their  arms,  fhould 
be  paid,  and  trinfported  to  their  refpedtive  countries.  He 
folemnly  proteited,  that  he  would  protect  and  maintain  the 
church  of  England,  as  by  law  eftablifhed,  in  all  her  rights, 
privileges,  and  poffeffions  :  He  fignified  his  refolution  to 
ufc  his  influence  with  the  parliament  for  allowing  liber 
ty  of  conference  to  all  his  fubjecls,  as  an  indulgence  agree 
able  to  the  fpirit  of  the  chriftian  religion,  and  conducive  to 
the  wealth  and  prosperity  of  the  nation.  He  fuid  his  prin 
cipal  care  fhould  be  to  heal  the  wounds  of  the  late  diftrac- 
tions  to  reftore  trade,  by  obferving  the  a&  of  navigation, 
which  had  been  lately  fo  much  violated  in  favour  of  Gran 
gers;  to  put  the  navy  m  a  flourifhing  condition ;  and  to  take 
every  flep  that  might  contribute  to  the  greatnefs  of  the  mo 
narchy  and  the  happinefs  of  the  people.  He  concluded 
with  profc/Hons  of  resignation  to  the  divine  will,  declaring, 
that  all  who  fhould  reject  his  offers  of  mercy,  and  appear  h\ 
arms  again!!:  him,  would  be  anfwerable  to  Almighty  God 
for  all  the  blood  that  fhould  be  fpilt,  and  all  the  miferies  in 
which  thefc  kingdoms  might  be  involved  by  their  defperate 
and  unreafonable  oppofition. 

While  this  declaration  operated  varioufly  on  the  minds 
of  the  people,  Colonel  Parker,  with  fome  other  officers, 
inlifted  men  privately  for  the  fervice  of  James,  in  the 
counties  of  York,  Lancafler,  and  in  the  bifhopric  of  Dur 
ham:  At  the  fame  time,  Fountaine  and  Holman  were 
employed  in  raifing  two  regiments  of  horfe  at  London, 
that  they  might  join  their  matter  immediately  after  his 

*  Thofe  excepted  were  the  duke  of  Ormoml,  the  marquis  of  Winchcfter, 
rhe  earls  of  Sur.dcrland,  Bath,  Danby  and  Nottingham,  the  lo»Js  Newport, 
Delamere,  V/iluhiiv,  Colcheiler,  Cornbury,  Dunoiain,  and  Churc.hhill  j  the 
hifhops  of  London  and  St.  Afaph,  Sir  Robert  Howard,  Sir  John  Worden,  Sir 
Samuel  Grimftone,  Sir  Stephen  Fox,  Sir  George  Treby,  Sir  Bafil  Dixwell, 
Sir  James  Oxenden,  Dr.  John  Tillulfon,  Dr.  Gilbert  Burnet  j  Francis  Ruffel, 
liichard  Levifon,  joh,i  TrencLard,  Charles  Duncomb,  citizen  of  London  j 
Edwards,  Stapleton  and  Hunt,  fiflicrmen,  and  all  other*  who  had  offered  per- 
lonal  indignities  to  him  at  Fevi.riham;  or  had  been  concernsd  in  the  barbarous 
murder  of  John  Aflitun,  Ctofs,  or  any  others  who  had  lurfered  d.ath  for  their 
loyalty  ;  and  ail  i'pies,  or  fudi  as  had  betrayed  LL  coujt.l^  Ju.;.i:j  hi;  lite  -b- 


124  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

B  O  O  K  landing.     His  partifans  fent  Captain   Lloyd,  with  an  ex- 
,  ,   piefs  to   Lord  Melfort,  containing  a  detail  of  thefe  parti- 

""^  culars,  with  an  aflurance  that  they  had  brought  over 
Rear-Admiral  Carter  to  the  intereft  of  his  majefty.  They 
lilcewife  tranfmitted  a  lift  of  the  {hips  that  compofed  the 
Englifh  fleet,  and  exhorted  James  to  ufe  his  influence 
with  the  French  king,  that  the  Count  de  Tourville  might 
be  ordered  to  attack  them  before  they  fhould  be  ioined  by 
the  Dutch  fquadron.  It  was  in  confequence  of  this  ad 
vice,  that  Louis  commanded  Tourville  to  fall  upon  the 
Englifh  fleet,  even  without  waiting  for  the  Toulon  fqua- 
dron,  commanded  by  the  Marquis  d'Etrees.  By  this  time 
James  had  repaired  to  La  Hogue,  and  was  ready  to  em 
bark  with  his  army,  confifting  of  a  body  of  French  troops, 
together  with  fome  Englifh  and  Scotch  refugees,  and  the 
regiments  which  had  been  tranfported  from  Ireland,  by 
virtue  of  the  capitulation  of  Limerick. 

The  miniftry  of  England  was  informed  of  all  thefe  par 
ticulars,  partly  by  fome  agents  of  James,  who  betrayed 
his  caufe,  and  partly  by  Admiral  Carter,  who  gave  the 
queen  to  underftand  he  had  been  tampered  with;  and  was 
inftrucled  to  amufe  the  Jacobites  with  a  negociation. 
King  William  no  fooner  arrived  in  Holland,  than  he  haf- 
tened  the  naval  preparations  of  the  Dutch,  fo  that  their 
fleet  was  ready  for  fea  fooner  than  was  expe&ed  ;  and 
when  he  received  the  firft  intimation  of  the  projected  de- 
fcent,  he  detached  General  Ptolemache,  with  three  of  the 
Englifh  regiments  from  Holland.  Thefe,  re-enforced 
with  other  troops  remaining  in  England,  were  ordered  to 
encamp  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Portfmouth.  The  queen 
iffued  a  proclamation,  commanding  all  Papifts  to  depart 
from  London  and  Weftminfter :  The  members  of  both 
houfes  of  parliament  were  required  to  meet  on  the  24th 
day  of  May,  that  fhe  might  avail  herfelf  of  their  advice  in 
fuch  a  perilous  conjuncture.  Warrants  were  expedited 
for  apprehending  divers  difaffe&ed  perfons ;  and  they 
withdrawing  themfelves  from  their  refpe&ive  places  of  a- 
bode,  a  proclamation  was  publilhed  for  difcovering  and 
bringing  them  to  juftice.  The  earls  of  Scarfdale,  Lich- 
field^and  Newburgh;  the  Lords  Griffin,  Forbes,  Sir 
John  Fenwick,  Sir  Theophilus  Oglethorpe  and  others, 
found  means  to  elude  the  fearch.  The  earls  of  Hunting 
don  and  Marlborough  were  fent  to  the  Tower  ;  Edward 
Ridely,  Knevitt,  Haftings  and  Robert  Fergufon,  were 
imprifoned  in  Newgate.  The  bifhop  of  Rochefter  was 
confined  to  his  own  houfe  ;  the  lords  Brudenel  and  Fan- 
fhaw  were  fecuredj  the  earls  of  Dunmore,  Middleton 
and  Sir  Andrew  Forrefler,  were  difcovered  in  a  Quaker's 


WILLIAM  AND  MARY.  125 

houfe,  and   committed   to  prifon,  with  feveral  other  per-  CHAP, 
foos   of  diltinction.     The    train-bands   of  London     and       '         <• 
Weftminftcr  were   armed   by  the  queen's  dire&ion,  and        ^V 
fhc  reviewed  them  in  perfon.    Admiral  RufTel  was  order 
ed  to  put  to  fea  with  all  poflible  expedition  ;  and  Carter, 
with  a  fquadron  of  eighteen  fail,  continued  to  cruife  along 
the  French  coaft,  to  obferve  the  motions  of  the  enemy. 

On  the  I  ith  day  of  May,  Ruflel  failed  from  Rye  to  St. 
Helen's,  where  he  was  joined  by  the  fquadrons  under  De- 
laval  and  Carter.  There  he  received  a  letter  from  the 
earl  of  Nottingham,  intimating,  that  a  report  having 
fpread  of  the  queen's  fufpecling  the  fidelity  of  the  fea  offi 
cers,  her  niajcfty  had  ordered  him  to  declare  in  her  name, 
that  fhe  repofed  the  moft  entire  confidence  in  their  at 
tachment  ;  and  believed  the  report  was  raifed  by  the  ene 
mies  of  the  government.  The  flag-officers  and  captains 
forthwith  drew  up  a  very  loyal  and  dutiful  addrefs,  which 
was  gracioufly  received  by  the  queen,  and  published  for 
the  (atisfa&ktn  of  the  nation.  Ruflel,  being  re-enforced 
by  the  Dutch  fquadrons,  commanded  by  Allemonde,  Cal- 
lembergh,  and  Vandergoes,  fet  fail  for  the  coaft  of  France 
on  the  1 8th  day  of  May,  with  a  fleet  of  ninety-nine  fhips 
of  the  line,  befides  frigates  and  fire-fhips.  Next  day,  a- 
bout  three  o'clock  in  the  morning,  he  difcovered  the  ene 
my,  under  the  Count  de  Tourvillc,  and  threw  out  the 
fignal  for  the  line  of  battle,  which  by  eight  o'clock  was 
formed  in  good  order,  the  Dutch  in  the  van,  the  blue  di- 
vifion  in  the  rear,  and  the  red  in  the  centre.  The  French 
fleet  did  not  exceed  fixty-three  fhips  of  the  line,  and,  as 
they  were  to  windward,  Tourville  might  have  avoided  an 
engagement ;  but,  he  had  received  a  pofitive  order  to 
fight,  on  the  fuppofition  that  the  Dutch  and  Englifti  fqua 
drons  had  not  joined.  Louis,  indeed,  was  apprized  of 
their  junction  before  they  were  defcried  by  his  admiral, 
to  whom  he  difpatched  a  countermanding  order,  by  two 
feveral  veflels ;  but,  one  of  them  was  taken  by  the  Eng- 
liflri,  and  the  other  did  not  arrive  till  the  day  after  the  en 
gagement.  . 

Tourvillc,  therefore,  in  obedience  to  the  firft  mandate,  The  French 
bore   down  along  fide  of  Ruflel's  own  (hip,  which  he  en-  ^'et  e?tirc~ 
gaged  at  a  very  fmall  diftance.    He  fought  with  great  fury  £  Admi- 
till  one  o'clock,  v/hen  his  rigging  and  fails  being  coafi-  r*l  i^fleL 
dcrably  damaged,  his  (hip,  the  Rifmg-Sun,  which  carried 
one   hundred  and  four  cannon,  was  towed  out  of  the  line 
in  great  diforder.     Neverthelefs,  the  engagement  conti 
nued    till  three,  when   the   fleets  were  parted  by  a  thick 
fog.     When    this  abated,  the  enemy  were  defcried  flying 
to   the   northward  ;  and  RufTel  made  the  fignal  for   cha- 


126  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  fmg.  Part  of  the  blue  fquadron  came  up  with  the  enemy, 
,  about    eight   in   the   evening,  and  engaged  them  half  an 

"""V^*1  hour,  during  which  Admiral  Carter  was  mortally  wound 
ed.  Finding  himfelf  in  extremity,  he  exhorted  his  cap 
tain  to  fight  as  long  as  the  {hip  could  fwim;  and  expired 
with  great  compolure.  At  length,  the  French  bore  away 
for  Conquet-Road,  having  loft  four  fhip's  in  this  day's 
action.  Next  day,  about  eight  in  the  morning,  they 
were  difcovered  crouding  away  to  the  weftward,  and  the 
combined  fleets  chaced  with  all  the  fail  they  could  carry, 
until  RufTel's  foretop-maft  came  by  the  board.  Though 
he  was  retarded  by  this  accident,  the  fleet  ftill  continued 
the  purfuit,  and  anchored  near  Cape  La  Hogue.  On 
the  22d  of  the  month,  about  feven  in  the  morning,  par: 
of  the  French  fleet  was  perceived  near  the  Race  of  Alder- 
ney,  fome  at  anchor,  and  fome  driving  to  the  eaftward 
with  the  tide  of  flood.  RufTel,  and  the  fhips  neareft  him, 
immediately  flipped  their  cables  and  chaced.  The  Royal- 
Sun,  having  loft  her  mafts,  ran  afhore  near  Cherbourg, 
where  (he  was  burned  by  Sir  Ralph  Delaval,  together 
with  the  Admirable,  another  firft-rate,  and  the  Conque- 
rant  of  eighty  guns.  Eighteen  other  fhips  of  their  fleet 
ran  into  La  Hogue,  where  they  were  attacked  by  Sir 
George  Rooke,  who  deftroyed  them,  and  a  great  number 
of  tranfports  laden  with  ammunition,  in  the  midft  of  a  ter- 
tible  fire  from  the  enemy,  and  in  fight  of  the  Irifh  camp. 
Sir  John  Afliby,  with  his  own  fquadron  and  fome  Dutch 
fhips,  purfucd  the  reft  of  the  French  fleet,  which  efcaped 
through  the  Race  of  Alderncy,  by  fuch  a  dangerous  paf- 
fage  as  the-  Englifh  could  not  attempt,  without  expofing 
their  fhips  to  the  moft  imminent  hazard.  This  was  a  ve 
ry  mortifying  defeat  to  the  French  king,  who  had  been  fo 
long  flattered  with  an  uninterrupted  feries  of  victories  :  It 
reduced  James  to  the  loweft  ebb  of  dcfpondence,  as  it  fru- 
ftrated  the  whole  fcheme  of  his  embarkation,  and  over 
whelmed  his  friends  in  England,  with  grief  and  defpair. 
Some  hiftorians  alledge,  that  RuflH  did  not  improve  his 
victory  with  all  the  advantages  that  might  have  been  ob 
tained,  before  the  enemy  recovered  of  their  confternation. 
They  fay,  his  affection  to  the  fervice  v/as  in  a  good  mea- 
fure  cooled  by  the  difgrace  of  his  friend,  the  earl  of  Marl- 
borough  :  That  he  hated  the  earl  of  Nottingham,  by 
whofe  canal  he  received  his  orders  ;  and,  that  he  adhered 
to  the  letter,  rather  than  to  the  fpirit  of  his  inftructions. 
But  this  is  a  malicious  imputation;  and  a  very  ungrateful 
return  for  his  manifold  fervices  to  the  nation.  He  acted 
in  this  whole  expedition  with  the  genuine  fpirit  of  a  13ri^ 
lilh  admiral.  -He  plyed  from  the  Norc  to  ths  Downs,  with 


WILLIAM  AND  MARY.  127 

a  very  fcanty  wind,  through  the  dangerous  far.ds,  contrary  CHAP, 
to  the  advice  of  all  his  pilots ;  and  by  this  bold  pafiagc   ef-  • 

fe<fted  a  junction  of  the  different  fquadron?,  which  other- 
wife  the  French  would  have  attacked  fmgly,  and  perhaps 
defeated.  He  behaved  with  great  gallantry  during  the  en 
gagement  ;  and  deflrroyed  about  fifteen  of  the  enemy's  ca 
pital  fhips  :  In  a  word,  he  obtained  fuch  a  decifive  victory, 
that  during  the  remaining  part  of  the  war,  the  French 
would  not  hazard  another  battle  by  fea  with  the  Englifn. 

RufTel  having  ordered  Sir  John  Adi  by,  and  the  Dutch 
Admiral  Callembergh,  to  fteer  towards  Havre  de  Grace, 
and  endeavour  to  deflroy  the  remainder  of  the  French 
fleet,  failed  back  to  St.  Helen's  that  the  damaged  fhips 
might  be  refitted,  and  the  fleet  furnifhed  with  frefh  fup- 
plies  of  provifion  and  ammunition  ;  but  his  principal  mo 
tive  was  to  take  on  board  a  number  of  troops  provided  for 
a  defcent  upon  France,  which  had  been  projected  by  Eng 
land  and  Holland,  with  a  view  to  alarm  and  diffract  the 
enemy  in  their  own  dominions.  The  queen  was  fo  pleaf- 
ed  with  the  victory,  that  {he  ordered  thirty  thoufand  pounds 
to  be  diftributed  among  the  failors.  She  caufed  medals  to 
be  (truck  in  honour  of  the  aclion  ;  and  the  bodies  of  Ad 
miral  Carter  and  Captain  Haftings,  who  had  been  killed 
in  the  battle,  to  be  interred  with  great  funeral  pomp.  In 
the  latter  end  of  July,  feven  thoufand  men,  commanded  by 
Leinfter,  embarked  on  board  tranfports,  to  be  landed  at  St. 
Maloes,  Brett,  or  Rochefort ;  and  the  nation  conceived 
the  moft  fanguine  hopes  of  this  expedition.  A  council  of 
war,  confifHng  of  land  and  fea  officers,  being  held  on 
board  the  Breda,  to  deliberate  upon  the  fcheme  of  the  rr.i- 
niftry,  the  members  unanimously  agreed,  that  the  feafon 
was  too  far  advanced  to  put  it  in  execution.  Ncverthelefs, 
the  admiral  having  detached  Sir  John  Afhby  with  a  fqua  - 
dron  to  intercept  the  remains  of  the  French  fleer.,  in  their 
paflage  from  St.  Malces  to  Brefr,  fet  fail  for  La  Hogue 
with  the  reft  of  the  fleet  and  tranfports  ;  but,  in  a  few 
days,  the  wind  fhifting,  he  was  obliged  to  return  to  St. 
Helen's. 

The  queen  immediately  difpatched  the  marquis  of 
Carmarthen,  the  earls  of  Devonfhire,  Dorfet,  Notting 
ham,  and  Rochefter,  together  with  the  Lords  Sidney  and 
Cornwallis,  to  confwlt  with  the  admiral,  who  demonftrated 
the  impracticability  of  making  an  effectual  defcent  upon 
the  coaft  of  France  at  that  feafon  of  the  year.  The  deiign 
was,  therefore,  laid  afide  ;  and  the  forces  were  tranfported 
to  Flanders.  The  higher  the  hopes  cf  the  nation  had  been 
raifed  by  this  armament,  the  deeper  they  felt  their 
<lifappointment.  A  loud  clamour  wss  r^ifcd  againft 


128  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  the     miniftry,     as    the     authors    of     this     mifcarriage, 
,    The   people    complained,  that    they  were   plundered    and 

V"*1"Y"1*"'  abufed :  That  immenfe  fums  were  extorted  from  them  bv 
1  9**  the  moft  grievous  impofitions  :  That,  by  the  infamous 
expedient  of  borrowing  upon  eftabliftied  funds,  their  taxes 
were  perpetuated :  That  their  burdens  would  daily  in- 
creafe :  That  their  treafure  was  either  fquandered  away 
in  chimerical  projects,  or  expended  in  foreign  connections, 
of  which  England  was  naturally  independent.  They 
were  the  more  excu&ble  for  exclaiming  in  this  manner, 
as  their  trade  had  fuffered  grievoufly  by  the  French  pri 
vateers,  which  fwarmed  in  the  channel.  In  vain  the  mer 
chants  had  recourfe  to  the  admiralty,  which  could  not 
fpare  particular  convoys,  while  large  fleets  were  required 
for  the  defence  of  the  nation.  The  French  king,  having 
nothing  further  to  apprehend  from  the  Englifh  armament, 
withdrew  his  troops  from  the  coaft  of  Normandy  ;  and 
James  returned  in  defpair  to  St.  Germain's,  where  his 
queen  had  been  in  his  abfence  delivered  of  a  daughter,  who 
was  born  in  prefence  of  the  archbifhop  of  Paris,  the  keep 
er  of  the  feals,  and  other  perfons  of  diilin£Uon. 

Louis  had  taken  the  field  in  the  latter  end  of  May. 
On  the  twentieth  day  of  that  month,  he  arrived  at  his 
camp  in  Flanders,  with  all  the  effeminate  pomp  of  an  A- 
fiatic  emperor,  attended  by  his  women  and  parafites,  his 
band  of  mufic,  his  dancers,  his  opera,  and,  in  a  word,  by 
all  the  minifters  of  luxury  and  fenfual  pleafure.  Having 
reviewed  his  army,  which  amounted  to  about  one  hun 
dred  and  twenty  thoufand  men,  he  undertook  the  fiege  of 
Namur,  which  he  inverted  on  both  fides  of  the  Sambre, 
with  about  one  half  of  his  army,  while  the  other  covered 
armdur  fc^~  the  fiege,  under  the  command  of  Luxembourg.  Namur 

taken'  in     is  fituated  on  the  conflux  of  the  Meufe   and  the    Sambre. 

fight  of       The  citadel  was  deemed  one  of  the  ftrongeft  forts  in  Flan- 

Kmg  Wil-  jers   ftrengthened  with  a  new  work  contrived  by  the  fa- 
ham.  ,_  i    r       i     i     •     •  r 

IROUS  engineer  L-oehorn,  who  now  defended  it  in  perion, 
The  Prince  de  Barbafon  commanded  the  garrifon,  confifr- 
ing  of  nine  thoufand  men.  The  place  was  well  fupplied  ; 
and  the  governor  knew  that  King  William  would  make 
ftrong  efforts  for  its  relief;  fo  that  the  befieged  were  ani 
mated  with  many  concurring  confiderations.  Notwith- 
ftanding  thefe  advantages,  the  affailants  carried  on  their 
attacks  with  fuch  vigour,  that  in  feven  days  after  the 
trenches  were  opened,  the  town  capitulated,  and  the  gar 
rifon  retired  into  the  citadel.  King  William,  being 
joined  by  the  troops  of  Brandenburgh  and  Liege,  advanced 
to  the  Mehaigne,  at  the  head  of  one  hundred  thoufand  ef 
fective  men,  and  encamped  within  cannon-fliot  cf  Lux- 


WILLIAM  AND  MARY.  129 

embourg's  army,  which  lay  on  the  other  fide  of  the  river.  CHAP. 
That  general,   however,  had  taken  fuch  precautions,   that  , 

the  king  of  England  could  not  interrupt  the  fiege,  nor  V-X~Y"> 
attack  the  French  lines  wichout  great  difadvantage.  The  l  32' 
befiegers,  encouraged  by  the  prefence  of  their  monarch, 
and  afiifted  by  the  fuperior  abilities  of  Vauban  their  en 
gineer,  repeated  their  attacks  with  fuch  impetuofity,  that 
the  fort  of  Coehorn  was  furrendered,  after  a  very  obfti- 
nate  defence,  in  which  he  himfelf  had  been  dangeroufly 
wounded.  The  citadel  being  thus  left  expofed  to  the  ap 
proaches  of  the  enemy,  could  not  long  withftand  the  vio 
lence  of  their  operations.  The  two  covered  ways  were 
taken  by  afiault.  On  the  twentieth  of  May,  the  gover 
nor  capitulated,  to  the  unfpeakable  mortification  of  King 
William,  who  faw  himfelf  obliged  to  lie  inactive  at  the 
head  of  a  powerful  army,  and.be  an  eye-witnefs  of  the 
lofs  of  the  moft  important  fortrefs  in  the  Netherlands. 
Louis,  havina;  taken  pofleffion  of  the  place,  returned  in 
triumph  to  Verfailles,  where  he  was, flattered  with  all  the 
arts  of  adulation;  while  William's  reputation  fufFered 
a  little  from  his  mifcarriage,  and  the  prince  of 
Barbafon  incurred  the  fufpicion  of  treachery  or  mif- 
co.ndu&. 

Luxembourg  having  placed  a  flrong  ^arrifon  in  Na- 
mur,  detached  Boufflers  with  a  body  of  troops  to  La  Buf- 
fiere,  and  with  the  reft  of  his  army  encamped  at  Soignies. 
The  king  of  England  font  off  detachments  towards  Liege 
and  Ghent ;  and  on  the  fixth  day  cf  July  ported  himfelf  at 
Genap,  refolved  to  fcize  the  firft  opportunity  of  retrieving 
his  honour,  by  attacking  the  enemy.  Having  received  in 
telligence,  that  the  French  General  was  in  motion,  and 
intended  to  take  poft  between  Steenkerke  and  Enghein 
he  pafled  the  river  Sennc,  in  order  to  anticipate  his  pur- 
pofe;  but,  in  fpite  of  all  his  diligence,  Luxembourg 
gained  his  point;  ;;nd  William  encamped  at  Lembecq, 
within  fix  miles  of  the  French  army.  Here  he  refolved, 
in  a  council  of  war,  to  attack  the  enemy;  and  every  dif- 
pofition  was  made  for  that  purpofe.  The  heavy  baggage 
he  ordered  to  be  conveyed  to  the  other  fide  of  the  Senn.  ; 
and  one  Millevoix,  a  detected  fpy,  was  compelled  by  me 
naces  to  miflead  Luxembourg  with  falftv  intelligence,  im 
porting,  that  he  need  not  be  alarmed  at  the  motions  cf  the 
allies,  who  intended  next  day  to  make  a  general  forage. 
Gn  the  twenty-fourth  day  of  July,  the  army  began  re 
move  from  the  left,  in  t\vo  columns,  as  the  ground  would 
not  admit  of  their  marching  in  an  extended  front.  The 
Prince  of  Wirtemberg  began  the  attack  on  the  right  of 
the  enemy,  at  the  head  of  ten  battalions  of  Englifli,  Daniih, 
VOL.  I.  R 


t$o  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK,  and  Dutch  infantry :  He  was  fupported  by  a  confiderabfe 
body  of  Britilh  horfe  and  foot,  commanded  by  Lieutenant- 

^^T"^  General  Mackay.  Though  the  ground  was  interfered 
3  52'  by  hedges,  ditches,  and  narrow  defiles,  the  Prince  marched 
with  fuch  diligence,  that  he  was  in  a  condition  to  begin 
the  battle  about  two  in  the  afternoon,  when  he  charged 
the  French  with  fuch  impetuofity,  that  they  were  driven 
from  their  pofts,  and  their  whole  camp  became  a  fcene  of 
tumult  and  confufion.  Luxembourg,  trailing  to  the  in 
telligence  he  had  received,  allowed  himfelf  to  be  furprifed  ; 
and  it  required  the  full  exertion  of  his  fuperior  talents,  to 
remedy  the  confequences  of  his  neglect.  He  forthwith 
forgot  a  fevere  indifpofition  under  which  he  then  laboured. 
He  rallied  his  broken  battalions.  He  drew  up  his  forces 
in  order  of  battle,  and  led  them  to  the  charge  in  perfon. 
The  Duke  de  Chartres,  who  was  then  in  the  fifteenth 
year  of  his  age,  the  Dukes  of  Bourbon  and  Vendome, 
the  Prince  of  Conti,  and  a  great  number  of  volunteers  of 
the  firft  quality,  put  thcmfelves  at  the  head  of  the  houfe- 
hold  troops,  and  fell  with  great  fury  upon  the  Englifh, 
who  were  very  ill  fupported  by  count  Solmes,  the  officer 
who  commanded  tht:  centre  of  the  allies.  The  Prince  of 
Wirtemberg  had  taken  one  of  the  enemy's  batteries,  and 
actually  penetrated  into  their  lines.  But,  finding  himfelf 
in  danger  of  being  overpowered  by  numbers,  he  fent  an 
aide-du-camp  twice,  to  demand  fuccours  from  Solmes, 
who  derided  his  diftre'fs,  faying,  "  Let  us  fee  what  fport 
"  thcfe  Englifh  bull-dogs  will  make."  At  length,  when 
the  king  fent  an  exprefs  order,  commanding  him  to  fuf- 
tain  the  left  wing,  he  mace  a  motion  with  his  horfe,  which 
could  not  act  while  his  infantry  kept  their  ground ;  and 
the  Britifh  troops,  with  a  few  Dutch  and  Danes,  bore  the 
•whole  brunt  of  the  engagement.  They  fought  with  fur- 
prifing  courage  and  perfeverance  againft  dreadful  odds  ; 
and  the  event  of  the  battle  continued  doubtful,  until 
BoufHers  joined  the,  French  army  with  a  great  body  of 
dragoons.  The  allies  could  not  fuftain  the  additional 
weight  of  this  re-enforcement,  before  which  they  gave 
way,  though  the  retreat  was  made  in  tolerable  order ;  and 
the  enemy  did  not  think  proper  to  profecute  the  advantage 
they  had  gained.  In  this  action,  the  confederates  loft  the 
Earl  of  Angus,  General  Mackay,  Sir  John  Lanier,  Sir 
Robert  Douglas,  and  many  other  gallant  officers,  together 
with  about  three  thoufand  men  left  dead  on  the  fpot,  the 
fame  number  wounded  or  taken,  a  great  many  colours 
and  ftandards,  and  feveral  pieces  of  cannon. 

The  French,  however,  reaped  no  folid  advantage  from 
this  victory,  which  coft  them  about  three  thoufand  men,. 


WILLIAM  AND  MARY.  131 

including  the  prince  of  Turcnne,  the  marquis  de  Belle-  C  H  A  p- 
fond,  Tilladet,  and  Fermacon,  with  many  officers  of  di- 
ftinciion  :  As  for  Millevoix  the  fpy,  he  was  hanged  on  a 
tree,  on  the  right  wing  of  the  allied  army.  King  William  l69- 
retired  unmolefted  to  his  own  camp;  and,  notwithfiand- 
ing  all  his  overthrows,  continued  a  refpectable  enemy,  by- 
dint  of  invincible  fortitude,  and  a  genius  fruitful  in  re- 
refources.  That  he  was  formidable  to  the  French  na 
tion,  even  in  the  mid  ft  of  his  ill  fuccefs,  appears  from 
divers  undeniable  testimonies,  and  from  none  more  than 
from  the  extravagance  of  joy  exprciied  by  the  peoplj  of 
France,  on  occafion  of  this  unimportant  victory.  When 
the  princes  who  ferved  in  the  battle  returned  to  Pari?, 
the  roads  through  which  they  pafled  were  almoft  block-.; 
up  with  multitudes;  and  the  whole  air  refounded  with  ac 
clamation.  All  the  ornaments  of  the  fafhion  peculiar  to 
both  fexes  adopted  the  name  of  Steenkerke  :  Every  indi 
vidual  who  had  been  perfonally  engaged  in  the  action  was 
revered  as  a  being  of  a  fuperior  fpecies  ;  and  the  tranfports 
of  the  women  rofe  almoft  to  a  degree  of  frenzy. 

The  French  miniftry  did  not  entirely  depend  upon  the 
fortune  of  the  war  for  the  execution  of  their  revenge  a- 
gainft  King  William.  They  likewife  employed  aflafiins 
to  deprive  him  of  life,  in  the  rnoft  treacherous  manner. 
When  Louvois  died,  his  fon,  the  marquis  de  Barbefieux, 
who  fucceeded  him  in  his  office  of  fecretary,  found,  amon.j- 
his  papers,  the  draft  of  a  fcheme  for  this  ptirpofe,  and  im 
mediately  revived  the  defign,  by  means  of  the  chevalier 
de  Grandval,  a  captain  of  dragoons  in  the  fervice.  He 
and  Colonel  Parker  engaged  one  Dumcnt,  who  undertook  A-p!?t 
to  aflaffinate  King  William.  Madame  de  Maintenon,  nfT 
and  Paparel,  paymaster  to  the  French  army,  were  privy  to  Ham. 
the  fcheme,  which  they  encouraged  :  The  confpirators 
are  faid  to  have  obtained  an  audience  of  King  James,  who 
approved  of  their  undertaking,  and  affured  them  of  his 
protection ;  but  that  unfortunate  monarch  was  unjuftly 
charged  with  the  guilt  of  countenancing  the  intended  mur 
der,  as  they  communicated  nothing  to  him  but  an  at 
tempt  to  feize  the  perfon  of  the  prince  of  Orange.  Du- 
mont  actually  enlifted  in  the  confederate  army,  that  he 
might  have  the  better  opportunity  to  moot  the  king  of 
England  when  he  fhould  ride  out  to  vifit  the  lines,  while 
Grandval  and  Parker  repaired  to  the  French  camp,  with 
orders  to  Luxembourg  to  furnifh  them  with  a  party  of 
horfe  for  the  refcue  of  Dumont,  after  the  blow  fliould  be 
ftruck.  Whether  this  man's  heart  failed  him,  or, he  could 
not  find  the  opportunity  he  defired,  after  having  refided 
weeks,  in  the  camp  of  the  allies,  he  retired  to  Hano- 


j32  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  ver ;  but  {till  corrcfponded  with  Grandval  and  Barbefieux. 
This  laft  admitted  one   Leefdale,  a  Dutch  baron,  into  the 

(~f~Y^J  fecret,  and  likewife  imparted  it  to  Monfieur  Chanlais, 
1693.  quarter-mailer  general  of  the  French  army,  who  animat 
ed  Grandval  and  Leefdale  with  the  promife  of  a  confi- 
derable  reward,  and  promifed  to  co-operate  with  Parker 
for  bringing  off  Dumont ;  for  this  affamn  ftill  perfifted  in 
his  undertaking.  Leefdale  had  bsen  fent  from  Holland, 
on  purpofe  to  dive  to  the  bottom  of  this  confpiracy,  in 
co-nfequence  of  advice  given  by  the  Britifh  envoy  at  Hano 
ver,  where  Dumont  had  dropped  fome  hints  that  Alarmed 
his  fufpicion.  The  Dutchman  not  only  infmuated  hiin- 
felf  into  the  confidence  of  the  confpirators,  but  likewife 
inveigled  Grandval  to  Eyndhoven,  where  he  was  appre 
hended.  Underihmding  that  Dumont  had  already  difcover- 
ed  the  defign  to  the  duke  of  Zell,  and  that  he  himfelf  had 
been  betrayed  by  Leefdale,  he  freely  confeffed  all  the  par 
ticular?,  without  enduring  the  torture  ;  and,  being 
found  guilty  by  a  court-martial,  was  executed  as  a 
traitor. 

About  this  period,  the  duke  of  Leinfter  arrived  at  Of- 
tend,  with  the  troops  which  had  been  embarked  at  St. 
Helen's.  He  was  furnifhed  with  cannon  fent  down  the 
Meufe  from  Maeftricht  ;  and  re-enforced  by  a  large  de 
tachment  from  the  king's  camp  at  Gramont,  under  the 
command  of  General  Ptolemachc.  He  took  pofTeflion  of 
Furnes,  was  joined  by  the  earl  of  Portland  and  M.  D'Au- 
verquerque,  and  a  difpolition  was  made  for  inverting  Dun- 
kir- ;  but,  on  further  deliberation,  the  enterprize  was 
thought  very  dangerous,  and  therefore  laid  afide.  Furnes 
and  Dixrauyde,  lately  reduced  by  Brigadier  Ramfay,  were 
Strengthened  with  new  works,  and  fccured  by  ftrong  gar- 
rifons.  The  cannon  were  fent  back,  and  the  troops  re 
turning  to  Oftend,  re-embarked  for  England.  This  fruit- 
lefs  expediti.  •  :,  added  to  the  inglorious  iflue  of  the  campaign, 
increafed  the  ill-humour  of  the  Britiih  nation.  They  tax 
ed  William  with  having  lain  inactive  at  Gramont,  with 
an  army  of  one  hundred  thoufand  men,  while  Luxembourg 
was  ported  at  Bourtray  with  half  that  number.  They  faid, 
if  he  had  found  the  French  lines  too  ftrong  to  be  forced, 
he  might  have  palled  the  Scheldt  higher  up,  and  not  only 
laid  the  enemy's  conqueils  under  contribution,  but  even 
marched  into  the  bowels  of  France ;  and  they  complained 
that  Furnes  and  Dixmuyde  were  not  worth  the  fums  ex 
pended  in  maintaining  their  garrifons.  On  the  26th  day 
of  September,  King  William  left  the  army  under  the  com 
mand  of  the  elector  of  Bavaria,  a-;-id  repaired  to  his  boufb 
at  Loo  :  In  two  days  after  his  departure  the  camp  at  Gra- 


WILLIAM  AND  MARY.  133 

mont  was  broke  up;  the  infantry  marched  to  Marien-  CHAP, 
kerke,  and  the  horfe  to  Gaure.  On  the  i6th  day  of  OC- 
tober,  the  king  receiving  intelligence,  that  BoufHers  had 
inverted  Charlcroy,  and  Luxembourg  taken  pofc  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  Conde,  ordered  the  troops  to  be  in- 
ftantly  re-r.flbmbled  between  the  village  of  Ixells  r.nd  Halle, 
with  dcfign  to  raife  the  fiege,  and  repaired  to  BrufTels, 
where  he  held  a  council  of  war,  in  which  the  proper  mea- 
furcs  Trere  concerted.  He  then  returned  to  Holland, 
leaving  the  command  with  the  elector  of  Bavaria,  who 
forthwith  began  his  march  to  Charleroy.  At  his  approach, 
BoufBers  abandoned  the  fiege,  and  moved  towards  Philip- 
ville.  The  elector  having  re-enforced  the  place,  and 
thrown  fupplies  into  Aeth,  diftributed  his  forces  into  win 
ter-quarters.  Then  Luxembourg,  who  had  cantoned 
his  army  between  Conde,  Leuze,  and  Tournay,  re 
turned  t<$  Paris,  leaving  Boiifflers  to  command  in  his  ab- 
fence. 

The  allies  had  been  unfuccefsful  in  Flanders,  and  they 
were  not  fortunate  in  Germany.  The  landgrave  of  Hefle- 
Caflel  undertook  the  fiege  of  Eberemburgh,  which,  how 
ever,  he  was  obliged  to  abandon.  The  duke  de  Lorges, 
who  commanded  the  French  forces  on  the  Rhine,  furprif- 
ed,  defeated  arid  took  the  duke  of  Wirtemberg,  who  had 
ported  himfdf  with  four  thoufand  horfe  near  Eidelfheim, 
to  check  the  progrefs  of  the  enemy.  Count  Tr.Hard  hav 
ing  inverted  Rhinefcld,  the  landgrave  marched  to  its  re 
lief  with  fuch  expedition,  that  the  French  were  obliged  to 
defirt,  and  retreat  with  confiderable  damage.  The  elector 
of  Saxony  had  engaged  to  bring  an  army  into  the  field  ; 
but  he  complained  that  the  emperor  left  the  burden  of  the 
war  with  France  upon  the  princes,  and  converted  his 
chief  power  and  attention  to  the  campaign  in  Hungary. 
A  jealoufy  and  mifunderrtanding  enfued:  Schoenina;,  the 
Saxon  general,  in  his  way  to  the  hot-baths  at  DabTitz  in 
Bohemia,  was  feized  by  the  emperor's  order,  on  fufpicion 
of  having  maintained  a  private  correfpondence  with  the 
enemy,  and  very  warm  expoftulations  on  this  fubjecT:  paf- 
fed  between  the  courts  of  Vienna  and  Drefden.  Schoen- 
ing  wTas  detained  two  years  in  cuftody ;  and  at  length  re- 
leafed,  on  condition  that  he  fhould  never  be  employed 
again  in  the  empire.  The  war  in  Hungary  produced  no 
event  of  importance.  The  minirtryof  the  Ottoman  Porte 
was  diftra&ed  by  factions,  and  the  feraglio  threatened  with 
tumult?.  The  people  were  tired  of  maintaining  an  un 
fuccefsful  war:  The  vifir  was  depofed  ;  and,  in  the  midft: 
of  this  confufion,  the  garrifon  of  Great  Waradin,  which 
had  been  blocked  up  by  the  Imperialirts  during  the  whole 


HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  winter,  furrendered  on  capitulation.  Lord  Pager.,  the 
Englifh  ambaffiidor  at  Vienna,  was  fent  to  Confluminople, 
with  powers  to  mediate  a  peace  :  But  the  terms  offered  by 
the  emperor  were  rejected  at  the  Porte  :  The  Turkim 
army  lay  upcm  the  defenfive,  and  the  (lafon  was  fpent  in  a 
fruidefs  negociation. 

The  profpe6i  of  affairs  in  Piedmont  was  favourable  for 
the  allies  ;  but  the  court  of  France  had  brought  the  pope 
to  an  accommodotion,  and  began  to  tamper  with  the  duke 
of  Savoy.     M.  Chanlais  was  fent  to  Turin,  with  advanta 
geous    propofals,  which,  however,  the    duke    would   not 
accept,  becaufe  bethought  himfelf entitled  to  better  terms, 
confidering  that  the  allied  army  in  Piedmont  amounted  to 
fifty  thoufand  effective  men,  while  Catinat's  forces  were 
not  fuffrcient  to  defend  his  conquefts  in  that  country.     In 
the  month  of  July  the  duke  marched  into  Dauphine,  where 
he  plundered  a   number  of  villages,  and   reduced  the  for- 
trefs  of  Guilleftre;  then  paffing  the  river  Darance,  he  in- 
vefted  Ambrun,  which,  afcer  a  fiege  of  nine  days,  furren 
dered  on  capitulation  :   He   afterwards  laid   all  the  neigh 
bouring  towns  under  contribution.     Here  Duke  Schom- 
berg,  who  commanded  the  auxiliaries  in  the  Englifh  pay, 
published  a  declaration,  in   the  name  of  King   William> 
inviting  the  people  to  join  his  ftandard,  affurino:  them  that 
his  mailer  had  no  other  defign  in  ordering  his    troops    to 
invade  France,  but  that  of  reftoring  the  noblefie  to   their 
ancient  fplendour,  their  parliaments  to  their  former  autho 
rity,  and  the  people  to  their  juft  privileges.     He  even  of 
fered  his  protection  to  the  clergy,  and  promifed  to  ufe  his 
endeavours  for  reviving  the  edicl  of  Nantes,  which   had 
been  guaranteed  by  the  kings  of  England.     Thefe  offers, 
however,  produced  little  effect;  and  the  Germans  ravaged 
the  whole  country,  in  revenge  for  the  cruelties  which  the 
French  had  committed  in  the  Palatinate.     The  allied  ar 
my  advanced  from  Ambrun  to  Gap,  on  the  frontiers  of  Pro 
vence,  and  this  place  fubmitted  without  oppofition.     The 
inhabitants  of  Grenoble,  the  capital  of  Dauphine,  and  even 
of  Lyons,  were   overwhelmed  with  confternation ;  and  a 
fairer  opportunity  of  humbling  France  could  never  occur, 
as  that  part  of  the  kingdom  had  been  left  almoft  quite  de- 
fencelefs  :   But  this  was  fatally  neglecled,  either  from  the 
fpifit  of  diffenfion  which  began  to  prevail  in  the  allied  ar 
my,  or  from    the    indifpoiition  of  the  duke  of  Savoy,  who 
was  feized  with  the  fmall-pox  in  the  midft  of  this  expedi 
tion  ;  or,     laflly,    to  his   want  of  fincerity,    which    was 
fhrewdly  fufpecled.      He  is  faid  to  have  maintained  a  con- 
ftant  correfpondence  with  the  court  of  Verfailles,  in  com- 
plaifance  to  which  he  retarded  the  operations  of  the  confe- 


WILLIAM  AND  MARY.  135 

derates.     Certain  it  is,  he  evacuated  all  his  conquefts,  and  c  H  A  p. 
about  the  middle  of  September  quitted  the  P'rench  territo-       m- 
ries,  after   having   pillaged   and    laid   wafte  the    country  ^— "Y^ 
through   which   he   had  penetrated  *.     In   Catalonia  the      l692- 
French  attempted  nothing  of  importance  during  this  cam 
paign,  and  the  Spaniards   were    wholly  inactive    in   that 
province. 

The  Proteftant  intereft  in  Germany  acquired  an  accef-  Theduk-*, 
fiori  of  ftrength,  by  the  creation  of  a  ninth  electorate  in  fa-  of  Hanover 
vourof  Erneft  Au^uftus,  duke  of  Hanover.     He  had,  by  created  a" 
this  time,  renounced  all  his  connexions  with  France,  and  ° 

engaged  to  enter  heartily  into  the  intereft  of  the  allies,  in 
confideration  of  his  obtaining  the  electoral  dignity.  King 
William  exerted  himfelffo  vigoroufly  in  his  behalf  at  the 
court  of  Vienna,  that  the  emperor  agreed  to  the  propo- 
fal,  in  cafe  the  confent  of  the  other  electors  could  be 
procured.  This  affent,  however,  was  extorted  by  the 
importunities  of  the  king  of  England,  whom  he  durft  not 
difoblige.  Leopold  was  blindly  bigotted  to  the  religion  of 
Rome,  and  consequently  aveife  to  a  new  creation,  that 
would  weaken  the  Catholic  intereft  in  the  electoral  col 
lege.  He,  therefore,  employed  his  emiffaries  to  thwart 
the  duke's  meafures.  Some  Proteftant  princes  oppofed~him 
from  motives  of  jenloufy,  and  the  French  king  ufcd  all  his 
artifices  and  influence  to  prevent  the  elevation  of  the  houfe 
of  Hanover.  When  the  duke  had  furmounted  all  this  op- 
pofiticn,  fo  far  as  to  gain  over  a  majority  of  the  electors, 
new  objections  were  ftarted.  The  emperor  fuggefted 
that  another  Popifh  electorate  fhould  be  created,  to  ba 
lance  the  advantage  which  the  Lutherans  would  reap  from 
that  of  Hanover ;  and  he  propofed  that  Auftria  fhould  be 
raifed  to  the  fame  dignity  :  But  violent  oppofition  was 
made  to  this  expedient,  which  would  have  vefted  the  em 
peror  with  a  double  vote  in  the  ele6toral  college.  At 
length,  after  a  tedious  negociation,  the  duke  of  Hanover, 
en  the  iQth  day  of  December,  was  honoured  with  the  in- 
veftiture,  as  elector  of  Brunfwick ;  created  great  marfhal 
of  the  empire,  and  did  not  homage  to  the  emperor :  Never- 
thelefs,  he  was  not  yet  admitted  into  the  college,  becaufe 
he  had  not  been  able  to  procure  the  unanimous  confent  of 
all  the  electors  f. 

*  At  this  period  Queen  Mary, understanding  that  the  ProteAant  Vandois  were 
deftit'. ,  of  ministers  to  preach  or  teach  the  gofpel,  eitablithed  a  fund  trom  her 
own  privy  purfe,  to  maintain  ten  preachers,  and  as  many  fchoolmailers,  in  the 
'.allies  of  Piedmont. 

-f  In  thy  beginning  of  September,  the  fliock  of  an  earthquake  was  felt  i;i 
London,  and  inaay  other  parts  of  England,  as  well  as  in  France,  Germany, 
aad  th«  Netherlands.  Violent  agitations  of  the  fanas  kind  hai  happ-aed 


136  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK       While  King  William  feemed   wholly  engrafted  by  the 
affairs  of  the  continent,  England  was  diitra&ed  by  dome- 


ftic  difienfion,  and  overfpread  with  vice,  corruption,  and 
mefti'c  profanity*  Over  and  above  the  Jacobites,  there  was  a  fet 
of  malcontents,  whofc  number  daily  iacreafed.  They  not  on 
ly  murmured  at  the  grievances  of  the  nation,  butcompofed 
and  publifhed  elaborate  diflertations  upon  the  fam^  fubjecT:. 
Thefe  made  fuch  impreflions  upon  the  people,  already  ir 
ritated  by  heavy  burthens,  diftrefled  in  their  trade,  and 
difappointed  in  their  fanguine  expectations,  that  the  queen 
thought  it  neceflary  to  check  the  progrefs  of  thofe  writers, 
by  ifiuing  out  a  proclamation,  offering  a  reward  to  fuch 
as  would  difcover  feditious  libellers.  The  earl  of  Marl- 
borough  had  been  committed  to  the  Tower,  on  the  in 
formation  of  one  Robert  Young,  a  prifoner  in  Newgate, 
who  had  forged  that  nobleman's  hand-writing,  and  con 
trived  the  fcheme  of  an  aflbciation  in  favqur  of  King 
James,  to  which  he  affixed  the  names  of  the  earls  of 
Marlborough  and  Salifbury,  Sprat,  bifhop  of  Rochefter, 
the  Lord  Cornbury  and  Sir  Balfil  Fireb  race.  One  of  his 
emiflaries  had  found  means  to  conceal  this  paper  in  a  cer 
tain  part  of  the  biftiop's  houfe,  at  Bromley  in  Kent,  where 
it  was  found  by  the  king's  mefiengers,  who  fecured  the 
prelate  in  confequence  of  Young's  information.  But  he 
vindicated  himfelf  to  the  fatisfa&ion  of  the  former  council, 
and  the  forgery  of  the  informer  was  detected  by  the  con- 
feffion  of  his  accomplice.  The  bifhop  obtained  his  re- 
Icafe  immediately,  and  the  earl  of  Marlborough  was  ad 
mitted  to  -bail  in  the  court  of  King's-Bench. 

So  many  perfons  of  character  and  diftinclion  had  been 
imprifoned  during  this  reign,  upon  the  flighteft  fufpicion, 
that  the  difcontented  part  of  the  nation  had  fome  reafon  to 
infinuate  they  had  only  exchanged  one  tyrant  for  another. 
They  affirmed,  that  the  Habeas  Corpus  aft  was  either 
inefficient  to  protect  the  fubjeft  from  falfe  imprifonment, 
or  had  been  fhamefully  mifufed.  They  expatiated  upon 
the  lofs  of  (hips,  which  had  lately  fallen  a  prey  to  the  ene 
my;  the  confumption  of  feamen;  the  nc-glccl:  of  the  fifhe- 
ries  ;  the  interruption  of  commerce,  in  which  the  nation 
was  fupplanted  by  her  allies,  as  well  as  invaded  by  her 
enemies;  the  low  ebb  of  the  kingdom's  treafure,  exhauft- 
ed  in  hiring  foreign  bottoms,  an'*  paying  foreign  troops 
to  fight  foreign  quarrels;  and  the  flaughter  of  the  beft  and 
braveft  of  their  countrymen,  whofe  bloood  had  been  la- 

abcut  two  months  before  in  Sicily  and  Malta  ;  and  ths  town  of  Port-Royal, 
in  Jamaica,  was  almoft  totally  ruined  by  an  earthquake  :  The  place  was  fj 
fudJenly  overflowed,  thatabcut  fifeen  hundred  perfons  penfhi-j.  ' 


WILLIAM  AND  MARY.  137 

viftily  fpilt  in  fupport  of  connexions  with  which  they  ought  CHAP, 
to  have  had    no   concern.     They  demonftrated    the   mif-         1!I- 
chiefs  that  neceffarily  arofe  from  the  unfettK*!   ftate  of  the  ^-""y^-' 
nation.     They  obferved  that  the  government  could  not  be      I(592- 
dulyeftablifhed,  until  a  folemn  declaration  foould  confirm 
the  legality  of  that  tenure  by  which  their   majeilics  poflef- 
fedthe  throne:  That  the  ftructure  of  parliaments  was  de 
ficient  in  point  of  folidity,  as  they  exifted  entirely   at   the 
pleafure  of  the  crown,  which  would  ufe  them  no   longer 
than  they  {hould  be  found  necefTary  in   raifing  fupplies  for 
the  ufe  of  the  government.     They   exclaimed  againft  the 
practice  of  quartering  foloiers    in  private  houies,  contrary 
to  the  ancient  laws  of  the  land,  the  petition  of  right?,  and 
the  fubfequent   aft  on  that  (ubje6l    pafled  in  the  reign  of 
the  fecond  Charles.   They  enumerated  among  their  eriev- 
nnces  the  violation  of  property,  hy  proofing  tranfport  fhips 
into  the  fervice,  without  fettling  any  fund  of  payment  for 
the  owners  ;  the  condition  of  the  militia,  which  was  equally 
burthenfome  and  ufelefs ;  the  flagrant   partiality  in  favour 
of  allies,  who  carried  on  an  open  commerce  with  France, 
and  fupplied  the  enemy  with  neceflaries,  while  the  Englifh. 
laboured  under  the  fevered    prohibitions,  and  were  in  ef 
fect,  the  dupes  of  thofe  very  powers  whom  they  protected. 
They  dwelt  upon  the  miniftry's    want   of  conduct,    fore- 
fight,  and  intelligence,  and   inveighed  againft  their  igno 
rance,  infolence,  and  negleci,  which  were  as  pernicious  to 
the  nation  as  if  they  had  formed  a  defign  of  reducing  it  to 
thelovveft  ebb  of  difgrace  and  deftru£Hon.      By  this  time, 
indeed,  public  virtue  was    become  the  object  of  ridicule, 
and  the  whole  kingdom  was  overfpread   with    immorality 
and  corruption:  towards  the  increafe  of  which  many  con 
curring  circumftances  happened  to  contribute.     The  peo 
ple  were   divided    into  three  parties,  namely,  the  Willia- 
i:'.ites,  the  Jacobites,  and  the  difcontented  Kevolutioners. 
Thefe  factions  took  all  opportunities  to  thwart,  to  expofe 
and  to  ridicule  the  menfures  and  principles  of  each  other; 
fo  that  patriotifm  was  laughed  out  of  doors,  as  an-  hypocri 
tical  pretence.     This   contention  eftabliihed  a  belief,  that 
every  man  confulted  his  own  private  intereft  at  the  expence 
cf  the  public  :  A  belief  that  foon  grew  into  a  maxim  al- 
moft  univerfally  adopted.     The  practice  of  bribing  a  ma 
jority  in  parliament  had  a  pernicious   influence    upon  t'~:e 
morals  of  all  ranks  of  people,  from    the    candidate    to   the 
loweft  borough-ele&or.       The  expedient  of  eftabiiihing 
fcmds  of  credit  for  raifing;  fupplies   to  defray  the  expences 
Ci1  government,  threw  lar^e  premiums  and  furr.s  cf  money 
into  the  hands  of  low,  fordid  ufurers,  brokers,  and  jobbers, 
who  diftingui&ed  themiclves  by  the  name  of  the  Monied- 
V«L.  I.  S 


138  .HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK   intereft.     Intoxicated  by  this  flow  of  wealth,  they  affect 
ed  to  rival  th  3  luxury  and  magnificence  of  their  fuperiors  ; 
V**"Y~*~;    but,  being   deftitute  of  fentiment  and  tafte,  to   conduct 
3^9Z-      them  in  their  new  career,  they  ran  into  the   moft  abfurd 
and  illiberal  extravagancies.     They  laid    afide    all  deco 
rum;  became   lewd,  infolent,    intemperate,  and    riotous. 
Their  example  was  caught  by  the  vulgar.     All  principle, 
and  even  decency,  was  gradually  banifhed  ;  talent  lay  un 
cultivated,  and  the  land  was  deluged  with  a  tide  of  igno 
rance  and  profligacy. 

King  Wil-       King  William  having  afcertained    the   winter-quarters 
iram  re-       of  the  army,  and  concerted  the  operations  of  the  enfuing; 

turns  to  .         J '.  ,      ,       _  ,r         .      .  •    -n  r   i 

England,  campaign  with  the  ftates-general,  and  the  minifters  of  the 
allies,  fet  fail  for  England  on  the  1 5th  day  of  October  j 
on  the  1 8th  landed  at  Yarmouth,  was  met  by  the  queen  at 
Newhall,  and  pafled  through  the  city  of  London  to  Ken- 
fington,  amidft  the  acclamations  of  the  populace.  He  re 
ceived  a  congratulatory  addrefs  from  the  lord  mayor  and 
aldermen,  with  whom  he  dined  in  public  by  invitation. 
A  day  of  thankfgiving  was  appointed  for  the.  victory  ob 
tained  at  fea.  The  Luteftring  company  was  eftablifhed 
by  patent,  and  the  parliament  met  on  the  4th  day  of  No 
vember.  The  houfe  of  lords  was  deeply  infected  with 
difcontenr,  which  in  fome  meafure  proceeded  from  the  dif- 
fenfion  oetween  the  queen  and  her  fifter  the  princefs  of 
Denmark,  which  laft  underwent  every  mortification  that 
the  court  could  inflict.  Her  guards  were  taken  away; 
all  honours  which  had  been  paid  to  her  rank  by  the  magi- 
ftrates  of  Bath,  where  fhe  fometimes  refided,  and  even  by 
the  minifters  of  the  church  where  fhc  attended  at  divine 
fcrvice,  were  difcontinued,  by  the  exprefs  order  of  his 
wajefty.  Her  caufe  was  naturally  efpoufed  by  thofe  no 
blemen  who  had  adhered  to  her  in  her  former  conteft  with 
the  king,  about  an  independent  fettlement;  and  thefe 
were  now  re-enforced  by  all  the  friends  of  the  earl  of  Marl- 
borough,  united  by  a  double  tie:  for  they  refented  the 
difgrace  and  confinement  of  that  lord,  and  thought  it  their 
duty  to  fupport  the  Princefs  Anne  under  a  perfecution  in 
curred  by  an  attachment  to  his  countefs.  The  earl  of 
Shrewfbury  lived  in  friendfliip  with  Marlborough,  and 
thought  he  had  been  ungratefully  treated  by  the  king : 
The  marquis  of  Hallifax  befriended  him,  from  oppofition 
to  the  miniftry:  The  earl  of  Mulgrave,  for  an  opportu 
nity  to  difplay  his  talents,  and  acquire  that  confideration 
which  he  thought  due  to  his  merit.  Devonfhire,  Mon 
tague,  and  Bradford,  joined  in  the  fame  caufe  from  prin 
ciple  :  The  fame  pretence  was  ufed  by  the  earls  of  Stam 
ford,  Monmouth,  Warrington,  and  other  Whigs  ;  though.. 


WILLIAM  AND  MARY. 

in  effect  they  were   actuated  by  jealoufy  and   refentment  CHAP. 
againft  thofe  by  whom  they  had  been  fupplanted.     As  for       IIJ- 
the  Jacobites,  they  gladly   contributed  their    affiftance  to  ^"Y^^ 
promote  any  fchcme  that  had  a  tendency  to  embroil  the  ad-       ^92- 
miniftration. 

The  kine,  in  his  fpeech  to  parliament,  thanked  them  Parliament- 
for  their  laft  fupplies,  congratulated  them  upon  the  vi6lo-  ai7  Pr°- 
ry  obtained  at  fea,  condoled  them  on  the  bad  fucceis  of  the  cee  lng'* 
campaign  by  land,  magnified  the  power  of  France,  repre- 
fentxl  the  neceffity  of  maintaining  a  great  force  to  oppofe 
it,  :ind  demand  fubfidies  equal  to  the  occafion.  He  ex- 
preffed  his  reluctance  to  load  them  with  additional  burden?, 
which,  he  faid,  could  not  be  avoided,  without  expofing  his 
kingdom  to  inevitable  deftruclion.  Fie  defired  their  ad- 
towards  lefiening  the  inconvenience  of  exporting 
money  for  the  payment  of  the  forces.  He  intimated  a  de- 
fign  of  making  a  defcent  upon  France ;  declared  he  had  no 
aim  but  to  make  his  fubjecb  a  happy  people  ;  and  that  he 
would  again  chearfully  expofehis  life  for  the  welfare  of  the 
nation.  The  lords,  after  an  adjournment  of  three  days, 
began,  with  great  warmth,  to  aflert  their  privileges,  which 
they  conceived  had  been  violated  in  the  cafes  of  the  earl  of 
Marlborough,  and  the  other  noblemen,  who  had  been  ap 
prehended,  committed  to  prifon,  and  afterwards  admitted 
to  bail  by  the  court  of  king's-bench.  Thefe  circumftar,- 
ces  being  fully  difcufled  in  a  violent  debate,  the  houfe  or 
dered  Lord  Lucas,  conftable  of  the  tower,  to  produce  the 
warrants  of  commitment,  and  the  clerk  of  the  king's- 
bench  to  deliver  the  affidavit  of  Aaron  Smith,  the  court- 
folicitor,  upon  which  the  lords  had  been  remanded  to  pri- 
ibn.  At  the  fame  time,  the  whole  affair  was  referred  to 
a  committee,  empowered  to  fend  for  perfons,  papers,  and 
records.  The  judges  were  ordered  to  attend :  Aaron 
Smith  was  examined,  touching  the  evidence  againft  the 
committed  lords.  The  committee  reported  their  general 
refolution,  which  produced  a  vehement  difpute.  The 
opinion  of  the  judges  was  unfatisfaclory  to  both  parties  : 
The  debate  was  referred  to  a  committee  of  the  whole 
houfe,  in  which  it  was  refclved,  and  declared,  as  the  fenfe 
of  that  aflernbly,  that  in  purfuance  of  the  Habeas  Corpus 
acr,  it  was  the  duty  of  the  judges  and  jail-delivery  to  dif- 
charge  the  prifoner  on  bail,  if  committed  for  high-trcafon, 
unlefs  it  be  made  appear,  upon  oath,  that  there  are  two 
vvitnefTes  againft  the  fcid  prifoner,  who  cannct  be  produc 
ed  in  that  term,  feffion,  or  general  jail-delivery.  They 
like  wife  refolved  it  was  the  intention  of  the  faid  ftatute, 
that  in  cafe  there  fliould  be  more  than  one  prifoner  to  be 
bailed  or  remanded,  thers  muft  be  oath  trade  that  there 


14°  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  are  two  witneflesagainft  each  prifoner,  othervvifehe  cannot 
be  remanded  to  prifon.  Thefe  refolutions  were  entered  in 
the  books,  as  {landing  directions  to  all  future  judges,  yet 
not  without  great  oppofition  from  the  court  members. 
The  next  debate  turned  upon  the  manner  in  which  the  im- 
prifoned  lords  fhould  be  fet  at  liberty.  The  conteft  be 
came  fo  warm,  that  the  courtiers  began  to  be  afraid,  and 
propofed  an  expedient,  which  was  put  in  pra6tice.  The 
houfc  adjourned  to  the  I  yth  day  of  the  month,  and  at  its 
next  meeting  was  given  to  underftand,  that  the  king  had 
difchargecl  the  imprifoned  noblemen.  After  another  warm 
debate,  a  formal  entry  was  made  in  the  journals,  import 
ing,  that  the  houfe  being  informed  of  his  majefty's  hav 
ing  given  directions  for  difcharging  the  lords  under  the 
bail  in  the  king's  bench,  the  debate  about  that  matter  ceaf- 
ed.  The  refentment  of  the  peers  being  thus  allayed,  they 
proceeded  to  take  his  majefty's  fpeech  into  confidera- 
tion. 

The  commons  having  voted  an    addrefs   of  thanks,  and 
another,  praying  that  his  majefty's  foreign  alliances  fhould 
be  laid  before  them,  determined  on  a  bill  for  regulating 
trials  in  cafes    of  high    treafon.      They    pafTed   a  vote  of 
thanks  to  admiral  Ruflel,  his  officers   and  feamen,  for  the 
-victory  they  had  obtained,  and   then   proceeded    to  an  en 
quiry,  why  that  victory  had  not  beenpurfued?   Why  ths 
(defcent  had   not  been  made  ?   And  why  the   trade  had  not 
been  better  protected    from    the   enemy's  cruizers  ?   The 
admiral  having  juftified  his  own  conduct,  they  commanded 
the  lords  of  the  admiralty  to  produce  copies  of  all  the   let 
ters  and  orders  which  had  been  fent  to  the  admiral.     They 
ordered  Ruflel  to  lay   before   them   his  anfwers  ;  and  the 
commiflioners  for  the  tranfports,  victuallers,  and  office  of 
ordinance,  to  deliver  in  an   account  of  their  proceedings. 
Then  they  prefented  addrefles  to  the  king  and  queen,  ac 
knowledging  the  favour  of  God    in   reftoring  him  to  his 
people,    congratulating    aim   upon  his   deliverance  from 
the     fnares    of    his    open    and    fecret   enemies ;    and  af- 
furing  him  they   would,   according    to  his   majefty's   de- 
fire  in  his  moft  gracious   fpeech,  be   always   ready  to  ad- 
vife    and   afiift    him    in  the    fupport  of  his    government. 
The   queen  was  thanked  for   her  gracious   and  prudent 
adminiftration  during  his  majefty's  abfence.     They  con 
gratulated  her  on  their  fignal  deliverance  from  a  bold   and 
cruel  defign  formed   for   their    cleftru6tion;  as    well  as  on 
the  glorious  victory  which  her  fleet   had  gained  ;  and  they 
a/lured  her  that  the  grateful  fenfe  they  had  of  their  hzppi- 
nefs  under  her  government,  (hould   always    be  rr.anifefted 
in  conftant  returns  of  duty  and  obedience. 


WILLIAM  AND  MARY. 


After   this   formal    compliment,  the  houfe,  ir.ftead    of  c  H  A  P. 

oceeding    to   the  fupplies,    iniifted    upon  perufing  the 

ies,  public  accompts,  and  eftimates,  that  they  might  be       *'"1 
condition  to  advife,  as    well  as    to  aflat  his   majefty. 


proc 
treat i 
in  a  condi 

Being  indulged  with  thofe  papers,  they  palled  a  previous 
vote,  that  a  fupply  fhould  be  given  :  Then  they  began  to 
concert  their  articles  of  advice.  Some  of  the  members 
loudly  complained  of  partiality  to  foreign  generals,  and 
particularly  reflected  upon  the  infolence  of  Count  Solmes, 
and  hismiiconducl  at  St 'enkerke.  After  fome  warm  al 
tercations,  the  houfe  refolved  one  article  of  their  advice 
fhould  be,  that  his  rrajefty  would  be  pleafed  to  fill  up  the 
vacancies  that  fhould  happen  among  the  general  officers, 
with  fuch  only  as  were  natives  of  his  dominions,  and  that 
the  commander  in  chief  of  the  Englifh  fhould  be  an  Eng- 
lifhman.  Their  next  refolution  implied,  that  many  of  the 
great  affairs  of  the  government  having  been  for  fome  time 
paft  unfuccefsfully  managed,  the  houfe  fhould  advife  his 
majefty  to  prevent  fuch  mifchiefs  for  the  future,  by  em 
ploying  men  of  knowledge,  ability,  and  integrity.  Indi 
vidual  members  inveighed  bitterly  againft  cabinet  councils, 
as  a  novelty  in  the  Britifh  fyftem  of  government,  by 
which  the  privy  council  was  joftled  out  of  its  province. 
They  complained  that  all  the  grievances  of  the  nation  pro 
ceeded  from  the  vicious  principles  of  the  miniftry  ;  they 
obferved,  that  he  who  oppofed  the  eftablifhment  could  not 
be  expected  to  fupport  it  with  zeal.  The  earl  of  Not 
tingham  was  mentioned  by  name  ;  and  the  houfe  refolved 
that  his  majefty  fhould  be  advifed  to  employ  in  his  coun 
cils  fuch  perfons  only  whofe  principles  obliged  them  to 
fupport  his  rights  againft  the  late  king,  and  all  other  pre 
tenders.  Marlborough's  intereft  ftill  predominated  among 
the  commons.  His  friend  RufTel  acquitted  himfelf  to  the 
fatisfa&ion  of  the  houfe,  and  fhifted  the  blame  of  the 
mifcarriage  upon  his  enemy  the  earl  of  Nottingham,  by 
declaring  that  twenty  days  elapfed  between  his  firft  letter 
to  that  nobleman  and  his  lordfhip's  anfwer.  Th*  earl's 
friends,  of  whom  there  was  a  great  number  in  the  houfe, 
efpoufed  his  caufe  with  great  vigour,  and  even  recriminat 
ed  upon  Ruflel ;  fo  that  a  very  violent  debate  enfued. 
Both  parties  agreed  that  there  had  been  mifmanagement  in 
the  fcheme  of  a  defcent.  It  was  moved,  that  one  caufe  of 
the  mifcarriage  was  the  want  of  giving  timely  and  necef- 
fary  orders,  by  thofe  to  whom  the  management  of  the  af 
fair  was  committed.  The  houfe  divided,  and  it  was  car 
ried  in  the  affirmative  by  one  voice  only.  At  the  next 
fitting  of  the  committee,  Sir  Richard  Temple  propcfed 
they  fhould  confider  how  to  pay  the  forces  abroad,  by 


14*  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  means  of  Englifh  manufactures,  without  exporting  mo- 
l-  ney.  They  rcfolved  that  the  houfe  fhould  be  moved  to 
appoint  a  committee  to  take  this  expedient  into  confidera- 
tion.  Sir  Francis  Winnington  was  immediately  called 
upon  to  leave  the  chair,  and  the  fpeaker  refumed  his  place. 
All  that  had  been  done  was  now  void,  as  no  report  had 
been  made  ;  and  the  committee  was  diflblved.  The  houfe, 
however,  revived  it,  and  appointed  a  day  for  its  fitting; 
but,  before  it  could  refume  its  deliberations,  Admiral  Ruf- 
fel  moved  for  its  being  adjourned,  and  all  its  purpefes 
were  defeated. 

The  court  agents  had  by  this  time  interpofed,  and  fe- 
cured  a  majority  by  the  infamous  arts  of  corruption.  The 
commons  no  longer  infifted  upon  their  points  of  advice. 
Their  whole  attention  v/as  now  centered  in  the  article  of 
affiffcince.  They  granted  about  two  millions  for  the 
mrmtenance  of  three  and  thirty  thoufand  feamen,  the 
building  of  fjme  additional  fhips  of  war,  and  the  finifhing 
of  Plymouth  dock  :  and  feven  hundred  and  fifty  thoufand 
pounds  to  fupply  the  deficiency  of  the  quarterly  poll.  The 
efti mates  of  the  land  fervice  were  not  difcuffed  without 
tedious  debates,  and  warm  difputes.  The  miniftry  de 
manded  fifty-four  thoufand  men,  twenty  thoufand  of  whom 
fhould  be  kept  at  home  for  the  defence  of  the  nation,  while 
the  reft  fhould  ferve  abroad  in  the  allied  army.  Many 
members  declared  their  averfion  to  a  foreign  war,  in  which 
the  nation  had  no  immediate  concern,  and  fo  little  prof- 
peft  of  fuccefs.  Others  agreed  that  the  allies  fhould  be 
aiTifted  on  the  continent  with  a  proportion  of  Britiih  forces; 
but  that  the  nation- fhould  aft  as  auxiliary,  not  as  a  princi 
pal,  and  pay  no  more  than  what  the  people  would  chear- 
fully  contribute  to  the  general  expence.  Thefe  reflections, 
however,  produced  no  other  effect  than  that  of  prolonging 
the  debate.  Minifterial  influence  had  furmounted  all  op- 
pofition.  The  houfe  voted  the  number  of  men  demanded. 
Such  was  their  fervile  complaifance,  that  when  they  ex 
amined  the  treaties  by  which  the  Englifh  and  Dutch 
contracted  equally  wich  the  German  princes,  and  found 
that,  notwithstanding  thefe  treaties,  Britain  bore  two  thirds 
of  expence,  they  overlooked  this  flagrant  inftance  of  par 
tiality,  and  enabled  the  king  to  pay  the  proportion.  Nay, 
their  maxims  were  fo  much  altered,  that,  inftead  of  pro- 
fecuting  their  refentment  againft  foreign  generals,  they 
sffented  to  a  motion,  that  the  prince  of  Wirtemberg,  the 
Major-Generals  Tetteau  and  La  Foreft,  who  commanded 
the  Danifh  troops  in  the  pay  of  the  ftates-general,  fhould 
be  indulged  with  fuch  an  addition  to  their  appointments  as 
would  make  up  the  difference  between  the  pay  of  England 


WILLIAM  AND  MARY.  143 

and  that  of  Holland.     Finally,  they  voted  above  two  mil-  C  HAP 
lions  for  the  fubfiftence  of  the  land  forces,  and  for  defray 
ing  extraordinary  exper.ces   attending    the  war  upon  the    ^*y~*^ 
continent,  including    fubfidies    to  the  electors  of  Saxony 
and  Hanover. 

The  houfc  of  lords,  mean  while,  was  not  free  from  ani- 
mofity  and  contention.  The  M^rlboroucrh  faction  exerted 
themfelves  with  great  vivacity.  They  affirmed,  it  was  the 
province  of  the  houfe  to  advife  the  Sovereign :  Like  the 
Commons,  they  infifted  upon  the  king's  having  afked  their 
advice,  becaufe  he  had  mentioned  that  word  in  his  fpeech, 
though  he  never  dreamed  they  would  catch  at  it  with  fuch 
eagernefs.  They  moved,  that  the  tafk  of  digefting  the  ar 
ticles  of  advice  fhould  be  undertaken  by  a  joint  committee 
of  bothhoufes;  butall  the  dependents  of  the  court, including 
the  whole  bench  of  bifhops,  except  Watfon  of  St.  David's, 
were  mar/hailed  to  oppofe  this  motion,  which  was  rejected 
by  a  majority  of  twelve;  and  this  victory  was  followed 
with  a  protefr.  of  the  vanquifhed.  Notwithftanding  this 
defeat,  they  profecuted  their  fcheme  of  giving  advice  ;  and, 
after  much  wrangling  and  declamation,  the  houfe  agreed  in 
an  addrefs  or  remonftrance,  advifing  and  befeeching  his 
msijefty,  That  the  commanding  officer  of  the  Britifh  forces 
fhoukl  be  an  Englifhman  :  That  Englifh  officers  might 
take  rank  of  thofe  in  the  confederate  armies,  who  did  not 
belong  to  crowned  heads  :  That  the  twenty  thoufand  men  to 
be  left  for  the  defence  of  the  kingdom  fhould  be  all  Englifh, 
end  commanded  by  an  Englifli  general:  That  the  practice 
of  prefling  men  for  the  fle^t  fhould  be  remedied :  That  fuch 
officers  as  were  guilty  of  this  practice  fhould  be  cafhicred 
and  punifhed  ;  and,  laftly,  That  no  foreigners  fhould  fit  at 
the  board  of  ordnance.  This  addrefs  was  prefsnted  to  the 
king,  who  received  it  coldly,  and  faid  he  would  take  it  into 
confideration. 

Then  the  lords  refolved  to  enquire  into  themifcarriage  of  Dl.^'«  kr 
the  purpofed  defcent,  and  called  for  all  the  papers  relating  to  io,ds  and 
that  affair  :  But  the  aim  ofthe  majority  was  not  ib  much  to  commons 
rectify  the  errors  of  the  government,  as  to  fcreen  Netting-  ">licerni!is 
ham,  and  cenfure    RufTel.       That  nobleman  produced  his  Rufl-e" 
own    book  of  entries,  together  with  the  whole  correfpond- 
ence  between  him  and  the  admiral,  whom  he  verbally  charg 
ed  with  having  contributed  to  the  mii'carriage  ofthe  expe 
dition.    This  affair  was  referred  to  a  committee.     Sir  John 
Afhby  was  examined.     The  houfe  dire-fled  the  earl  to  draw 
up  the  fobftance  of  his  charge;  and  thefe  papers  were  after 
wards   delivered    to  a    committee  of  the   commons,    at  a 
conference,  by  the  lord  prefident,  and  the  reft  of  the  com 
mittee  above.     They  v/'.;re  offered  for  th?  infp  Action  ofthe 


144  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK    commons,  as   they  concerned  fome  members  of  that  houfey 
J-         by  whom  they  might  be  informed  more  fully  of  the  particu- 

**~\f*+J  lars  they  contained.  At  another  conference,  which  the 
1692.  commons  demanded,  their  committee  declared,  in  the  name 
of  the  houfe,  that  they  had  read  and  well  considered  the  pa 
pers  which  their  lordfhips  had  fent  them,  and  which  they 
now  returned  :  That  finding  Mr.  Rufiel,  one  of  their  mem 
bers,  often  mentioned  in  the  faid  papers,  rhey  had  unanimously 
refolved,  that  Admiral 'RufTel,  in  his  command  of  the  fleets, 
during  the  laft  fummer's  expedition,  had  behaved  with  fi 
delity,  courage,  and  conduct.  The  lord?,  irritated  at  this 
declaration,  and  dif.ippointed  in  their  refentment  rgainft 
Ruflel,  defired  a  free  conference  between  the  committees 
of  both  houfes.  The  earl  of  Roch  fter  told  the  commons, 
he  was  commanded  by  the  houfe  of  lords  to  inform  them, 
that  thei:-  lordfhips  looked  upon  the  late  vote  and  proceed 
ings  of  the  lower  houfe,  in  returning  their  papers,  to  be  ir 
regular  and  unparliamentary,  as  they  had  not  communica 
ted  to  their  lordfhips  the  lights  they  had  received,  an.  the 
reafons  upon  which  their  vote  was  founded.  A  paper  to 
the  fame  purport  was  delivered  to  Colonel  Granville,  who 
promif.-d  to  prefent  it  to  the  commons,  and  make  a  faith 
ful  report  of  what  his  lordfhip  had  faid.  Thus  the  confer 
ence  ended,  and  the  enquiry  was  difcontinued. 

The  lower  houfe  feemed  to  be  as  much  exafperated  a- 
gainft  the  earl  of  Nottingham  as  the  lords  were  incenfed  at 
Ruflel.  A  motion  was  made  that  his  majeft-y  fliould  be 
advifed  to  appoint  fuch  commiflioners  of  the  board  of  admi 
ralty  as  were  of  known  experience  in  maritime  affairs.  Al 
though  this  was  overruled,  they  voted  an  addrefs  to  the 
king,  praying,  that,  for  the  future,  all  orders  for  the  ma 
nagement  of  the  fleet  might  pafs  through  the  hands  of  the 
faid  commiffioners  ;  a  proteft,  by  implication,  againfl  the 
conduit  of  the  fccretary.  The  confideration  of  ways  and 
means  v/as  the  next  objecl:  that  engrofitd  the  attention  of 
the  lower  houfe.  They  refolved  that  a  rate  of  four  Ihillings 
in  the  pound,  for  one  year,  fhould  be  charged  upon  all  lands, 
according  to  their  yearly  value;  as  alfo  upon  all  peifonal 
eftates,  and  upon  all  offices  and  employments  of  profit, 
other  than  military  offices  in  the  army  o.r  navy.  The  act, 
founded  on  this  resolution,  empowered  the  king  to  borrow 
money  on  the  credit  of  it,  at  feven  per  cent.  They  further 
enabled  him  to  raife  one  million  on  the  general  credit  cf  the 
exchequer,  by  granting  annuities.  They  laid  feveral  new 
duties  on  a  variety  of  imports.  They  renewed  the  lafl 
quarterly  poll,  providing,  that  in  cafe  it  fhould  not  produce 
three  hundred  thoufand  pounds,  the  deficiencies  might  be 
mads  up  by  borrowing  o;i  the  general  credit  of  the  exchc- 


WILLIAM  AND  MARY.  145 

q'uer.  They  continued  the  impofiuons  on  wine,  vinegr.r,  CHAP. 
tobacco,  and  fugar,  for  five  years  ;  and  thofs  on  Eaft  In-  In- 
dia  goods  for  four  years.  They  hid  a  new  impofition  of 
eight  per  cent,  on  the  capital  flock  of  the  Eaft  India  com- 
par,)',  eftimate'd  at  feven  hundred  and  forty-four  thoufand 
pounds;  of  one  per  cent,  on  the  African  ;  of  five  pounds 
on  every  lhare  of  the  ftock  belonging  to  the  Hudfon's 
Bay  company ;  and  they  empowered  his  majefty  to  bor 
row  five  hundred  thoufand  pounds  on  thefe  funds,  which 
were  exprefsly  eftabliihed  for  maintaining  the  war  with 
vigour*. 

The  money-bills  were  retarded  in  the  upper  houfe,  by 
the  arts  of  HalliLx,  MulgraVe,  and  other  malcontents. 
They  grafted  a  claufe  on  the  land-tax  bill,  importing,  that 
the  lords  fliould  tax  themfelves.  It  was  adopted  by  the 
majority,  and  the  bill  fent  with  this  amendment  to  the 
commons,  by  whom  it  was  unanimoufly  rejected,  as  a  fla 
grant  attempt  upon  their  privileges.  They  demanded  a 
conference,  in  which  they  declared,  that  the  claufe  in 
qurftion  was  a  notorious  encroachment  upon  the  right 
the  commons  poflefTed,  of  regulating  all  matters  relating 
to  fupplies  granted  by  parliament.  When  this  report  was 
debated  in  the  houfe  of  lords,  the  earl  of  Mulgrave  dif- 
played  uncommon  powers  of  eloquence  arid  argument,  in 
perfuading  the  houfe,  that,  by  yielding  to  this  claim  of 
the  commons,  they  would  diveft  themfelves  of  their  true 
greatnefs,  and  nothing  would  remain  but  the  name  and 
fhadow  of  a  peer,  which  was  but  a  pageant.  Notwithftand- 
ing  all  his  oratory,  the  lords  relinquished  their  claufe,  declar 
ing,  at  the  fame  time,  that  they  had  agreed  to  pafs  the  bill 
without  alteration,  merely  in  regard  to  the  prefent  urgent 
ftate  of  affairs,  as  being  otherwife  of  opinion,  that  they 
had  a  right  to  infift  upon  their  claufe.  A  formal  com 
plaint  being  made  in  the  houfe  of  commons  agzinfl  the 
pamphlet  entitled  "  King  William  and  Queen  Mary 
u  Conquerors,"  as  containing  afTertior.s  of  dangerous  con- 
fequence  to  their  maj  cities,  to  the  liberty  of  the  fubjec^, 
and  the  peace  of  the  kingdom,  the  licenfer  and  printer  were 
taken  into  cuflody.  The  book  being  examined,  they  re- 
folved,  that  it  fliould  be  burned  by  the  hands  of  the  com 
mon  hangman ;  and  that  the  king  fhould  be  moved  to 
difmifs  the  licenfer  from  his  employment.  The  fame  fen- 
fence  they  pronounced  upon  a  paftoral  letter  of  B  if  hop 
Burnet,  in  which  this  notion  of  conquefi  had  been  at  firi£ 

VOL.  I.  T 

1  The  French  klrg,  hertvlrg  ho'.v  librri'.!!/  \Villiarn  vas  fupplkJ,  exclaSrr- 
eJ  .  with  io;ne  emotion,  "  P»Iy  liule  coufin  t!w  Prince  of  Orange  is  fixsJ  :--> 
"  "l-\e  fecic',1-: — but,  no  mr.tter,  the  bit  Lo^U  d'or  mv.ft  carry  :r-." 


i,;  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  afTerted.  The  lords,  in  order  to  manifcft  their  fentiments 
on  the  fame  fubje£r,  refolved,  that  fuch  an  afTertion  was  highly 
injurious  to  their  majefties,  inconfiftcnt  with  the  principles 
on  which  the  government  was  founded,  and  tending  to 
the  fubverfion  of  the  rights  of  the  people.  Bohun,  the  li- 
cenfer,  was  brought  to  the  bar  of  the  houfe,  and  difchargeil 
upon  his  own  petition,  after  having  been  reprimanded  on 
his  knees  by  the  fpcakcr. 

Several  members  having  complained  that  their  fervants 
had  been  kidnapped,  and  fent  to  ferve  as  foldiers  in  Flan 
ders,  the  houfe  appointed  a  committee  to  enquire  into  the 
abufes  committed  by  prefs-maflers ;  and  a  fuitable  remon- 
ftrance  was  prefented  to  the  king,  who  exprefled  his  in-* 
dignation  at  this  practice,  and  aflured  the  houfe  that  the 
delinquents  fhould  be  brought  to  exemplary  punifhment. 
Understanding,  however,  in  the  fequel,  that,  the  methods 
taken  by  his  majefty  for  preventing  this  abufe  had  not 
proved  effectual,  they  refumed  their  enquiry,  and  proceeded 
with  uncommon  vigour  on  the  information  they  received. 
A  great  number  of  perfons  who  had  been  prefled  were  dif- 
charged  by  order  of  the  houfe ;  and  Captain  Winter,  the 
chief  undertaker  for  this  method  of  recruiting  the  army, 
was  carried  by  the  fergeant  before  the  lord  chief  juftice, 
that  he  might  be  profecuted  according  to  law. 

Before  the  heats  occaiioned  by  this  unpopular  expedient 
were  allayed,  the  difcontent  of  the  nation  was  further  in- 
flumed  by  complaints  from  Ireland,  where  Lord  Sidney  was 
faid  to  rule  with  defpotic  authority.  Thefe  complaints 
were  exhibited  by  Sir  Francis  Brewiler,  Sir  William 
Gore,  Sir  John  Macgill,  Lieutenant  Stafford,  Mr.  Stone, 
and  Mr.  Kerne.  They  were  examined  at  the  bar  of  the 
houfe,  and  delivered  an  account  of  their  grievances  in 
writing.  Both  houfes  concurred  in  this  enquiry,  which 
being  finifhed,  they  feverally  prefented  addrefles  to  the 
king.  The  lords  obferved,  That  there  had  been  great 
abufes  in  difpofmg  of  the  forfeited  eftates  :  That  protec 
tions  had  been  granted  to  the  Irifh  not  included  in  the  ar 
ticles  of  Limerick  -,  fo  that  Proteftants  were  deprived  of 
the  benefit  of  the  law  againft  them  :  That  the  quarters  of 
the  army  had  not  been  paid  according  to  the  provifion  made 
by  parliament:  That  a  mayor  had  been  impofcd  upon  the 
city  of  Dublin  for  two  years  fucceflively,  contrary  to  the 
ancient  privileges  and  charter  :  That  feveral  pe<  ions  ac- 
c'ufed  of  murder  had  ^cen  executed  without  proof;  and 
one  Swcetman,  the  moft  guilty,  di (charged  without  prcfe- 
rution.  The  commons  fpoke  more  freely  in  tht-ir  addref- : 
They  roundly  explained  the  abufes  arid  mifmanagemei.t  of 


WILLIAM  AND  MARY.  147 

that  government,  by  expofing  the  Proteftant  fubjecls  to  the  c  H  A  P. 
free   quarter  and    violence   of  a   licentious  .army;  by   re-        HI. 
cruiting  the  troops   with   Irifti  Papifts,   who  had    been  in   '-^y^-1 
open  rebellion  againft  his  majefty;   by   granting   protec-       '693. 
tions  to  Irifti  Roman  Catholics,  whereby  the  courfe  of  the 
law  was  flopped  ;  by  reverfmg  outlawries  for   high   trea- 
fon,   not   comprehended  in   the   articles  of  Limerick;  by. 
letting  the  forfeited  eftates  at  undervalue,  to  the  prejudice 
of  his  majefty's  revenue  ;  by  embezzling  the  (lores  left  in 
the  towns  and  garrifons  by  the  late  King   James,  as  well          „ 
as  the  effects  belonging  to    forfeited   eftates,  which  might 
have    been   employed   for    the    better   prefer  vation  of  the 
kingdom  ;  and  finally,  by  making  additions  to  the  articles 
of  Limerick,  after  the   capitulation  was    figned,   and   the 
place  furrendered.     They  moft  humbly  beTought  his  ma 
jefty  to  redrefs  thefe  abufes,  which  had  greatly  encouraged 
the  Papifts,  and  weakened  the    Proteftant  intereft  in   Ire 
land.     The  king  gracioufly   received  both  addrefles,   and 
promifed  to  pay  a  particular  regard  to  all    remonftrances 
that  fhould  come  from  either  houfe  of  parliament :  But  no 
material  ftep  was  taken  againft  the  Lords  Sidney,  Athlone, 
and    Coningfby,  who   appeared  to  have   engrafted  great 
part  of  the  forfeitures  by  grants   from  the  crown;    and 
even    Commifiioner   Culliford,   who   had    been   guilty  of 
the  moft  grievous  acts  of  oppreflion,  efcaped  with  impu 
nity. 

The  old  Whig  principle  was  not  yet  wholly  expelled 
from  the  lower  houfe.  The  undue  influence  of  the  court 
was  exerted  in  fuch  an  open,  fcandalous  manner,  as  gave 
offence  to  the  majority  of  the  commons.  In  the  midft  of 
all  their  condefcention,  Sir  Edward  Hufley,  member  for 
Lincoln,  brought  in  a  bill  touching  free  and  impartial  pro 
ceedings  in  parliament.  It  was  intended  to  difable  all 
members  of  parliament  from  enjoying  places  of  truft  and 
profit,  and  particularly  levelled  agai nil  the  officers  of  the 
army  and  navy,  who  had  infmuated  themfelves  into  the 
houfe  in  fuch  numbers,  that  this  was  commonly  called  the 
officers  parliament.  The  bill  pafted  the  houfe  of  commons, 
and  was  fent  up  to  the  lords,  by  whom  it  was  read  a  fecond 
time,  and  committed :  But  the  miniftry  employing  their 
whole  ftrength  againft  it,  on  the  report  it  was  thrown  out 
by  a  majority  of  two  voices.  The  earl  of  Mulgrave  again 
diftinguifhed  himfelf  by  his  elocution,  in  a  fpeech  that  was 
held  in  great  veneration  by  the  people;  and,  among  thofe 
who  entered  a  proteft  in  the  journals  of  the  houfe,  when 
the  majority  rejected  the  bill,  was  Prince  George  of  Den- 
markj  duke  of  Cumberland.  The  court  had  not  recol- 


J43  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND, 

BOOK  lectad  tbemfelves  from  the  confternation  produced  by  fuch 
I-  a  vigorous  oppofition,  vyhen  the  earl  of  Shrewfbury  pro- 
duced  another  bill  for  triennial  parliaments,  providing 
that  there  fhould  be  an  annual  feffion  ;  that  if,  at  the  ex 
piration  of  the  three  years,  the  crown  fhould  not  order 
the  writs  to  be  ifTued,  the  lord  chancellor,  or  keeper,  or 
commiffioner  of  the  great  feal,  fhould  ifTue  them  ex  officio 
and  by  authority  of  this  aft,  under  fevere  penalties.  The 
immediate  obje-fr  of  this  bill  was  the  diffblution  of  the 
prefent  parliament,  which  had  already  fat  three  feffions, 
"and  began  to  be  formidable  to  the  people,  from  its  con- 
cefllons  to  the  miniflry,  The  benefits  that  would  accrue 
to  the  conftitution  from  the  eftablilhment  of  triennial  par 
liaments  were  very  well  underftood,  as  thefe  points  had 
been  frequently  difcuffcd  in  former  reigns.  The  courtiers 
now  objected,  that  frequent  elections  would  render  the 
freeholders  proud  and  infolent,  encourage  faction  among 
the  electors,  and  entail  a  continual  expence  upon  the 
member,  as  he  would  find  hirnfelf  obliged,  during  the 
whole  time  of  his  fitting,  to  behave  like  a  candidate,  con- 
fcious  hovv  foon  the  time  of  election  would  revolve.  In 
fpite  of  the  minifterial  intereft  in  the  upper  hcufe,  the  bill 
pafFed,  and  contained  a  provifo,  that  the  prefent  parliament 
fhould  not  continue  any  longer  than  the  month  of  Janu 
ary  next  enfuing.  The  court  renewed  its  efforts  againfl 
it  in  the  houfe  of  commons,  where,  neverthelefs,  it  was 
carried,  with  fome  little  alterations,  which  the  lords  ap 
proved.  But  all  thefe  endeavours  were  fruitrated  by  the 
prerogative  of  the  king,  who,  by  rcfufing  his  afTenf,  pre 
vented  its  being  enafled  into  a  law. 

It  was  at  the  infb'gation  of  the  minifrry,  that  the  com 
mons  brought  in  a  bill  for  continuing  and  explaining  cer 
tain  temporary  laws  then  expiring  or  expired.  Among 
thefe  was  an  a6l  for  retraining  the  liberty  of  the  prefs, 
which  owned  its  origin  to  the  reign  of  Charles  II.  and  had 
been  revived  in  the  firfr  year  of  the  fucceeding  reign. 
*The  bill  pafTed  the  lower-houfe  without  difficulty,  but 
met  with  warm  cppofition  in  the  houfe  of  lords,  a  good 
number  of  whom  protefled  againfr.  it,  as  a  law  that  fub- 
je&ed  all  learning  and  true  information  to  the  arbitrary 
will  of  a  mercenary,  and  perhaps  ignorant  licenfer,  deftroy- 
ed  the  properties  of  authors,  and  extended  the  evil  of  mo 
nopolies.  The  biil  for  regulating  trials  was  dropped,  and, 
in  lieu  of  it,  another  produced  for  the  prefervation  of  their 
majefties  facred  perfons  and  government :  But  this,  too, 
was  rejected  by  the  majority,  in  confequence  of  the  mi- 
niftry's  fecret  management.  The  Eaft  India  Company 


WILLIAM  AND  MARY.  149 

narrowly  efcaped  the  diilblution.  Petitions  and  counter-  CHAP, 
petitions  were  delivered  into  the  houfe  of  commons  :  The 
pretenfioris  on  both  fides  were  carefully  examined :  A  com-  ""V"*1 
mittee  of  the  whole  houfe  refolved,  that  there  fhould  be  a 
;iew  fubfcriptiori  of  a  joint  ftock,  not  exceeding  two  mil 
lions  five  hundred  thoufand  pounds,  to  continue  for  one- 
and-twenty  years.  The  report  was  made  and  received, 
y.nd  the  public  exposed  to  fee  the  affair  brought  to  a 
fpeedy  iffue  :  But  the  company  had  recourfe  to  the  fame 
expedients,  which  had  lately  proved  fo  fuccef-ful  in  the 
hands  of  the  minifrry.  Thof?  who  had  been  the  moft  warm 
in  detecting  their  abufer.  fuddenly  cooled ;  and  the  profs- 
cution  of  the  affair  began  to  langnifh.  Not  but  that  the 
houfe  prefented  an  addrefs  to  his  majefty,  praying  that  he 
would  difTolve  the  company  upon  three  years  warning, 
according  to  the  condition  of  their  charter.  He  told  them 
he  would  confider  their  addrefs;  and  they  did  not  further 
urge  their  remonftrance.  The  bill  for  afcertaining  the 
commifllons  and  falaries  of  the  judges,  to  which  the  king 
had  refufed  the  royal  afTent  in  the  laft  feflion,  was  revived, 
twice  read,  and  rejected  ;  and  another,  for  preventing  the 
exportation  and  melting  of  the  coin,  they  fuffered  to  lie 
neglected  on  the  table.  On  the  Ijfth  day  of  March,  the 
king  put  an  end  to  the  feffion,  after  having  thanked  the 
parliament  for  fo  great  teftimonies  of  their  affection,  and 
promifed  the  fupplies  fhould  not  be  mifapplied.  Pie  ob- 
ferved,  that  the  poliure  of  affairs  called  him  abroad  ;  but 
that  he  would  leave  a  fufficient  number  of  troops  for  the 
fecurity  of  the  kingdom :  He  affured  them  he  would  expofe 
his  perfon  upon  all  occafions  for  the  advantage  of  thefe 
kingdoms  ;  and  ufe  his  utmoft  endeavours  to  make  them  a 
flourishing  nation*. 

During  the  courfe  of  this    feffion,  Lord  .Mohun   was 

*  The  other  law;  nude  in  this  feffion  were  thefe  that  follow  : — An 
?.ft  for  preventing  fuits  againft  fuch  as  had  afted  for  their  majefties  fervice 
in  defence  of  this  kingdom — An  aft  for  railing  the  militia  in  the  year 
1693. — An  aft  authoiifjng  the  judges  to  empower  fuch  perfons,  other  •• 
than  common  attornies  and  folicitors,  as  they  fnould  think  fit,  to  take 
fpecial  bail,  except  in  London,  Weftminfter,  and  ten  miles  around — 
An  aft  to  encourage  the  apprehending  of  highwaymen — An  aft  to  prevent 
phndefHne  marriages — An  aft  for  the  regaining,  encouraging,  and  fettling 
the  Greenland  trade — An  aft  to  prevent  malicious  informations  in 
the  court  of  king's  bench,  and  for  the  more  eafy  reverfal  of  out 
lawries  in  that  court — An  aft  for  the  better  difcovery  of  judgments  in 
the  courts  of  law — An  aft  for  delivering  declarations  to  prifoners  for  debt 
•—An  aft  for  regulating  proceedings  in  the  crow>i  o.Tice — An  aft  for 
the  more  eafy  difcovery  and  conviction  of  fuch  as  fhould  dcftroy  the 
game  of  this  kingdom — And  an  aft  for  continuing  the  afts  for 
prohibiting  all  trade  and  commerce  with  France,  and  for  the  encouragement 
pf  privateers. 


I5o  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  trtdifted  and  tried  by  his  peers,  in  Weftminfter-hall,  as  an 
accomplice  in   the  murder  of  one  Montford,  a  celebrated 
^^Y^-*   comedian,  the    marquis  of  Caermarthen   adling  as    lord- 
f^93-      fteward  upon  this  occafion.     The  judges  having  confulted, 
the  peers  proceeded  to  give  their  judgments  feriatim,  and 
Alterations   j\|ojlun  was  acquitted  by  a  great  majority.     The   king, 
foy.  who,  from  his  firft  acceflion  to  the  throne,  had  endeavour 

ed  to  trim  the  balance  between  the  Whigs  and  Tories, 
by  mingling  them  together  in  his  miniftry,  made  fome 
alterations  at  this  period,  that  favoured  of  the  fame  policy. 
The  great-foal,  with  the  title  pf  Lord  Keeper,  was  be- 
ftowed  upon  Sir  John  Somers,  who  was  well  fkilled  in  the 
lav/,  as  in  many  other  branches  of  polite  and  ufeful  lite 
rature.  He  poffeiTed  a  remarkable  talent  for  buunefs,  in 
,  which  he  exerted  great  patience  and  affiduity ;  was  gentle, 
candid,  and  equitable;  a  Whig  in  principles,  yet  mode 
rate,  pacific,  and  conciliating.  Of  the  fame  temper  was 
Sir  John  Trenchard,  now  appointed  fecretary  of  ftate. 
H e  had  been  concerned  with  the  duke  of  Monmouth,  and 
efcaped  to  the  continent,  where  he  lived  fome  years;  was 
calm,  fedate,  well  acquainted  with  foreign  aftairs,  and 
confidered  as  a  leading  man  in  his  party.  Thefe  two  are 
faid  to  have  been  promoted  at  the  recommendation  of 
the  earl  of  Sunderland,  who  had  by  this  time  infmuated 
himfelf  into  the  king's  favour  and  confidence  ;  though  his 
fuccefs  confirmed  the  opinion  which  many  entertained,  of 
his  having  betrayed  his  old  matter.  The  leaders  of  the 
oppofition  were,  Sir  Edward  Seymour,  again  become  a 
malcontent,  and  Sir  Chriftopher  Mufgrave,  a  gentleman 
of  Cumberland,  who,  though  an  extravagant  Tory  from 
Bumet.  principle,  had  refufed  to  concur  with  all  the  defigns  of  the 
Hi;t.  of  K.  late  king.  He  was  a  perfon  of  a  grave  and  regular  de- 
Wiiiiam.  portment,  who  had  rei  ecled  many  offers  of  the  miniftry, 

Burcnct.  i  •    ,    i  r    i       •   ,  •    i  r  •   • 

Livc3of'»he  which  he  oppofed  with  great  violence;  yet  on  lome  crm- 
Admirais.  cal  occafions,  his  patriotifm  gave  way  to  his  avarice,  and 
sione'sNar.  j^  yigjjgj  Up  fOme  important  points,  in  confideration  of 

Feuquieres.    .      •>      c  i  •  -i      i_  -  •        i    /•  ,  r 

Voltaire.      large  lums   which   he  received  from  the   court  in   lecret. 
Ralph.         Others  declared  war   againft  the   adminiftration,  becaufe 
Tmdal.        ^y  thought  their  own  talents  were  not  fuf]iciently  con- 
TrJb.        fidered.     Of  thefe,  the  chiefs  were  Paul  Foley  and  Robert 
Harley.     The  firft  was  a  lawyer  of  good  capacity,  exten- 
flve  learning,  and    virtuous   principles  but  peevifh,  obiti- 
nate,  and  morofe.     He  entertained  a  very  defp'icable  opi 
nion  of  the  court;   and  this  he  propagated  with  equal  afii- 
cluity  and  fuccefs.     Harley  paflefTed  a  good  fund  of  learn 
ing;  was  capable  of  uncommon   application,  particularly 
turned  to  politics.     He  knew  the  forms  of  parliament,  had 


WILLIAM  AND  MARY.  15! 

a  peculiar  dexterity  at  protracting  and  perplexing  debates  ;  C  H  A  P. 
and  cherifhed  the  moft  afpiring  ambition.  Admiral  RuiTel 
was  created  treafurer  of  the  houfehold;  but  the  command  of 
the  fleet  was  veiled  in  the  hands  of  Killigrew,  Delava],  and 
Shovel.  Sir  George  Rooke  was  declared  vice-admiral  of 
the  red,  and  John  Lord  Berkely  of  the  blue  divifion  ; 
their  rear-admirals  were  Matthew  Aylmer  and  David 
Mitchel. 


CHAP.     IV. 


King  William  returns  to  the  Continent  -  Is  defeated  at 
Landen  -  Affairs  in  Germany,  Hungary,  and  Cati- 
lor.ia  -  Naval  tranfafiions  -  Return  of  the  King? 
and  proceedings  in  Parliament  -  Bank  of  England 
eJlalUJked  -  Campaign  in  Flanders  -  Death  of 
Tillotfon  -  and  of  Queen  Mary. 


K.  rTpHE  King  having  vifited  the  fleet  and  fortifications 
J^  at  Portfmouth,  given  inftru&ions  for  annoying  the 
enemy  by  fea,  and  left  the  adminiftration  in  the  hands  of 
the  queen,  embarked  on  the  laft  day  of  March,  near 
King  wil-  Gravefend,  and  arrived  in  Holland  on  the  third  of  April. 
liam  returns  The  troops  of  the  confederates  were  forthwith  ordered 
to  the  con-  toaffcmble:  but  while  he  was  employed  in  making  nre- 

tment.  ...  .  ,       ^     J  .    .  .  0      tP    ^ 

parations  for  the  campaign,  the  .French  king  actually  took 
the  field,  attended  by  Madame  de  Maintenon,  and  2!!  the 
court  ladies.  His  defign  was  fuppofed  to  be  upon  fome 
town  in  Brabant  :  His  army  amounted  to  ons  hundred  and 
twenty  thoufand  men,  completely  armed,  and  abundantly 
fupplied  with  all  neceflaries  for  every  fort  of  military  ope 
ration.  King  William  immediately  took  pofTeffion  of  the 
ftrong  camp  at  Parke  near  Lou  vain,  a  fituation  which  ena-* 
bled  him  to  cover  the  places  that  were  moft  expofed. 
Understanding  that  the  French  emifiaries  had  fown  the 
feeds  of  diflention  between  the  bifhop  and  chapterj'of 
Leige,  he  fent  the  duke  of  Wirtemberg  thither,  to  recon^ 
cile  the  different  parties,  and  concert  meafures  for  the  fur* 
ther  fecurity  of  the  place.  He  reinforced  the  garrifon 
with  nine  battalions  ;  and  the  Elector  Palatine  lay  with 
his  troops  in  readinefs  to  march  to  its  relief.  William 
likewife  threw  reinforcements  into  Maeftricht,  Huy,  and 
Charleroy;  and  he  himfelf  refolded  to  remain  on  the  cie- 
fenfive,  at  the  head  of  fixty  thcufi'.nd  men,  with  a  nu 
merous  train  of  artillery. 


WILLIAM  AND  MARY.  153 

Louis  having  reviewed  his  army  at  Gemblours,  and  C  H  A  P- 
fec-n  his  clefigns  upon  Brabant  defeated  by  the  diligence  of 
hi?  antagonift,  detached  Boufflers  with  twenty  thoufand 
men  to  the  upper  Rhine,  to  join  the  Dauphin,  who  com- 
manded  in  that  quarter  ;  then  leaving  the  conduct  of  his 
forces  in  the  Netherlands  to  the  Duke  de  Luxembourg,  he 
returned  with  his  court  to  Verfailles.  Immediately  after 
his  departure,  Luxembourg  fixed  his  head-quarters  at 
Mildert ;  and  King  William  ftrengthened  his  camp  on 
that  fide  with  ten  battalions,  and  eight-and-twenty  pieces 
of  cannon.  The  enemy's  convoys  were  frequently  fur- 
prifed  by  detachments  from  the  garrifon  of  Charleroy ;  and 
a  large  body  of  horfe,  foot,  and  dragoons,  being  drafted 
out  of  Liege  and  Maeftritcht,  took  poft  at  Huy,  under 
the  command  of  the  Count  de  Tilly,  fo  as  to  ftraiten  the 
French  in  their  quarters.  Thefe,  however,  were  dif- 
lodged  by  Luxembourg  in  perfon,  who  obliged  the  count 
to  pafs  the  Jaar  with  precipitation,  leaving  behind  three 
fquadrons  and  all  his  baggage,  which  fell  into  the  hands  of 
the  enemy.  This  check,  however,  was  balanced  by  the 
iuccefsofthe  duke  of  Wirtemberg,  who,  at  the  head  of 
thirteen  battalions  of  infantry,  and  twenty  fqundrons  of 
horfe,  forced  the  French  lines  between  the  Schelde  and  the 
Lys ;  and  laid  the  whole  country  as  far  as  Lifle  under 
contribution.  On  that  very  day,  which  was  the  eight 
eenth  of  July,  Luxembourg  marched  towards  Huy, 
which  was  next  morning  inverted  by  M.  de  Villeroy, 
The  other  covered  the  liege,  and  fecured  himfelf  from  the 
allies  by  lines  of  contravallatiom  Before  their  batteries 
began  to  play,  the  town  capitulated.  On  the  twenty- 
third  day  of  the  month,  the  garrifon  mutinied  ;  the  caftles 
were  furrendered  ;  the  governor  remained  a  prifoner;  and 
his  men  were  conducted  to  Liege.  The  confederate  army 
advanced  in  order  to  relieve  the  town  ;  but  the  king  be 
ing  apprifcd  of  its  fate,  detached  ten  battalions  to  rein 
force  the  garrifon  of  Liege,  and  next  day  returned  to 
Neer-Hefpen. 

Luxembourg  made  a  motion  towards  Liege,  as  if  he 
had  intended  to  befiegc  the  place  ;  and  encamped  at  Hel- 
lecheim,  about  feven  leagues  from  the  confederate?. 
Knowing  how  much  they  were  weakened  by  the  different 
detachments  which  had  been  made  from  their  army,  he 
refolved  to  attack  them  in  their  camp,  or  at  leaf;  fall  upon 
their  rear,  fhould  they  retreat  at  his  approach.  On  the 
28th  day  of  July,  he  b:-gan  his  rinrch  in  four  columns 
and  palled  the  Jaar  near  its  fource,  v/ith  an  army  fuperior 
to  the  allies  by  five-and-tYirty  thoufand  men.  The  kirv> 
of  Kngbn-],  ct  firft,  loo'ced  upon  this  motion  ?.s  a  feint 
I.  U 


154  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

o  O  K  to    cover    the   defign  upon  Liege ;  but  receiving   inteili- 
,  ,    gcncc   that  their   whole  army  was  in  full  march  to  attack 

him  in  his  camp,  he  refolved  to  keep  his  ground  ;  and 
immediately  drew  up  his  forces  in  order  of  battle.  His 
general  officers  advifed  him  to  repafs  the  Geete;  but  he 
chofe  to  rifque  a  battle,  rather  than  expofe  the  rear  of  his 
army  in  repaffino;  that  river.  His  right  wing  extended  as 
far  as  Neer-Windcn,  along  the  Geete,  covered  with 
hedges,  hollow  ways,  and  a  fmall  rivulet ;  the  left  reach 
ed  to  Neer-Landen  ;  and  thefe  two  villages  were  joined 
by  a  flight  intrenchment,  which  the  king  ordered  to  be 
thrown  up  in  the  evening.  Brigadier  Ramfey,  with  the 
regiments  of  Ofarrel,  Mackay,  Lauder,  Leven,  and 
Monroe,  were  ordered  to  the  right  of  the  whole  army,  to 
line  fome  hedges  and  hollow  ways,  on  the  farther  fide  of 
the  village  of  Lare.  Six  battalions  of  Brandenburgh  were 
ported  to  the  left  of  this  village  ;  and  General  Dumont, 
with  the  Hanoverian  infantry,  poffefTed  the  village  of 
Neer  Winden,  which  covered  part  of  the  camp,  between 
the  main  body  and  the  right  wing  of  the  cavalry.  Neeir- 
Landen  on  the  left  was  fecured  by  fix  battalions  of  Eng- 
lifh,  Danes,  and  Dutch.  The  remaining  infantry  was 
drawn  up  in  one  line  behind  the  entrenchment.  The  dra 
goons  upon  the  left  guarded  the  village  of  Dormal  upon 
the  brook  of  Beck  ;  and  from  thence  the  left  wing  of 
horfe  extended  to  Neer-Landen,  where  it  was  covered  by 
this  rivulet. 

Battle  of  The  king  having  vifited  all  the  polls  on  horfeback, 
Laaden.  and  given  the  necefTary  orders,  repofed  himfelf  about  two 
hours  in  his  coach ;  and  early  in  the  morning  fent  for  his 
chaplain,  whom  he  joined  in  prayer  with  great  devotion. 
At  fun-rifing  the  enemy  appeared  drawn  up  in  order  of 
battle  ;  and  the  allies  began  to  play  their  cannon  with 
good  fuccefs.  About  eight  in  the  morning  they  attacked 
the  villages  of  Lare  anefNeer-Winden  with  great  fury; 
and  twice  made  themfelves  matters  of  thefe  pofts,  from 
whence  they  were  as  often  repulfed.  The  allies  ft  ill  kept 
their  ground  ;  and  the  duke  of  Berwick  was  taken  by  his 
uncle  Brigadier  Churchill.  Then  the  French  made  an  at 
tack  upon  the  left  wing  of  the  confederates  at  Neer- 
Landen  ;  and,  after  a  very  obftinate  difpute,  were  oblig 
ed  to  give  way,  though  they  ftiil  kept  pofleflion  of  the  a- 
venues.  The  prince  of  Conti,  however,  renewed  the 
charge  with  the  flower  of  the  French  infantry;  and  the 
confederates  being  overpowered,  retreated  from  the  vil 
lage,  leaving  the  camp  in  that  part  expofed.  Vilieroy 
marching  this  way  with  a  body  of  horfe,  was  encountered 
and  repulfed  by  the  Count  D'Arco,  general  of  the  Bay  a- 


WILLIAM  AND  MARY.  155 

rian  cuirafliers  ;  and  the  duke  de  Chartres  narrowly  ef-  c  H^A  \>- 
caped  being  taken.  Mean  while  Luxembourg,  the  prince  (<^^^ 
of  Conti,  the  count  de  Mariin,  and  the  marefchd  de  Jo-  \^\^ 
yeufe,  charged  on  the  right,  and  in  different  parts  of  the 
line,  with  fuch  impetuofity  as  furmounted  ail  refinance. 
The  camp  of  the  confederates  was  immediately  filled  with 
French  troops :  The  villages  of  Lare  and  Neer-Winden 
were  taken,  after  a  long  and  defperate  difpute.  The  Ha 
noverian  and  Dutch  horfc  being  broken  the  king  in  peifon 
brought  the  Englifh  cavalry  to  their  affiftance.  They 
fought  with  great  gallantry  ;  and  for  fome  time  retarded 
the  fate  of  the  day.  The  infantry  was  rallied,  and  flood 
firm  until  all  their  ammunition  was  expended.  In  a  word, 
they  were  fcarce  able  to  fuftain  the  weight  of  fuch  a  fupe- 
riority  in  poi-it  of  number,  when  the  marquis  d'Harcouft 
joined  the  enemy  from  Buy,  v/ith  t\vo-an<!  :Vefh 

fquadrons,  which' immediately  turned  the  fcde  in  their  fa 
vour.  The  elector  of  Bavaria,  after  having  made  extraor 
dinary  e dents,  retreated  v/ith  great  difficulty  over  the 
bridge  to  the  other  fide  of  the  river,  where  he  rallied  the 
troops,  in  order  to  favour  the  retreat  of  thofe  who  had  not 
palled.  The  king  feeing  the  battle  loft,  and  the  whole  ar- 
my  in  confufion,  retired  with  the  infantry  to  Dormal  on 
the  brook  of  Beck,  where  the  dragoons  of  the  left  wing 
were  ported,  and  then  ordered  the  regiments  of  Windham, 
Lumley,  and  Galway,  to  cover  his  retreat  over  the  bridge 
at  Neer-Hefpen,  which  he  cfFecled  with  great  difficult:-,-. 
Now  all  was  tumult,  route,  and  confternation ;  and 
a  great  number  of  the  fugitives  threw  themfelvees  i,,:>> 
the  river,  v.'here  they  were  drowned.  This  had  like  to 
have  been  the  fate  of  the  brave  earl  of  Athlone  :  The 
duke  of  Ormond  was  wounded  in  feveral  places,  and  tak 
en  prifoner  by  the  enemy;  and  the  count  de  Solmes  was 
mortally  wounded.  Ptolemache  brought  off  the  greater 
part  of  the  Englifh  infantry  with  great  gallantry  and  con 
duit:  As  for.  the  baggage,  it  had  been  fcnt  to  Liege  be 
fore  the  engagement:  but  the  confederates  loft  fixty  piec 
es  of  cannon,  and  nine  mortars,  a  great  number  of  ftan- 
clards  and  colours*,  with  about  feven  tboufand  men  kil 
led  and  wounded  in  the  action.  It  rnuft  be  owned  trmt 
the  allies  fought  with  great  valour  and  perfeverance  ;  and 
that  King  William  made  prodigious  efforts  of  con 
and  activity  to  retrieve  the  fortune  of  the  day.  He  was 
prcfent  in  all  parts  of  the  battle:  Ke  charged  in  perfon 
both  on  horfe-back  and  on  foot,  where  the  danger  was 

*   The  duke  of  Luxembourg   fent  fuch  a  number  of  rt.indards  ard  t-nrK;n:    to 
.  uui'irig  the  courTe  of  this  war,  that  the  prince   of  Confi    culk'd  him  the 
Vi.htirterer  cf  Nrtr?  Darr.f.a  church  in  which  thole  trophies  were  difpl 


156  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  mofl-  imminent.  His  peruke,  the  fleeve  of  his  coat,  and 
i,_  _i  the  knot  of  his  fcarf  were  penetrated  by  three  different 
V*  muiket-bullets  ;  and  he  faw  a  great  number  of  fold iers  fall 
Domcftic  on  eve*7  fide  of  him.  The  enemy  bore  witnefs  to  his  ex- 
s.  traordinary  valour.  'The  prince  ofConti,  in  a  letter  to 
his  princefs,  which  was  intercepted,  declared,  that  he 
faw  the  prince  of  Orange  expofing  himfelf  to  the  ^reateft 
dangers  ;  and  that  fuch  valour  richly  deferved  the  peace 
able  poiTeffion  of  the  crown  he  wore.  Yet  here,  as  in 
every  other  battle  he  fought,  his  conduct  and  difpofition 
xvere  fexrerely  cenfured,  Luxembourg  having  obferved 
the  nature  of  his  fituation  immediately  before  the  en 
gagement,  is  faid  to  have  exclaimed,  "  Now,  I  believe 
Waldeck  is  really  dead  ;"  alluding  to  that  general's 
known  fagacity  in  choofing  ground  for  an  encampment. 
Be  that  as  it  will,  he  paid  dear  for  his  victory.  His  lofs 
in  officers  and  men  exceeded  that  of  the  allies;  and  he 
reaped  no  folid  advantage  from  the  battle.  He  remained 
fifteen  days  inactive  at  Waren,  while  King  William,  re 
calling  the  duke  of  Wirtemberg,  and  drafting  troops  from 
Liege  and  other  garrifons,  was  in  a  few  days  able  to  haz 
ard  another  engagement. 

Nothing  remarkable  happened  during  -the  remaining 
part  of  the  campaign,  until  Luxembourg,  being  rejoined 
by  Boufflers  with  a  ftrong  reinforcement  from  the  Rhine, 
inverted  Charleroy.  He  had  taken  his  meafures  with  fuch 
caution  and  dexterity,  that  the  allies  could  not  faiftrate 
his  operations,  without  attacking  his  lines  at  a  great  dif- 
advantage.  The  king  detached  the  elector  of  Bavaria  and 
the  duke  of  Wirtemberg,  with  thirty  battalions  and  forty 
(quadrons,  to  make  a  diverfion  in  Flanders  ;  but,  they  re 
turned  in  a  few  days,  without  having  attempted  any  thing 
of  confequence.  The  garrifon  of  Charleroy  defended  the 
place  with  furprifmg  valour,  from  the  loth  of  September 
to  the  nth  of  October,  during  which  period  they  had  re- 
pulfed  the  aflailants  in  feveral  attacks ;  but,  at  length, 
defpairing  of  relief,  the  governor  capitulated  on  the  moft 
honourable  conditions  :  The  reduction  of  the  place  was 
celebrated  with  a  Te  Deum  and  other  rejoicings  at  Paris. 
Louis,  however,  in  the  midft  of  all  his  glory,  was  ex 
tremely  mortified  when  he  reflected  upon  the  little  advan 
tage  he  had  reaped  from  all  his  late  vidtories.The  allies  had 
been  defeated  fuccefsfully  at  Flerus,  Steenkirke,  andLan- 
den;  yet  in  a  fortnight  after  each  of  thofe  battles,  William 
was  always  in  a  condition  to  rifque  another  engagement, 
Formerly  Louis  had  conquered  half  of  Holland,  Flanders, 
and  Franche  Comte,  without  a  battle  ;  whereas,  now  he 
could  not  with  his  utmofl  efforts,  and  after  the  moft  fig-?- 


WILLIAM  AND  MARY.  157 

nal  vi&ories,  pafs  the  frontiers  of  the  United  Provinces.  C  H  A  p. 
The    conqueft   of  Chavleroy   concluded  the  campaign  in 
the    Netherlands,    arid   both   armies    went    into  winter- 
quarters, 

The  Fench  army  on  the  Rhine,  under  DeLorges,  palled 
that  river  in  the  month  of  May  at  Philipfburgh,  and  inveft- 
ed  the  city  of  Heidelberg,  which  they  took,  plundered  and 
reduced  to  afhes.  This  general  committed  numberlefs  Monftrous 

barbarities    in  the  Palatinate,  which  he  ravaged    without  .c/ueity  °1 
c  i  i        c    i      j     j       ^r-u     !••    ^     '    r  u-          the.Frencn, 

even  fpanng  the  tombs  or  the  dead.      I  he  r  rencn  loldiers,  i,y  the 

on  this  occafion,  fcem  to  have  been  actuated  by  the   moft  exprefs 
brutal  inhumanity.     They  butchered  the  inhabitants,  vio-  "f^^ 
lated  the  women,  plundered  the  houfes,  rifled  the  churches,  jtjr,gt 
and  murdered    priefts  at  the  altar.     They  broke  open  the 
electoral  vault,  and  fcattered  the  afhes  of  that  illuftrious  fa 
mily  about  the  ftreets.      They  fet  fire  to  different  quarters 
of  the  city:  They  {tripped  about  fifteen  thoufand  of  the  in 
habitants,  without  diitinctions  of  age   or   fL-x,    and   drove 
them  naked    into  the  caftle,  that  the  garrifon  might  be  the 
fooner  induced  to  capitulate.     There  they  remained   like 
cattle  in  the  open  air,  without  food  or  covering,   tortured 
between  the  horrors  of  their  fate  and  the  terrors  of  a  bom 
bardment.     When  they  were  fet  at  liberty,  in  confluence 
of  the  fort's  being  furrendered,  a  great  number  of  them  di 
ed  along  the  banks  of  the  Neckar,  from  cold,  hunger,  an- 
guifh,   and   defpair.       Thefe    enormous   cruelties,     which 
would  have  difgraccd  the  arms  of  a  Tartarian  freebooter, 
were  afted    by   the  exprefs    command  of  Louis    XIV.    of 
France,  who  has  been  celebrated  by  fo   many  venal  pens, 
not  only  as  the  greateit  monarch,  but  alfo  as  the  moft  pc- 
liihed  prince  of  Christendom,  De  Lorges  advanced  towards 
the  Neckar  againft  the  prince  of  Baden,  who  lay  encamped 
on  the   other  fide  of  that  river  ;   but  in  attempting  to  pafs, 
he  was  twice   repulfed  with   confiderable    damage.      The 
dauphin  joining  the  army,  which  now  amounted  to  feventy 
thoufand   men,  crofled  without  oppofition  j   but    found   the 
Germans  fo  advantageoufly  ported,  that  he  would  not  haz 
ard  an  attack:  Having,  therefore,  repafied  the  river,  he  fe- 
cured  Stutgard  with  a  garrifon,  fent  detachments  into  Flan 
ders  and    Piedmont,    and  returned  in  Auguft  to  Verfaillcs. 
In  Piedmont  the  allies  were  {till  more  unfortunate.     The  featThe^ 
duke  of  Savoy  and  confederates  feemed  bent  upon  driving  duke  of 
the  French  from  Cafal  and    Pignerol.     The  firft  of  thefe  Savo>'- 
places  was   blocked  up,   and    the  other  actually  inverted. 
The  fort  of  St.  Bridget,  that  covered  the  place,  was  taken, 
and  the  town  bombarded.     Meanwhile,  Catinat   being  re 
inforced,  defccnded  into  the  plains.     The  duke  was  fo  ap- 
prehenfive   of  Turin,  that  he  abandoned  the  fiege  of  Pig- 


i53  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  n?rol  after  having  blown  up  the  fort,  and  marched  in  quell' 
of  the  enemy  to  the  plain  of  Marfaglia,  in  the  neighbour 
hood  of  his  capital.     On  the  fourth   day  of  October,   the 
-'°'      French  advanced  upon  them  from  the  hills  between  Orbaf- 
fon  and  Profrfque;   and   a  defperate   engagement   enfued. 
The  enemy  charged  the  left  v/in^  of  the  confederates  fword 
in  hand  with  incredible  fury.     Though  they  were  once  re- 
pulfed,  they  renewed  the  attack  wilhfuch  impetuofity,  that 
the  Neapolitan  and  Milanefe  horfe  were  obliged  to   give 
v/ay,  and  diforder  the  German  cavalry.     Thefe  falling  up 
on  the  foot,  threw  the  whole  wing  into  confufion.     Mean- 
xvliile,  the  main   body  and  the  other  wing  fuftainsd   the 
charge  without  fi inching,  until  they  were  expofed  in  flank 
by  the  defeat  of  the  cavalry  :  Then  the  whole   front  gave 
way.     In  vain  the  fecond  line  was  brought  up  to   Amain 
them  :    The  horfe  turned  their  backs,  and  the  infantry  was 
totally  routed.     In  a  word,  the  confederates   were  obliged 
to  retire,  with  precipitation,  leaving  their  cannon,  and  about 
eight  thoufand  men  killed  or  wounded  on  the  field  of  bat 
tle.     The  duke  of  Schomberg  having  been  denied  the  pod 
which  was  his  due,  infifted  upon  fighting  at  the  head  of  the 
troops  maintained  by  the  king  of  Great  Britain,  who  were 
potted  in  the  centre,  and  behaved  with  great  gallantry  un 
der  the  eye  of  their  commander.     When  the  left  wing  was 
defeated,  the  Count  de  los   Torres  defired  he  would   take 
upon  him  the  command,  and  retreat  with  the  infantry  and 
right  wing  :    But,   he   refufed   to  adl:  without  the  order  of 
his  highnefs,  and  faid  things  were  come  to  fuch  a  pafs,  that 
they  mufr.  either  conquer  or  die.     He  continued  to  animate 
his  men  with  his  voice  and  example,  until   he  received   a 
ihot  in  the  thigh.     His  valet  feeing  him  fall,   ran  to  his  af- 
fiftanCe,  and  called  for  quarter,  but  was  killed  by  the  enetny 
before  he  could  be  underftood.      The  duke  being  taken  at 
the  fame  inflant,  was  afterwards  difmiflcd  upon  his  parole, 
and  in  a  few  days  died  at  Turin,  univerfally  lamented  on 
account  of  his  great  and  amiable  qualities.     The   earl  of 
V/arwic  and  Holland,  who  accompanied  him  as  a  volunteer, 
fhared  his  fate  in  being  wounded  and  taken  prifoner:    But 
he  foon  recovered   his  health  and  liberty.       This    victory 
wr.s  as  unfubilp.ntial  as  that  of  Landen,  and  almoft  as  dear 
in  the  pur  chafe  j  for  the  confederates  made  an  obftinate  de 
fence,  and  yielded  folely  to  a  fuperior  number.  The  duke 
of  Savoy  retreated  to  Moncalier,  and  threw  a  reinforcement 
into  Conti,  which  Catinat  would  not  venture  to  beficge,  fo 
feverely  had  he  been  handled  in  the  battle.     He   therefore, 
contented  himfc-lf  with  laying  the  country  under  contribu 
tion,  reinforcing  the  garrifons  of  Cafal,  Pignerol,  and  Sufa, 
and    making   preparations    for  repafHng    the    mountains. 


WILLIAM  AND  MARY.  159 

The  news  of  the  victory  no   fooner   reached   Par!?,   than  c  HrA  l'- 
Louis  difpatched  M.  dc  Chanlais  to  Turin,  with  propolis   ,          ' 
detaching  the  duke  of  Savoy  from  the  intereft  of  the  allies  ; 
and  the  pope,  who  was  now  become  a  partifan  of  France, 
fupported  the  negociation  with  his  whole    influence:  But 
the  French  king  had  not  yet  touched  upon  the  right  Per  ing. 
The  duke  continued  deaf  to  all  his  addrefTes. 

France  had  been  alike  fuccefsful  in  her  intrigues  at  the 
courts  of  Rome  and  Conftantinople.  The  vifir  at  the  Por 
te  had  been  converted  into  a  penfionary  and  creature  of 
Louis;  but,  the  war  in  which  the  Turks  had  been  fo  long 
and  unfuccefsfully  engaged  rendered  him  fo  odious  to  the 
people,  that  the  grand  fis;nor  depofed  him,  in  order  to  ap- 
peafe  their  clamours.  The  Englifh  and  Dutch  ambafla- 
clors  at  Conftatinoplc  forth  with  renewed  their  meditation  for 
a  peace  with  the  emperor ;  but  the  terms  they  propofed 
were  ftill  rejected  with  difdain.  In  the  mean  time  Gene 
ral  Bender,  who  commanded  the  Imperialifts  in  Tranfyl- 
vania,  reduced  the  fortrefies  of  Jeno  and  Villagufwar.  In 
the  beginning  of  July  the  duke  de  Croy  aflumed  the  chief 
command  of  the  German  army,  pafled  the  Danube  and  the 
Saave,  and  inverted  Belgrade.  The  fiege  was  carried  on  for 
fome  time  with  great  vigour :  But,  at  length,  abandoned  at  the 
approach  of  the  vifir,  who  obliged  the  Imperialifts  to  repafs 
tac  Saave,  and  fent  out  parties  which  made  incurfions  into 
Upper-Hungary.  The  power  of  France  had  never  been 
fo  confpicuous  as  at  this  juncture,  when  (he  maintained  a 
formidable  navy  at  fea,  and  four  great  armies  in  different 
parts  of  Europe.  Exclufive  of  the  operations  in  Flanders, 
Germany,  and  Piedmont,  the  Count  de  Noailles  inverted 
Rofes  in  Catalonia,  about  the  latter  end  of  May,  while  at 
the  fame  time  it  was  blocked  up  by  the  French  fleet,  under 
the  command  of  the  Count  D'  Entrees.  In  a  few  days  the 
place  was  furrendered  by  capitulation,  and  the  caftle  of 
Ampurias  met  with  the  fame  fate.  The  Spanifh  power 
was  reduced  to  fuch  a  degree,  thatNoailles  might  have  pro 
ceeded  in  his  conquefts  without  interruption,  had  not  he 
been  obliged  to  detach  part  of  his  army  to  reinforce  Catiaat 
in  Piedmont* 

Nothing  could  be  ir.ors  inglorious  for  thr  Englifh  than 
their  one-rations  by  f:r.  in  the  courfe  of  this  fur.r.rier.  The 
king  had  order  t-d  the  xin .  irals  to  ufc  all  podiu'.j  tufivroj  la 
equipping  the  Beets,  that  they  might  b'ock  up  the  enemy 
in  their  ov/n  ports,  and  prottc'i  the  commerce,  which  had 
fufferecl  feverely  from  the  French  privateers.  They  were, 
however,  fo  dilatory  in  their  proceedings,  that  the  fquadrons 
of  the  enemy  failed  from  their  harbours  before  the  Kngiifh 
fleet  could  put  to  fea.  About;  the  middle  of  May  it  was 


160  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  aflembled  at  St.  Helen's,  and  took  on  board  five  regiment 
r  intended  for  a  defcent  on  Breft ;  but  this  enterprife  was 
never  attempted.  When  the  Englifh  and  Dutch  fqua- 
drons  joined,  To  as  to  form  a  very  numerous  fleet,  the  pub 
lic  expected  they  would  undertake  fome  expedition 
of  importance :  But  the  admirals  were  divided  in  opi 
nion,  nor  did  their  orders  warrant  their  executing  any 
fcheme  of  confequence.  Killigrew  and  Delnval  did  not 
efcape  the  fufpicion  of  being  diftffected  to  the  fervice;  and 
France  was  fiiid  to  have  maintained  a  fecret  correfpondence 
with  the  malcontents  in  England.  Louis  had  made  fur- 
prifing  efforts  to  repair  the  damage  which  his  navy  had  fu- 
ftained.  He  had  purchafed  feveral  large  vefTels,  and  con 
verted  them  into  (hips  of  war  :  He  had  laid  an  embargo  on 
all  the  /hipping  of  his  kingdom,  until  his  fquadrons  were 
manned :  He  had  made  a  grand  naval  promotion,  to  encou 
rage  the  officers  and  feamen  ;  and  this  expedient  produced 
a  wonderful  fpirit  of  activity  and  emulation.  In  the  month 
of  May  his  fleet  failed  to  the  Mediterranean,  in  three  fqua 
drons,  confifting  of  feventy-one  capital  fhips,  befides  bomb- 
ketches,  firefhips,  and  tenders. 

In  the  beginning  of  June,  the  Englifh  and  Dutch  fleets 
failed  down  the  channel.     On  the  6th,  Sir  George  Rooke 
was  detached  to  the  Straits  with  a  fquadron   of  three-and- 
twenty  fhips,  as  convoy  to  the  Mediterranean  trade.     The 
great  fleet  returned  to  Torbay,  while  he  purfued  his  voy 
age,  having  under  his  protection  about  four  hundred  mer 
chant  fhips  belonging  to  England,  Holland,  Denmark,  Swe- 
Mmbwoi     den,  Hamburgh,  °and    Flanders.     On  the  1 6th   his    fcouts 
merchant      difcovered  part  of  the  French  fleet  under  Cape  St.  Vincent: 
fhips  under     Next  day  their  whole  navy  appeared,  to  the  amount  of  eigh- 
^"Srge     fy  fail-     Sixteen  of  thefe  plied  up  to  the  Englilh  fquadron 
Rooke  ta-     while  the  vice-admiral  of  the  white  flood  off  to  fea,  to  in- 
kcnorde-     tercept  the  fhips   under  convoy.     Sir  George    Rooke,   by 
*royed.         t^e  ac]vjce  of  ths  Dutch  vice-admiral  Vandergoes, refolved, 
if  pofftble,  to  avoid  an  engagement,  which  could  only  tend 
to  their  abfolute  ruin.  He  forthwith  lent  orders  to  the  fmall 
lllips  that  were  near  the  land,  to  put  into  the  neighbouring- 
ports  of  Faro,  St.  Lucar,  and  Cadiz,  while  he  himfelf  flood 
off  with  aneafy  fail  for  the  protection  of  the  reft.    .About 
fix  in  the  evening,  ten  fail  of  the  enemy  came  up  with  two 
Dutch  mips  of  war,  commanded  by  the  Captains  Schrijver 
and  Vander-Poel,   who    feeing  no  poffibility  of  efcaping, 
tacked  in  fhore  ;  and,  thus  drawing  the  French  after  them, 
helped  to  fave  the  reft  of  the  fleet.     When  attacked   they 
made  a  inoft  dcfperate  defence,  but  at  laft  were  overpowered 
by   numbers,    and   taken.     An   Englifh.  fhip  of  war  and  a 
rich  pinnace  were  burned  ;  nine  and  twenty   merchant- vef 
fels  were  taken,  and  about  fifty  deftroyed  by  the  counts  de 


WILLIAM  AND  MARY.  161 

Tourville  and  D'Eftrees.  Seven  of  the  largefl  Smyrna  CHAP, 
{hips  fell  into  the  hands  of  M.  de  Coetlogon,  and  four  he 
funk  in  the  bay  of  Gibraltar.  The  value  of  the  lofs  fuf-  ""XT' 
tained  on  this  occafion  amounted  to  one  million  fterling. 
Mean  while  Rooke  flood  off  with  a  frefh  gale,  and  on  the 
I9th  fent  home  the  Lark  (hip  of  war  with  the  news  of  his 
misfortune ;  then  he  bore  away  for  the  Madeiras,  where 
having  taken  in  wood  and  water,  he  fet  fail  for  Ireland,  and 
on  the  3d  day  of  Auguft  arrived  at  Cork  with  fifty  fail, 
including  (hips  of  war  and  trading  vefTels.  He  detached 
Captain  Fairborne  to  Kinfale,  with  all  his  fquadron,  except 
fix  (hips  of  the  line,  with  which,  in  purfusnce  of  orders,  he 
joined  the  great  fleet  then  cruifing  in  the  chops  of  the  chan 
nel.  On  the  25th  day  of  Auguft  they  returned  to  St.  He- 
Jens,  and  the  four  regiments  were  landed.  On  the  igth 
day  of  September,  fifteen  Dutch  fhips  of  the  line,  and  two 
frigates,  fet  fail  for  Holland ;  and  twenty-fix  fail,  with  feven 
firefhips,  were  aflignedas  guard-fhips  during  the  \vinter. 

The  French  admirals,  inftead  of  purfuing  Rooke  to 
Madeira,  made  an  unfuccefsful  attempt  upon  Cadiz,  and 
bombarded  Gibraltar,  where  the  merchants  funk  their 
fhips,  that  they  might  not  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  ene 
my.  Then  they  failed  along  the  coaft  of  Spain,  deftroyed 
fome  Englifh  and  Dutch  vefTels  at  Malaga,  Alicant,  and 
other  places,  and  returned  in  triumph  to  Toulon.  About 
this  period  Sir  Francis  Wheeler  returned  to  England 
with  his  fquadron,  from  an  unfortunate  expedition  in  the 
Weft  Indies.  In  conjunction  with  Colonel  Codrington, 
governor  of  the  Leeward  i Hands,  he  made  unfuccefsful  at 
tempts  upon  the  iflands  of  Martinique  and  Dominique. 
Then  he  failed  to  Bofton  in  New-England,  with  a  view 
to  concert  an  expedition  as;ainft  Quebec,  which  was 
judged  impracticable.  He  afterwards  fleered  for  Placen- 
tia  in  Nev/foundland,  which  he  would  have  attacked 
without  hefitation ;  but  the  defign  was  rejected  by  a  ma 
jority  of  voices  in  the  council  of  war.  Thus  difappointed, 
he  let  fail  for  England,  and  arrived  at  Portfmouth  in 
a  very  fhattered  condition,  the  greater  part  of  his  men 
havi  ig  died  in  the  courfe  of  this  voyage. 

In  November  another  effort  was  made  to  annoy  the  e- 
ivmy.  Commodore  Benbow  failed  with  a  fquadron  of 
twelve  capital  fhips,  four  bomb-ketches,  and  ten  brigan- 
tines,  to  the  coaft  of  St.  Maloes,  and  anchoring  within 
half  a  mile  of  the  town,  cannonaded  and  bombarded  it  for 
three  days  fuccefHvely.  Then  his  men  landed  on  an  ifland, 
where  they  burned  a  convent.  On  the  I«)th,  they  took 
the  advantage  of  a  dark  night,  a  frefh  gale,  and  a  ftrong 
tide,  to  fend  in  a  fircihip  of  a  particular  contrivance,  ftil- 

Vot.  I.  X 


162  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  ed  t^e  Infernal,  in  order  to  burn  the  town :  But,  flic 
ftruck  upon  a  rock  before  fhe  arrived  at  the  place,  and 
<~*~Y'"<SW;  the  engineer  was  obliged  to  fet  her  on  fire,  and  retreat. 
1693.  g}-,e  continued  burning  for  fome  time,  and  at  laft  blew 
up,  with  fuch  an  explofion  as  {hook  the  whole  town  like 
an  earthquake,  unroofed  three  hundred  houfes,  and  broke 
all  the  glafs  and  earthen  ware  for  three  leagues  around. 
A  capftan  that  weighed  two  hundred  pounds  was  tranf- 
ported  into  the  place,  and  falling  upon  a  houfe,  levelled 
it  to  the  ground:  The  greateft  part  of  the  wall  towards 
the  fea  tumbled  down  ;  and  the  inhabitants  were  over 
whelmed  with  confternation ;  fo  that  a  fmall  number  of 
troops  might  have  taken  pofieflion  without  refiftance; 
but  there  was  not  a  foldier  on  board.  Neverthelefs,  the 
failors  took  and  demolifhed  Quince-fort,  and  did  confi 
dent  ble  damage  to  the  town  of  St.  Maloes,  which  had 
been  a  neft  of  privateers  that  infefled  the  Englifh  com 
merce.  Though  this  attempt  was  executed  with  great 
fpirit,  and  fome  fuccefs,  the  clamours  of  the  people  be 
came  louder  and  louder.  They  fcrupled  not  to  fay,  that 
the  councils  of  the  nation  were  betrayed;  and  their  fufpi- 
cior.s  rofe  even  to  the  fecretary's  office.  They  obferved, 
that  the  French  were  previoufly  acquainted  with  all  the 
motions  of  the  Englifh,  and  took  their  meafures  accord 
ingly  for  their  deftru£lion.  They  collected  and  compared 
a  good  number  of  particulars,  that  feemed  to  juftify  their 
fufpicion  of  treachery.  But  the  misfortunes  of  the  nation, 
in  all  probability,  arofe  from  a  motly  miniftry,  divided 
among  themfelves,  who,  inftead  of  acting  in  concert  for 
the  public  good,  employed  all  their  influence  to  thwart 
the  views,  and  blacken  the  reputation  of  each  other. 
The  people  in  general  exclaimed  againft  the  marquis  of 
Caermarthen,  the  carls  of  Nottingham  and  Rochefter, 
who  had  acquired  great  credit  with  the  queen,  and,  from 
their  hatred  to  the  Whigs,  betrayed  the  interefts  of  the 
nation. 

Miferabic  But  if  the  Englifh  were  difcontented,  the  French  were 
miftrable,  in  fpite  of  all  their  victories.  That  kingdom 
laboured  under  a  dreadful  famine,  occafioned  partly  from 
unfavourable  feafons,  and  partly  from  the  war,  which 
had  not  left  hands  fufficient  to  cultivate  the  ground. 
Nofwithftanding  all  the  diligence  and  providence  of  their 
miniftry,  in  bringing  fupplies  of  corn  from  Sweden  and 
Denmark,  their  care  in  regulating  the  price,  and  furnifh- 
jng  the  markets,  their  liberal  contributions  for  the  relief 
of  the  indigent,  multitudes  perifhed  of  want,  and  the 
whole  kingdom  was  reduced  to  poverty  and  diftrefs. 
Louis  pined  in  the  midft  of  his  fuccefs.  He  faw  his  fub- 


WILLIAM  AND  MARY.  163 

jects  exhaufted  by  a  ruinous  war,  in  which  they  had  been  c  H  A  P. 
involved  by  his  ambition.     He  tampered  with  the  allies  a-         lv~- 
part,  in   hopes   of  dividing    and  detaching  them  from  the    ^""y^ 
grand   confederacy:   He    folicited  the  northern  crowns  to      >f>)2- 
engage   as  mediators    for   a  general  peace.     A  memorial 
was   actually    prefented  by  the   Danifh    minifter  to  king 
William,    by   which   it   appears,  that  the  French     king 
would  have  been  contented  to  purchafe  a  peace  with  forne 
considerable  conceflions :   But  the  terms  were  rejected  by 
the   king  of  England,  whofe  ambition  and  revenge  were 
not    yet  gratified;  and    whofe  fubjects,  though  heavy  la 
den,  could  ftill  bear  additional  burthens. 

The  Jacobites  had  been  very  attentive  to  the  progrefs 
of  diffatisfaction  in  England,  which  they  fomented  with 
their  ufual  afiiduity.  The  late  declaration  of  King  James 
had  been  couched  in  fuch  imperious  terms  as  gave  offence 
even  to  fome  of  thofe  who  favoured  his  intereft.  The  earl 
of  Middleton,  therefore,  in  the  beginning  of  the  year  re 
paired  to  St.  Germain's,  and  obtained  another,  which 
contained  the  promife  of  a  general  pardon  without  excep 
tions,  and  every  other  conceilion  that  a  Britim  fubje6t 
could  demand  of  his  fovereign.  About  the  latter  end  of 
May,  two  men,  named  Canning  and  Dormer,  were  ap 
prehended  for  difperfmg  copies  of  this  paper,  tried  at  the 
Old  Bailey,  found  guilty  of  not  only  difperfing  but  alfo  of 
compofing  a  falfe  and  feditious  libel,  fentenced  to  pay  five 
hundred  marks  a-piece,  to  ftand  three  times  in  the  pillo 
ry,  and  find  fureties  for  their  good  behaviour.  But  no  Cm-.-l  f-n 
circumftance  reflected  more  difgrace  on  this  reign,  than  tence  of 
the  fate  of  Anderton,  the  fuppofed  printer  of  fome  tracts  a  fup!^gd 
againft  the  government.  He  was  brought  to  trial  for  Jacobite 
high-treafon  :  He  made  a  vigorous  defence,  in  fpite  of  the  !)nn;:t:r- 
infults  and  difcouragements  he  fuitained  from  a  partial 
bench.  As  nothing;  but  preemptions  appeared  againft 
him,  the  jury  fcrupled  to  bring  in  a  verdict  that  would 
affect  his  life,  until  they  were  reviled  and  reprimanded 
by  Judge  Treby:  then  they  found  him  guilty.  In  vain 
recourfe  was  had  to  the  queen's  mercy :  fie  fuffered 
death  at  Tyburn  ;  and  left  a  paper,  protefting  folemnly 
againft  the  proceedings  of  the  court,  which  he  affirmed 
was  appointed,  not  to  try,  but  to  convict  him  ;  and  peti 
tioning  heaven  to  forgive  his  penitent  jury.  The  fcveri- 
ty  of  the  government  was  likewife  exemplified  in  the  cafe 
of  fome  adventurers,  who  having  equipped  privateers  to 
cruize  upon  the  Englifh,  under  Joint  commiflions  from 
the  late  King  James  and  Louis  XIV.  happened  to  be  ta 
ken  by  the  Englifh  fhips  of  war.  Dr.  Oldys,  the  king's 
advocate,  being  commanded  to  proceed  againft  them  as 


1 64  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  guilty  of  treafon  and  piracy,  refufed  to  commence  the 
profecution  ;  and  gave  his  opinion  in  writing,  that  they 
were  neither  traitors  nor  pirates.  He  fupported  this  opi- 
nion  by  arguments  before  the  council  :  Thefe  were  an- 
fwsred  by  Dr.  Littleton,  who  fucceeded  him  in  the  office 
from  which  he  was  difmiffed ;  and  the  prifoners  were  exe 
cuted  as  traitors.  The  Jacobites  did  not  fail  to  retort 
thofe  arts  upon  the  government,  which  their  adverfarics 
had  fo  fuccefsfully  practifed  in  the  late  reign.  They  in 
veighed  againft  the  vindictive  fpirit  of  the  adminiftration, 
and  taxed  it  with  encouraging  informers  and  falfe  witnef- 
fes  ;  a  charge  for  which  there  was  too  much  foundation. 

The  friends  of  James  in  Scotland  ftill  continued  to  con 
cert  defigns  in  his  favour  j  but  their  correfpondence  was 
deteiled,  and  their  aims  defeated,  by  the  vigilance  of  the 
miniitry  in  that  kingdom.  Secretary  Johnfton  not  only 
kept  a  watchful  eye  over  all  their  tranfactions,  but,  by  a 
dexterous  management  of  court  liberality  and  favour,  ap- 
peafed  the  difcontents  of  the  Prefbyterians  fo  effectually, 
that  the  king  ran  no  rifque  in  affembling  the  parliament. 
Some  offices  were  beftowed  upon  the  leaders  of  the  kirk- 
party  j  and  the  duke  of  Hamilton  being  reconciled  to  the 
government,  was  appointed  commiflioner.  On  the  iBth 
day  of  April,  the  feflion  was  opened,  and  the  king's  letter, 
replete  with  the  moft  cajoling  expreffions,  being  read,  the 
parliament  proceeded  to  exhibit  undeniable  fpecimens  of 
their  good-humour.  They  drew  up  a  very  affectionate 
anfwer  to  his  majefty's  letter  :  They  voted  an  addition  of 
ilx  new  regiments  to  the  (landing  forces  of  the  kingdom : 
They  granted  a  fupply  of  above  one  hundred  and  fifty 
thoufand  pounds  fterling  to  his  majefty :  They  enacted  a 
law  for  levying  men  to  fervc  on  board  the  royal  navy  : 
They  fined  all  abfentees,  whether  lords  or  commons;  and 
vacated  tho  feats  of  all  thofe  commilfioners  who  refufed  to 
take  the  oath  of  affurance,  which  was  equivalent  to  an  ab 
juration  of  King  James:  They  fet  on  foot  an  enquiry 
about  an  intended  invafion  :  They  publifhed  fome  inter 
cepted  letters,  fuppofed  to  be  written  to  King  James  by 
Nevil  Payne,  whom  they  committed  to  prifon,  and  threat 
ened  with  a  trial  for  high  treafon ;  but  he  eluded  the 
danger  by  threatening  in  his  turn  to  impeach  thofe  wh«  had 
made  their  peace  with  the  government :  They  pafFed  an 
act  for  the  comprehenfion  of  fuch  of  the  Epifcopal  clergy 
as  fhould  condefcend  to  the  oaihs  by  the  10th  day  of  July. 
All  that  the  general  affembly  required  of  them,  was,  an 
offer  to  fubfcribe  the  Confeflion  of  Faith,  and  to  acknow 
ledge  Prefbytery  as  the  only  government  of  the  Scottifh 
church j  but  they  neither  fubmitted  to  thefe  terms,  nor 


WILLIAM  AND  MARY.  165 

took  the   oaths  within  the  limited  time  ;  fo  that  they  for-  CHAP, 
felted  all    legal  right    to   their   benefices.      Nevertheless,       IV- 
they  continued  in  pofleffion,  and  even  received  private  af-  V^"V*^ 
furances    of  the  king's  protection.     It  was  one  of  Willi-      IJV3- 
am's  political  maxims,  to  court  his  domefric  enemies;  but 
it  was  never  attended  with  any  good  effect.     This  indul 
gence  gave  offence  to  the  Prefbyterians,  and   former  i3if- 
tructions  began  to  revive. 

The  king  having  prevailed  upon  the  ftates-general  to 
augment  their  land  forces  and  navy  for  the  fervice  of  the 
enfuing  campaign,  embarked  for  England,  and  arrived  at 
Kenfington  on  the  30th  day  of  October.  Finding  the 
people  clamorous  and  difconter.ted,  the  trade  of  the  nation 
decayed,  the  affairs  of  ftate  mifmanaged,  and  the  minifters 
recriminating  upon  one  another,  he  perceived  the  neceffi- 
1  ty  of  changing  hands,  and  refolved  to  take  his  meafures 
accordingly.  Sunderland,  his  chief  counfellor,  reprefent- 
ed,  that  the  Tories  were  aVerfe  to  the  continuance  of  a 
war,  which  had'  been  productive  of  nothing  but  damage 
and  difgrace ;  whereas,  the  Whigs  were  much  mere 
tractable,  and  would  bleed  freely,  partly  from  the  terrors 
of  invafion  and  popery,  partly  from  the  ambition  of  being 
courted  by  the  crown,  and  partly  from  the  profpect  of  ad 
vantage,  in  advancing  money  to  the  government  on  the 
funds  eftablifhed  by  parliament ;  for  that  fort  of  traffic 
which  obtained  the  appellation  of  the  monied-intereft  was 
altogether  a  Whiggilh  inftitution.  The  king  revolved 
thefe  obfervations  in  his  own  mind  ;  and,  in  the  mean 
time,  the  parliament  met  on  the  yth  day  of  November, 
purfuant  to  the  laft  prorogation.  In  his  fpeech,  he  ex- 
prefTed  his  refentment  againft  thofe  who  were  the  authors 
of  the  mifcarriaa;es  at  fea;  reprefented  the  neceffity  of  in- 
creafing  the  land  forces  and  the  navy;  and  demanded  a 
fuitable  fupply  for  thefe  purpcfes.  In  order  to  pave  the 
way  to  their  condefcenfion,  he  had  already  difmifbd  from 
his  council  the  earl  of  Nottingham,  who,  of  all  his  mi 
nifters,  was  the  moft  odious  to  the  people.  His  place 
would  have  been  immediately  filled  with  the  earl  of 
Shrewfbury  ;  but  that  nobleman,  fufpedting  this  was  a 
change  of  men  rather  than  of  meafures,  flood  aloof  for 
fbme  time,  until  he  received  fuch  affurances  from  the  king 
as  quieted  his  fcruples,  and  then  he  accepted  the  ofUce  of 
fecretary.  The  lieutenancy  for  the  city  of  London,  and 
all  other  commiffions  over  England,  were  altered  with  a 
view  to  favour  the  Whig  intercft  ;  and  the  individuals  cf 
that  party  were  indulged  with  many  places  of  truft  anJ 
profit ;  but  the  Tories  were  too  powerful  in  the  houfe  or 


i66  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  commons  to  be  exafperated,  and  therefore  a  good  number 
of  them  were  retained  in  office. 

On  the  6th  day  of  the  feflion,  the  commons  unanimoufly 
refolved  to  fupport  their  majefties  and  their  government ; 
to  enquire  into  mifcarriages ;  and  to  confider  means  for 
preferving  the  trade  of  the  nation.  The  Turkey  compa 
ny  were  fummoned  to  produce  the  petitions  they  had  de 
livered  to  the  commifnoners  of  the  admiralty  for  convoy  : 
Lord  Falkland,  who  fat  at  the  head  of  that  board,  gave  in 
copies  of  all  the  orders  and  directions  fent  to  Sir  George 
Rooke  concerning  the  ftraits  fleet,  together  with  a  lift  of 
all  the  fhips  at  that  time  in  commiffion.  It  appeared,  in 
the  courfe  of  this  enquiry,  that  the  mifcarriage  of  Rooke's 
fleet  was  in  a  great  meafure  owing  to  the  mifconducSr.  of 
the  admirals,  and  neglect  of  the  viclualling-office  ;  but 
they  v/ere  fcreened  by  a  majority.  Mr.  Harley,  one  of 
the  commiffioners  for  taking  and  dating  the  public  ac 
counts,  delivered  a  report,  which  contained  a  charge  of 
peculation  againft  Lord  Falkland.  Rainsford,  receiver  of 
the  rights  and  perquifites  of  the  navy,  confeflfed  that  he 
had  received  and  paid  more  money  than  that  which  was 
charged  in  the  accourtts  ;  and,  in  particular,  that  he  had 
paid  four  thoufand  pounds  to  Lord  Falkland,  by  his  ma- 
jefty's  order.  This  Lord  had  acknowledged  before  the 
com  mi  in  oners,  that  he  had  paid  one  half  of  the  fum,  by 
the  king's  order,  to  a  perfon  who  was  not  a  member  of 
either  houfe ;  and  that  the  remainder  was  ftill  in  his  hand?. 
Rainsford  owned  that  he  had  the  original  letter  which  he 
received  from  Falkland,  demanding  the  money;  and  this 
nobleman  defiring  to  fee  it,  detained  the  voucher;  a  cir- 
cumftance  that  incenfed  the  commons  to  fuch  a  degree, 
that  a  motion  was  made  for  committing  him  to  the  Tower, 
and  debated  with  great  warmth,  but  at  laft  over-ruled  by 
the  majority.  Neverthelefs,  they  agreed  to  make  him 
fenfible  of  their  difpleafure,  and  he  was  reprimanded  in 
his  place.  The  houfe  of  lords  having  alfo  enquired  into 
the  caufes  of  the  mifcarriage  at  fea,  very  violent  debates 
arofe,  and  at  length  the  majority  refolved,  that  the  admi 
rals  had  done  well  in  the  execution  of  the  orders  they 
had  received.  This  was  a  triumph  over  the  Whig  lords, 
who  had  fo  eagerly  profecuted  the  affair,  and  now  pro- 
tefted  againft  the  refolution,  not  without  great  appear 
ance  of  reafon.  The  next  ftep  of  the  lords  was  to  excul 
pate  the  earl  of  Nottingham,  as  the  blame  feemed  to  lie 
with  him,  on  the  fuppoiition  that  the  admirals  were  in 
nocent.  With  a  view,  therefore,  to  transfer  this  blame 
to  Trenchard,  the  Whiggifh  fecretary,  the  earl  gave  the 
houfe  to  underftand,  that  he  had  received  intelligence  from 


WILLIAM  AND  MARY.  167 

P^aris  in  the  beginning  of  June,  containing  a  lift  of  the  CHAP. 
enemy's  fleet  and  the  time  of  their  failing  ;  that  this  was  IV. 
communicated  to  a  committee  of  the  council,  and  particu-  ^^-y-O 
larly  imparted  to  Secretary  Trenchard,  whofe  province  it  1693 
was  to  tranfmit  inftru&ions  to  the  admirals.  Two  con 
ferences  parted  on  this  fubjecl  between  the  lords  and  com 
mons.  Trenchard  delivered  in  his  defence  in  writing; 
and  was  in  his  turn  fkreencd  by  the  whole  efforts  of  the 
ininiftry,  in  which  the  Whig  influence  now  predominat 
ed.  Thus,  an  enquiry  of  fuch  national  confequence, 
which  took  its  rife  from  the  king's  own  expreffion  of  re- 
fentment  againft  the  delinquents,  was  ftifled  by  the  arts 
of  the  court,  becaufe  it  was  likely  to  affe<5t  one  of  its 
creatures ;  for,  though  there  was  no  premeditated  treachery 
in  the  cafe,  the  intereft  of  the  public  was  certainly  facri- 
ilced  to  the  mutual  animofity  of  the  minister's.  The 
charge  of  Lord  Falkland  being  refumed  in  the  houfe  of 
commons,  he  appeared  to  have  begged  and  received  of 
the  king,  the  remaining  two  thoufand  pounds  of  the  money 
which  had  been  paid  by  Rainsford ;  he  was,  therefore, 
declared  guilty  of  a  high  mifdemeanor  and  breach  of 
truft,  and  committed  to  the  Tower  ;  from  whence, 
however,  he  was  in  two  days  difcharged  upon  his  pe 
tition. 

Harley,  Foley,  and  Harcourt,  prefented  to  the  houfe  a 
ftateofths  receipts  and  iflues  of  the  revenue,  together 
with  two  reports  from  the  commiflioners  of  accounts,  con 
cerning  fums  ifiusd  for  fecret-fei  vices,  and  to  members  of 
parliament.  This  was  a  difcovery  of  the  moft  fcandalous 
practices  in  the  myftery  of  corruption,  equally  exercifed 
on  the  individuals  of  both  parties,  in  occaiional  bounties, 
grants  places,  penfions,  equivalents,  and  additional  fala- 
ries.  The  malcontents,  therefore  jultlyobferved  the  houfe 
of  commons  was  fo  managed  that  the  king  could  baffle  any 
bill,  quafh  all  grievances,  ftifle  accounts,  and  rectify  the 
articles  of  Limerick.  When  the  commons  took  into  con- 
fideradon  the  eftimates  and  fupplies  of  the  enfuing  year, 
the  king  demanded  forty  thoufr.nd  men  for  the  navy,  and 
above  one  hundred  thoufand  for  the  purpofes  of  the  land- 
fervice.  Before  the  houfe  conf.dered  thefc  enorsnous  de 
mands,  they  granted  four  hundred  thoufand  pounds  byway 
of  advance,  to  quiet  the  clamours  of  the  feamen,  who 
were  become  mutinous  and  defperate  for  want  of  pay,  up 
wards  of  one  million  being  clue  to  them  for  wa«;e?.  Then 
the  commons  voted  the  number  of  men  required  for  the 
navy ;  but  they  were  fo  aihamed  of  that  for  the  army,  that 
they  thought  it  neceflary  to  ?.£k  in  fuch  a  manner  as  fhould 
imply  that  they  {till  retained  feme  regard  for  their  country. 


1 68  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

K  o  o  K  They  called  for  all  the  treaties  fubfifting  between  the  kir^; 
and  his  allies;  they  examined  the  different   proportions  of 

^-"•y^-1  the  troops  furnifhed  by  the  refpective  powers ;  they  confi- 
l693-  clered  the  intended  augmentations,  and  fixed  the  eftablifh- 
ment  of  the  year  at  fourfcore  and  three  thoufand  one  hun 
dred  and  twenty-one  men,  including  officers.  For  the 
maintenance  of  thefe  they  allotted  the  fum  of  two  millions 
five  hundred  and  thirty  thoufand  five  hundred  and  ninety 
pound".  They  granted  two  millions  for  the  navy,  and 
about  five  hundred  thoufand  pounds  to  make  good  the  de 
ficiencies  of  the  annuity  and  poll-bills;  fo  that  the  fupplies 
for  the  year  amounted  to  about  five  millions  and  a  half, 
raifed  by  a  land-tax  of  four  {hillings  in  the  pound,  by  two 
more  lives  in  the  annuities,  a  further  excife  on  beer,  a 
new  duty  on  fait,  and  a  lottery. 

Though  the  malcontents  in  parliament  could  not  with- 
fland  this  torrent  of  profufion,  they  endeavoured  to  diftrefs 
the  court-intereft,  by  reviving  the  popular  bills  of  the 
preceding  feffion;  fuch  as  that  for  regulating  trials  in  cafes 
of  high-treafon,  the  other  for  the  more  frequent  calling 
and  meeting  of  parliaments,  and  that  concerning  free  and 
impartial  proceedings  in  parliament.  The  firft  was  neg- 
ledtecl  in  the  houfe  of  lords;  the  fecond  was  rejected  ;  the 
third  was  patted  by  the  commons,  on  the  fuppofition  that  it 
would  be  defeated  in  the  other  houfe.  The  lords  returned 
it  with  certain  amendments,  to  which  the  commons  would 
not  agree ;  a  conference  cnfued  ;  the  peers  receded  from 
their  corrections,  and  patted  the  bill,  to  which  the  king, 
however,  refufed  his  afient.  Nothing  could  be  more  un 
popular  and  dangerous  than  fuch  a  ftep  at  this  juncture. 
The  commons,  in  order  to  recover  fome  credit  with  the 
people,  determined  to  difapprove  of  his  majefty's  conduct. 
The  houfe  formed  itfclf  into  a  committee,  to  take  the  ftate 
of  the  kingdom  into  confideration.  They  refolved,  that 
whoever  aovifed  the  king  to  refufe  the  royal  attent  to  that 
bill,  was  an  enemy  to  their  majeflies  and  the  kingdom. 
They  likewife  presented  an  addrefs,  exprefling  their  con 
cern  that  he  had  not  given  his  confent  to  the  bill,  and  be- 
feeching  his  niajefty  to  hearken  for  the  future  to  the  ad 
vice  of  his  parliament,  rather  than  to  the  councils  of  par 
ticular  perfons,  who  might  have  private  interefts  of  their 
own,  fepamte  from  thofe  of  his  majefty  and  his  people. 
The  king  thanked  them  for  their  zeal,  profetted  a  warm 
regard  for  their  conftitution,  and  affured  them  he  would 
look  upon  all  parties  as  enemies,  who  fhould  endeavour 
to  leflcn  the  confidence  fubuiting  between  the  fovereign 
and  people.  The  members  in  the  oppofition  wrre  not  at 
all  fatisfied  with  this  general  reply.  A  day  being  appoint- 


WILLIAM  AND  MART.  169 

cd  to   take  into  confutation,  a  warm    debate  was  main-    CHAP 
tained  with   equal    eloquence  and  acrimony.  .  At   length        IV- 
the  queftion  being  put,  that  an  addrefs  Ihould  be  made  for  ^*^**** 
a  more  explicit  anfwer,  it  pa/Ted  in  the  negative  by  a  great       l693- 
majority. 

The  city  of  London  petitioned  that  a  parliamentary 
provifion  might  be  made  for  the  orphans,  whofe  fortunes 
they  had  fc;  ndaloufly  fquandered  away.  Such  an  applica 
tion  had  been  made  in  the  preceding  feffion,  and  rejected 
with  difJain,  as  an  impofition  on  the  public;  but  now 
thofe  fcruplcs  were  removed,  and  the  houfe  paficda  bill  for 
this  purpofe,  confifting  of  manyclaufes,  extending  to  dif 
ferent  charges  on  the  city  lands,  aqueducts,  and  perfonal 
ellatesj  impofing  duties  on  binding  apprentices,  conftitut- 
ing  freemen,  as  alfo  upon  wines  and  coals  imported  into 
London.  On  the  231!  clay  of  March,  thefe  bills  received 
the  royal  affent ;  and  the  king  took  that  opportunity  of  re 
commending  difpatch,  as  the  feafon  of  the  year  was  far 
advanced,  and  the  enemy  diligently  employed  in  making 
preparations  for  an  early  campaign.  The  fcheme  of  a  na-  Bank  of 
tional  bank,  like  thofe  of  Amfterdam  and  Genoa,  had 
been  recommended  to  the  miniftry,  as  an  excellent  infti- 
tution,  as  well  for  the  credit  and  fecurity  of  the  govern 
ment,  as  for  the  increafe  of  trade  and  circulation.  One 
project  was  invented  by  Dr.  Hugh  Chamberlain,  propof- 
ing  the  circulation  of  tickets  on  land-fecurity  ;  but  Willi 
am  Paterfoa  was  author  of  that  which  was  carried  into  ex 
ecution  by  the  intereft  of  Michael  Godfrey,  and  other  ac 
tive  projectors.  The  fcheme  was  founded  on  the  notion 
of  a  transferable  fund,  and  a  circulation  by  bill  on  the 
credit  of  a  large  capital.  Forty  merchants  fubfcribed  t«^ 
the  amount  of  five  hundred  thoufand  pounds,  as  a  fund  of 
ready  money,  to  circulate  one  million  at  eight  per  cent,  to 
be  lent  to  the  government;  and  even  this  fund  of  ready 
money  bore  the  fame  intereft.  When  it  was  properly  ci- 
gefted  in  the  cabinet,  and  a  majority  in  parliament  fecured 
for  its  reception,  the  undertakers  for  the  court  introduced 
it  into  the  houfe  of  commons,  and  expatiated  upon  the  na 
tional  advantages  that  would  accrue  from  fuch  a  meafure. 
They  faid  it  would  refcue  the  nation  out  of  the' hands  of 
extortioners  and  ufurers,  lower  intereft,  raife  the  value  of 
land,  revive  and  eftablifh  public  credit,  extend  circulr.- 
tion,  confequently  improve  commerce,  facilitate  the  an 
nual  fupplies,  and  connect  the  people  the  more  clcfelv 
v/ith  the  government.  The  project  was  violently  oppofed 
by  a  ftrong  party,  who  affirmed  that  it  would  become  a 
monopoly,  and  engrofs  the  whole  money  of  the  kingdom  : 
Truir,  ?s  it  muft  infallibly  be  fubfervifnt  to  government 

VOL.  T.  Y 


i7o  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

r,  o  O  K  views,  it  might  be  employed  to  the  worft  purpofes  of  ar~ 
bitraiy  power  :  That,  inftead  of  affifting,  it  would  weak 
en  commerce,  by  tempting  people  to  withdraw  their  money 
from  trade,  and  employ  it  in  frock-jobbing:  That  it  would 
produce  a  fwarm  of  brokers  and  jobbers  to  prey  upon  their 
fellew-creatures,  encourage  fraud  and  earning,  and  fur 
ther  to  corrupt  the  morals  of  the  nation.  Notwithftanding 
thefe  objections,  the  bill  made  its  way  through  the  two 
houfes,  eftablifhing  the  funds  for  the  fecurity  and  advan 
tage  of  the  fubfcribers ;  impowering  their  majefties  to  in 
corporate  them  by  the  name  of  the  Governor  and  Compa 
ny  of  the  Bank  of  England,  under  a  provifo,  that  at  any 
time  after  the  ift  day  of  Auguft,  in  the  year  one  thoufand 
feven  hundred  and  five,  upon  a  year's  notice,  and  the  re 
payment  of  the  twelve  hundred  thoufand  pounds,  the  faid 
corporation  fhould  ceafe  and  determine.  The  bill  like- 
wife  contained  claufes  of  appropriation  for  the  fervices  of 
the  public.  The  whole  fubfcription  was  filled  in  ten  days 
after  its  being  opened;  and  the  court  of  directors  com 
pleted  the  payment  before  the  expiration  of  the  time  pre- 
fcribed  by  the  acl:,  although  they  did  not  call  in  more  than 
feven  hundred  and  twenty  thoufand  pounds  of  the  money 
fubfcribcd.  All  thefe  funds  proving  inadequate  to  the 
eftimates,  the  commons  brought  in  a  bill  to  impofe  ftamp- 
ckities  upon  all  vellum,  parchment,  and  paper,  ufed  in  ai 
med:  every  kind  of  intercourfe  between  man  and  man; 
and  they  crowned  the  oppreflions  of  the  year  wiih  another 
grievous  tax  upon  carriages,  under  the  name  of  a  bill  for 
licenfing  and  regulating  hackney  and  ftage  coaches. 

The  commons,  in  a  claufe  of  the  bill  for  taxing  feveral 
joint-ftocks,  provided,  that  in  cafe  of  a  default  in  the  pay 
ment  of  that  tax,  within  the  time  limited  by  the  a£t,  the 
charter  of  the  company  fo  failing  fhould  be  deemed  void 
and  forfeited.  The  Eaft-India  company  actually  neglected 
their  payment,  and  the  public  imagined  the  miniftry  would 
leize  this  opportunity  of  diflblving  a  monopoly  againft 
which  fo  many  complaints  had  been  made:  But  the  direc 
tors  underftood  their  own  ftrength  ;  and,  inftead  of  be 
ing  broke,  obtained  the  promife  of  a  new  charter.  This 
was  no  fooner  known,  than  the  controverfy  between  them 
and  their  adverfaries  was  revived  with  fuch  animofity, 
that  the  council  thought  proper  to  indulge  both  parties 
with  a  hearing.  As  this  produced  no  refoltition,  the  mer 
chants  who  oppofed  the  company  petitioned,  that,  in  the 
mean  while,  the  new  charter  mi^ht  be  fufpended.  Ad- 
drefTes  of  the  fame  kind  were  prefented  by  a  great  number 
of  clothiers,  linen-drapers,  and  other  dealers.  To  thefe 
a  written  anfwer  was  publifhed  by  the  company :  The 


WILLIAM  AND  MARY.  17 

merchants  printed  a  reply,  in  which  they  undertook  to  c  MAP. 
prove,  that  the  company  had  been  guilty  of  unjuft  and 
unwarrantable  actions,  tending  to  the  Icandal  of  religion, 
the  difhonour  of  the  nation,  the  reproach  of  our  laws,  the 
oppreiiion  of  the  people,  and  the  ruin  of  the  trade.  They 
oblerved,  that  two  private  fiiips  had  exported  in  one  ye^r 
three  limes  as  many  cloths  as  the  company  had  exported  in 
three  years.  They  offered  to  fend  more  cloth  and  Englifh 
mtvchandife  to  the  Indies  in  one  year,  than  the  company 
had  exported  in  five  ;  to  furnifh  the  government  with  five 
hundred  tons  ot  fakpetre  for  Ids  than  one  half  of  the  ufual 
price  ;  and  they  rcprefentcd,  that  the  company  could  nei 
ther  load  the  fhips  they  petitioned  for  in  England,  nor  re 
load  them  in  the  Eaft-Indies.  In  fpite  of  all  thefe  remon- 
ftrances,  the  new  charter  puffed  the  great  feal ;  though 
the  grants  contained  in  it  were  limited  in  fuch  a  manner, 
that  they  did  not  amount  to  an  exclufivc  privilege,  and 
fttbje&ed  the  company  to  fuch  alterations,  reflections,  and 
qualifications  as  the  king  fhould  direct  before  the  twenty- 
ninth  day  of  September.  This  indulgence,  and  other  fa 
vours  granted  to  the  company,  were  privately  purchafed 
of  the  miniftry,  and  became  productive  of  a  loud  outcry 
againft  the  government.  The  merchants  published  a 
journal  of  the  whole  tranfaction,  and  petitioned  the  houfe 
of  commons  that  their  liberty  of  trading  to  the  Eaft  Indies 
might  be  confirmed  by  parliament.  Another  petition  was 
prefented  by  the  company,  praying  that  their  charter  might 
receive  a  parliamentary  fanction.  Both  parties  employed 
all  their  addrefs  in  making  private  application  to  the  mem 
bers.  The  houfe  having  examined  the  different  charters, 
the  book  of  their  new  fubfcriptions,  and  every  particular 
relating  to  the  company,  refolved  that  all  the  fubjects  of 
England  had  an  equal  right  to  trade  to  the  Eaft  Indies, 
unlefs  prohibited  by  aft  of  parliament. 

But  nothing  engroffed  the  attention  of  the  public  more 
than  a  bill  which  was  bVought  into  the  houfe  for  a  general 
naturalization  of  all  foreign  Proteftants.  The  advocates 
for  this  meafure  alledged,  That  great  part  of  the  lands  of 
England  lay  uncultivated  :  That  the  ftrength  of  a  nation 
confifted  in  the  number  of  inhabitants  :  That  the  people 
were  thinned  by  the  war  and  foreign  voyages,  and  required 
an  extraordinary  fupply:  That  a  grest  number  of  proteft- 
ants,  perfecuted  in  France  and  other  countries,  would  glad 
ly  remove  to  aland  of  freedom,  and  bring  along  with  them 
their  wealth  and  manufactures  :  That  the  community  had 
been  largely  repaid  for  the  protection  granted  thofe  refu 
gees  who  had  already  fettled  in  the  kingdom.  They  had 
introduced  feveral  new  branches  of  manufacture,  promoted. 


HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  indu-ftry,  and  lowered  the  price  of  labour ;  a  circumftance 
,  .  of  the  utmoft  importance  to  trade,  opprefTed  as  it  was  with 

taxes,  and  expofed  to  uncommon  hazard  from  the  enemy, 
The  opponents  of  the  bill  urged  with  great  vehemence, 
that  it  would  cheapen  tie  birth-light  of  Englishmen:  That 
the  want  of  culture  was  owino;  to  the  opprcffion  of  the 
times:  That  foreigners  being  admitted  into  the  privileges 
of  the  Britiili  trade,  would  grow  wealthy  at  the  expence 
of  their  benefactors,  and  transfer  the  fortunes  they  had  gain 
ed  into  their  native  country:  That  the  rcdu&ion  in  the 
price  of  labour  would  be  a  national  grievance,  while  many 
thoufands  of  English  manufacturers  were  (tarring  tor  want 
of  employment,  and  the  price  of  provifions  continued  fo 
high,  that  even  thofe  who  were  employed  could  fcarce  fun- 
ply  their  families  with  bread  :  That  the  real  defign  of  the 
bill  was  to  make  fuch  an  acceiTion  to  the  diiTenters  as 
would  render  them  an  equal  match  in  the  body  politic  for 
thofe  of  the  church  of  England;  to  create  a  greater  depend 
ence  on  the  crown  ;  and,  in  a  word,  to  fupply  a  foreign 
head  with  foreign  members.  Sir  John  Knight,  a  member 
of  the  houfe,  in  a  fpeech  upon  this  fubjec~r.,  exaggerated  the 
bad  confequences  that  would  attend  fuch  a  bill,  with  all  the 
wit  and  virulence  of  fatire.  It  was  printed  and  difperftd 
through  the  kingdom,  and  raifed  fuch  a  flame  among  the 
psople  as  had  not  apeared  lince  the  Revolution.  They  ex 
claimed,  that  all  offices  would  be  conferred  upon  Dutchmen, 
who  would  become  Lord-danes,  and  prefcribe  the  modes  of 
religion  and  government;  and  they  extolled  Sir  John 
Knight  as  afaviour  of  the  nation.  The  courtiers,  incenfed  at 
the  progrefs  of  this  clamour,  complained  in  the  houfe  of  the 
fpeech  which  had  been  printed ;  and  Sir  John  was  threa- 
Burnet.  tcned  with  expulfion  and  imprifonment.  He,  therefore, 
leuquieres.  'ChOUp-ht  proper  to  difown  the  paper,  which  was  burned  by 

Lire  ot  K.       ,      ,°      ,*      i   ,  .  J    ,T,,  .      .-       .c         .-         r, 

Wiiihm.  tne  nanas  °r  the  common  hangman.  1  his  lacnnce  ierved 
Tindai.  only  to  increafe  the  popular  disturbance,  which  rofe  to  fuch 
State Tra<fb  a  height  ofvoilence,  that  the  court-party  began  to  tremble; 
Voitlire.  an(^  l^e  kill  was  dropped  for  the  preicnt. 

Lord  Coningfby  and  Mr.  Porter  had  committed  the  moft 
flagrant  acts  of  oppreiTion  in  Ireland.  Thefe  had  been  ex 
plained  during  the  lad  feilion,  by  the  gentlemen  who  ap 
pealed  againfl  the  adoimi  ft  ration  of  Li>rd  Sidney  :  but  they 
were  fcreened  by  the  miniftry;  and  therefore,  the  earl  of 
Bellamont  now  impeached  them  in  the  houfe  of  commons, 
of  which  he  and  they  were  members.  After  an  examina 
tion  of  the  articles  exhibited  againft  them,  the  corrmons, 
who  were  by  this  time  at  the  devotion  of  the  court,  declar 
ed,  that,  confidering  the  ft.  re  of  affairs  in  Ireland,  they  did 
not  think  them  fit  grounds  for  an  impeachment. — In  th? 


WILLIAM  AND  MARY.  173 

c  ourfe  of  this   feflion,  the  nation  (attained  another  misfor-  C  HA  F, 

tune  in  the  fate  of  Sir  Francis  Wheeler,   who  had  been  ap- 

pointed  commander  in  chief  of  the  Mediterranean  fqaatliori.      \^ 

He  received  inftradions  to  take  ander  his  convoy  the  rner-  c-r  V^V.s 

chant  fhips  boand  to  Turkey,  Spain,  and  Italy;  to  craize  Wheelerpe. 

thirty  days  ia  a  certain  latitude,  for  the  protection  of  the  ^  -    -<•  * 

Spaniih  plate-fleet  homeward-bound  to  leave  pa--t  of   his 

fquadrn;i  at  C^diz,  as   convoy  to  the  trade  for  England  ;  to 

proceed  with  the  reft  to   the  Mediterranean;    to  join   the 

Spaniih  fleet  in  his  return,  and  to  a£t  in  concert  with  them, 

until    he   fhoald  be  joined   by  the    fleet  from  Tarkey  and 

the  Straits,  and  accompany  them  back  to  England.  Aboat 

the  latter   end  of  Odober,  he  ft-  1  fail  from  St.  Helen's,  and 

in  January  arrived  at  Cadiz  with  the  fhips  ander  his  con 

voy.     There  leaving  Rear-Admiral  Hopfon,  he  proceeded 

for  the  Mediterranean.       In  the  bay  of  Gibraltar,   he  was 

overtaken  by  a  dreadful  tempeft,  ander  a  lee-fnore,  which 

he  coald  not  pofHbly  weather,  and  where  the  ground  was 

fo  foal  that  no  anchor  would  hold.     This  expedient,  how- 

ev-T,  was  tried.     A  2;reat  number  of  fhips  were  driven  a- 

fhore,  and  many  perifhed.     The  Admiral's  flaip  foundered 

at  lea,  and  he  and  all  his  crew  were  baried  in  the  deep,  ex 

cept  two  Moors,  who  were  miracaloafly  preferved.     Two 

other  fhips  of  the  line,  three  ketches,   and  fix   merchant 

fhips,  were  loft.     The  remains  of  the  fleet  were  fo  much 

f  nattered,  that,  inftead  of  profecuting  their  voyage,  they  re- 

tarned  to  Cadiz,  in  order  to  be  refitted,  and  fhsitered  from 

the  attempts  of  the  French  fqaadrons  which  were  ftill  at 

fea,  ander  the  command  of  Chateaa  Renaad  and  Gabaret. 

On  the  25th  day  of  April  the  king  clofcd  the  feffion  with 

a  fpeech  in  the  afual  ftile,  and  the  parliament  wasprorogaed 

to  the  1  8th  day  of  September*. 


duke  of  Norfolk  brought  an  adtion  into  the  court  of  king's  bench  againft  Mr. 
Germaine,  for  criminal  converfation  with  his  duchefs.  The  caull-  °was  t:  ird 
and  the  jury  brought  in  their  verdict  for  one  hundred  marks,  and  coils  of 
fuit,  in  favour  of  the  plaintiff. 

Before  the  king  embarked,  he  gratified  a  good  number  of  his  friends  with 
promotions.  Lord  Charles  Butler,  brother  to  the  duke  of  Ormond,  was  cre 
ated  Lord  Butler,  of  Wefton  in  England,  and  earl  of  Arran  in  Ireland.  Tin 
earl  of  ihrewibury  was  honoured  with  the  title  of  duke.  The  earl  of  Mul, 
grave,  being  reconciled  to  the  court-meafurej,  was  gratified  with  a  j 
of  three  thoufand  pounds,  and  the  title  of  marquis  of  Normandy.  Henry  Her 
bert  was  ennobled  by  the  title  of  Faron  Herbert,  of  Chevbury.  The  earls  of 

:dford,  Devon/hire,  and  Clare  \v  ere  promoted  to  the  rank  of  dukes.  Thi- 
marquis  of  Caermarthen  was  macic  duke  of  Leeds,  Lord  Vifcount  Sidney,  cre 
ated  eai-1  of  Romney,  ajd  Vifcount  Newport,  earl  of  lleaford  Huff';  w.c 


HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK.  Louis  of  France  being  tired  of  the  war,  which  had  im- 
poverilhed  his  country,  continued  to  tamper  with  the 

^-^Y""^  duke  of  Savoy,  and,  by  the  canal  of  the  pope,  made  fome 
93>  offers  to  the  king  of  Spain,  which  were  rejected.  Mean 
while  he  refolvtd  to  ftand  upon  the  defenfive  during  the 
enfuing  campaign,  in  every  part  but  Catalonia,  where 
his  whole  naval  force  might  co-operate  with  the  count  de 
Noailles,  who  commanded  the  land-army.  King  Willi 
am  having  received  intelligence  of  the  defign  upon  Bar 
celona,  endeavoured  to  prevent  the  junction  of  the  Breft 
and  Toulon  fquadrons,  by  fending  Ruflel  to  fea  as  early 
as  the  fleet  could  be  in  a  condition  to  fail :  But,  before 
lie  arrived  at  Portfmouth,  the  Breft  fquadron  had  quitted 
that  harbour.  On  the  3d  day  of  May  the  admiral  failed 
from  St.  Helen's,  with  the  combined  fquadrons  of  Eng 
land  and  Holland,  amounting  to  ninety  fhips  of  the  line, 
befides  frigates,  fire-fhips,  and  tenders.  He  detached 
Captain  Pritchard  of  the  Monmouth  with  two  fire-fhips, 
to  deftroy  a  fleet  of  French  merchant-fhips  near  Conquet- 
bay ;  and  this  fervice  being  performed,  he  returned  to 
St.  Helen's,  where  he  had  left  Sir  Cloudefley  Shovel 
with  a  fquadron,  to  take  on  board  a  body  of  land-forces, 
intended  for  a  defcent  upon  the  coaft  of  France.  Thefc 
being  embarked,  under  the  command  of  General  Ptob- 
mache,  the  whole  fleet  failed  again  on  the  29th  of  May. 
The  land  and  fea -officers,  in  a  council  of  war,  agreed 
that  part  of  the  fleet  defigned  for  this  expedition,  fhould 
ieparate  from  the  reft,  and  proceed  to  Camaret-bay, 
where  the  forces  fhould  be  landed.  On  the  5th  day  of 
June,  Lord  Berkeley,  who  commanded  this  fquadron, 
parted  with  the  grand  fleet,  and  on  the  yth  anchored  be 
tween  the  bays  of  Camaret  and  Bertaume.  Next  day  the 
marquis  of  Caermarthen,  afterwards  duke  of  Leeds,  who 
ferved  under  Berkeley,  as  rear-admiral  of  the  blue,  en 
tered  Camaret-bay  with  two  large  {hips  and  fix  frigates, 
to  cover  the  troops  in  landing.  The  French  had  received 
intelligence  of  the  defign,  and  taken  fuch  precautions, 
under  the  conduct  of  the  celebrated  engineer,  Vauban, 
that  the  Englifn  were  expofed  to  a  terrible  fire  from  new- 
erected  batteries,  as  well  as  from  a  ftrong  body  of  troops; 
and  though  the  fhips  cannonaded  them  with  great  vigour, 
the  foldiers  could  noi  maintain  any  regularity  in  landing. 
A  good  number  were  killed  in  the  open  boats  before  they 

advanced  to  the  head  of  the  admiralty-board.  Sir  George  Rooke  and  Sir  John 
Houblon%vere  appointed  joint-commiflioners,  in  the  loom  of  Killegrew  and 
Ddaval.  Charles  Montagu  was  made  chancellor  of  the  exchequer j  and  Sir 
William  Tnimbal  and  John  Smith  commiiTioners  of  the  treafury,  ki  the  room 

ef  Sir  Edward  Seymour  and^Mr.  Hambden. 


WILLIAM  AND  MARY.  175 

reached  the  fhore  ;  and  thofe  who  landed  were  foon  re-  c  H~A  p. 
pulfed,  in  fpite  of  all  the  endeavours  of  General  Ptolema- 
che,  who  received  a  wound  in  the  thigh,  which  proved 
mortal.  Seven  hundred  foldiers  a;  j  faid  to  have  been  loft 
on  this  occafion,  befides  thofe  who  were  killed  on  board 
of  the  fhips.  The  Monk  fhip  of  war  was  towed  off  with 
great  difficulty:  But  a  Dutch  frigate  of  thirty  guns  fell 
into  the  hands  of  the  enemy. 

After  this  unfortunate  attempt,  Lord  Berkely,  with 
the  advice  of  a  council  of  war,  failed  back  for  England, 
and  at  St.  Helen's  received  orders  from  the  queen  to  call 
a  council,  and  deliberate  in  what  manner  the  fhips  and 
forces  might  be  beft  employed.  They  agreed  to  make 
fome  attempt  upon  the  coaft  of  Normandy.  With  this 
view  they  fet  fail  on  the  5th  day  of  July.  They  bombard 
ed  Dieppe,  and  reduced  the  greateft  part  of  the  town  to 
ames.  Thence  they  fleered  to  Havre-de-Grace,  which 
met  with  the  fame  fate.  They  harrafted  the  French 
troops,  who  marched  after  them  along-fhore.  They  a- 
larmed  the  whole  coaft,  and  filled  every  town  with  fuch 
confternation,  that  they  would  have  been  abandoned  by 
th?  inhabitants,  had  not  they  been  detained  by  military 
force.  On  the  26th  day  of  July,  Lord  Berkely  returned 
to  St.  Helen's,  where  he  quitted  the  fleet,  and  the  com 
mand  devolved  upon  Sir  Cloudeiley  Shovel.  This  officer 
having  received  inftru6r.ions  to  make  an  attempt  upon 
Dunkirk,  failed  round  the  Downs,  where  he  was  joined 
by  M.  Meefters,  with  fix-and-twenty  Dutch  pilots.  On 
the  I2th  of  September  he  appeared  before  Dunkirk  •,  and 
next  day  fent  in  the  Charles  galley,  with  two  bomb- 
ketches,  and  as  many  of  the  machines  called  the  Infernal?. 
Thefe  were  fet  on  fire  without  effecT: ;  and  the  defign  mif- 
carried ;  Then  Shovel  fteered  for  Calais,  which  having 
bombarded  with  little  fuccefs,  he  returcd  to  the  coaft  of 
England  ;  and  the  bomb-ketches  and  machines  were  fent 
into  the  river  Thames. 

During  thefe  tranfaclions,  Admiral  Ruffel,  with  the 
grand  fleet,  failed  for  the  Mediterranean  ;  and  being  join 
ed  by  Rear-Admiral  Neville  from  Cadiz,  together  with 
Callembergh,  and  Evertzen,  he  fleered  towards  Barce 
lona,  which  was  befieged  by  the  French  fleet  and  army.  At 
his  approach  Tourville  retired  with  precipitation  into  the 
harbour  of  Toulon  ;  and  Noailles  abandoned  his  enter- 
prize.  The  Spanifh  affairs  were  in  fuch  a  deplorable 
condition,  that  without  this  timely  affidanca  the  kingdom 
muft  have  been  undone.  While  he  continued  in  the  Me 
diterranean,  the  French  admiral  durft  not  venture  to  ap 
pear  at  fea  i  aad  all  his  projects  were  difconceited.  After 


176  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

ROOK  having  afferted  the  honour  of  the  Britifh  flag  in  thofe  Teas 

during  the  whole  fummer,  he   failed  in  the  beginning   of 

^•""Y"^    November  to   Cadiz,  where,  by  an  exprefs  order  of  the 

l693-      king,  he  paffed  the  winter,  during    which,  he  took    fuch 

precautions   for  preventing   Tourville   from   pniiing  the 

Straits,  that  he  did  not  think  proper  to   rifque   the   paf- 

fage. 

Military  ^  w^  now  ^e  necefTary  to  defcribe  the  operations  on  the 

operations  continent.  In  the  middle  of  May  King  William  arrived 
on  t lie  «on-  in  Holland,  where  he  confultcd  with  the  ftates-general . 
On  the  3d  day  of  June  he  repaired  to  Bethlem-abbey 
near  Louvain,  the  place  appointed  for  the  rendezvous  of 
the  army;  and  there  he  was  met  by  the  eic&ors  of  Bavaria 
and  Cologn.  In  a  few  days,  a  numerous  army  was  afTem- 
bled ;  and  every  thing  fecmcd  topromifean  active  campaign. 
On  the  3d  day  of  June  the  dauphin  afiumedthe  command  of 
the  French  forces,  with  which  Luxembourg  had  taken 
poft  bet  ween  Mons  and  Maubeuge ;  and  paffing  the  Sambre, 
encamped  at  Fleurus  ;  But,  on  the  1 8th,  he  removed  from 
thence,  and  took  up  his  quarters  between  St.  Trcn  and 
Wr.nheim  ;  while  the  confederates  lay  at  Roofbeck.  On 
the  nth  of  July,  the  dauphin  marched  in  four  columns  to 
Oerle  upon  the  Jaar,  where  he  pitched  his  camp.  On 
the  22d,  the  confederates  marched  to  Bomale :  Then 
the  dauphin  took  the  route  to  Vignamont,  where  he  fecured 
his  army  by  entrenchments.,  as  his  forces  were  inferior  in 
number  to  thofe  of  the  allies  ;  and  he  had  been  directed  by 
his  father  to* avoid  an  engagement.  In  this  fituation  both 
armies  remained  till  the  I5th  day  of  Auguft,  when  King 
William  fent  the  heavy  baggage  to  Louvain;  and  on  the 
1 8th  made  a  motion  to  Sombref.  This  was  no  fooner 
known  to  the  enemy,  then  they  decamped;  and  having 
marched  all  night,  poftecl  themfelves  between  Temploux: 
and  Mafy,  within  a  league  and  a  half  of  the  confederates. 
The  king  of  England  refolved  to  pafs  the  Scheld;  and  with 
this  view  marched,  by  the-  way  of  Nivelle  and  Soignies, 
to  Chievres:  From  thence  he  detached  the  duke  of  Wir- 
temberg,  with  a  ftrong  body  of  horfe  and  foot,  to  pafs  the 
river  at  Oudenarde,  while  the  ele&or  of  Bavaria  advanced 
with  another  detachment,  to  pafs  it  at  Pont  d'Efpieres. 
Notwithfranding  all  the  expedition  they  could  make,  their 
purpofe  was  anticipated  by  Luxembourg,  who  being  ap- 
prifedoftheir  route,  had  detached  four  thoufand  horfe,  with 
each  a  foot  foldiers  behand  the  trooper  to  reinforce  M.  de 
Valletta,  who  commanded  that  part  of  the  French  line. 
Thcfe  were  fuftained  by  ?.  choice  body  of  men,  who  tra 
velled  with  great  expedition,-  without  obfcrving  the  for- 


WILLIAM  AND  MARY.  177 

maiities  of  a  march.  Marefchal  de  Villeroy  followed  the  CHAP, 
flame  route,  with  all  the  cavalry  of  the  right  wing,  the  houfe- 
hold  troops  and  twenty  field-pieces  ;  and  the  reft  of  the  V"O/^*^ 
army  was  brought  up  by  the  dauphin  in  perfon.  They  J  ^ 
marched  with  fuch  incredible  diligence,  that  the  elector  of 
Bavaria  could  fcarce  believe  his  own  eyes,  when  he  arrived 
in  fight  of  the  Scheld,  ahd  faw  them  entrenching  themfelves 
on  the  other  fide  of  the  river.  King  William  having 
reconnoitred  their  difpofition,  thought  it  impra&icable  to 
pafs  at  that  place,  and  therefore  marched  down  the  river  to 
Oudennrde,  where  a  pafTage  had  been  afteady  effected  by 
the  duke  of  Wirtemberg.  Here  the  confederates  puffed 
the  Scheld  on  the  2yth  day  of  the  month  ;  and  the  king  fix 
ed  his  head  quarters  at  Wanneghem.  His  intention  was 
to  have  taken  poflefHon  of  Courtray,  and  eftablifhed  winter- 
quarters  for  a  confiderable  part  of  his  army  in  that  diftricl; 
But  Luxembourgh  having  pofted  hirnfelf  between  that  place 
and  Menin,  extended  his  lines  in  fuch  a  manner,  that  the 
confederates  could  not  attempt  to  force  them,  nor  even 
hinder  him  from  fubfifting  his  army  at  the  expence  of  the 
Caftellany  of  Courtray,  during  the  remainder  of  the  cam 
paign.  This  furprifing  march  was  of  fuch  importance  to 
ths  French  King,  that  he  wrote  with  his  own  hand  a  letter 
of  thanks  to  his  army  ;  and  ordered  that  it  fhould  be  read 
to  every  particular  fquadron  and  battalion. 

The  King  of  England,  though  difapnointed  in  his  fcheme 
upon  Courtray,  found  means  to  make  fo-ne  advantage  of 
his  fuperiority  in  number.  He  drafted  troops  from  the 
garrifons  of  Liege  and  Maeftricht ;  and  on  the  3d  day  of 
September  reinforced  this  body  with  a  large  detachment  of 
his  own  camp,  conferring  the  command  upon  the  duke  of 
Holftein-Ploen,  with  orders  to  undertake  the  fiege  of  Huy. 
Next  day,  the  whole  confederate  forces  pafted  the  Lys,  and 
encamped  at  Wouterghem.  From  thence  the  king,  with 
part  of  the  army,  marched  to  Rofelaer  :  This  divifion  obli 
ged  the  dauphin  to  make  confiderable  detachments,  for  the 
fecurity  of  Ypres  and  Menin  on  one  fide,  and  to  cover  Fur- 
nes  and  Dunkirk  on  the  other.  At  this  juncture,  a  French 
man  being  fcized  in  the  very  a£t  of  fetting  fire  to  one  of 
the  ammunition-waggons  in  the  allied  army,  confefTed  he 
had  been  employed  for  this  purpofeby  fome  of  the  French 
generals,  and  fuffered  death  as  a  traitor.  On  the  1 6th  day 
of  th3  month,  the  duke  of  Holilein-Ploen  inveftedHuy,  and 
carried  on  the  fiege  with  fuch  vigour,  that  in  ten  days  the 
garrifon  capitulated.  The  king  ordered  Dixmuyde,Denyfe, 
N  inove,  and  Tirlernont,  to  be  fecured  for  winter-quarters 
to  part  of  the  army  :  The  dauphin  returned  to  Verfailies  ; 

VOL.  I.  Z 


178  HISTORY  OF   ENGLAND. 

William  quitted  the  camp  on  the  laft  day  of  September  ;  and 
b-)t'i  armies  broke  up  about  the  middle  of  October. 

T'ne  operations  on  the  Rhine  were  pre-concerted  be 
tween  King  William  and  the  prince  of  Baden,  who  had 
vifitcd  London  in  the  winter.  The  difpute  between  the 
emperor  and  the  elector  of  Saxony  was  compromifed  ;  and 
this  young  prince  dying  during  the  negociation,  the  treaty 
was  perfected  by  his  brother  and  fucceflbr,  who  engaged 
to  furr.ifh  twelve  thoufand  men  yearly,  in  confideration 
of  a  fubfidy  from  the  court  of  Vienna.  In  the  beginning 
of  June,  Mareichiil  de  Lorg<  s  pafied  the  Rhine  at  Phi- 
lipfourgh,  in  order  to  give  battle  to  the  Imperialifts,  en 
camped  at  Hailbron.  The  prince  of  Baden,  who  was  not 
yet  joined  by  the  Saxons,  Hefiians,  nor  by  the  troops  of 
Munfter  and  Paderborn,  difpatched  couriers  to  quicken 
the  march  of  thcfe  auxiliaries,  and  advanced  to  Eppingen, 
where  he  propofed  to  wait  till  they  fhould  come  up  :  But 
on  the  i  Sth,  receiving  undoubted  intelligence,  that  the 
enemy  were  in  motion  towards  him,  he  advanced  to  meet 
them  in  order  of  battle.  De  Lorges  concluded  that  this 
was  a  defperate  effort,  and  immediately  halted,  to  make 
the  necefiary  preparations  for  an  engagement.  This 
paufe  enabled  Prince  Louis  to  take  pofieffion  of  a  ftrong 
pafs  near  Sintzheim,  from  which  he  could  not  eafily  be 
diflodged.  Then  the  marefchal  proceeded  to  Vifeloch. 
and  ravaged  the  adjacent  country,  in  hopes  of  drawing  the 
Ifnperialifts  from  their  entrenchments.  The  prince  being 
joined  by  the  Heflians,  refolved  to  beat  up  the  quarters  of 
the  enemy,  and  the  French  general  being  apprifed  of  his 
defign,  retreated  at  midnight  with  the  utmoft  precipitation. 
Having  polled  himfelf  at  Ruth,  he  fent  his  heavy  baggage 
to  Philipfburgh:  Then  he  moved  "to  Gonfbergh,  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  Manheim,  repafied  the  Rhine,  and  en 
camped  between  Spires  and  Worms.  The  prince  of  Ba 
den  being  joined  by  the  allies,  paficd  the  river  by  a  bridge 
of  boats  near  Hagenbach,  in  the  middle  of  September; 
and  laid  the  country  of  Alface  under  contribution.  Con- 
fidering  the  advanced  feafon  of  the  year,  this  was  a  rsfh 
undertaking  ;  and  the  French  general  refolved  to  profit 
by  his  enemy's  temerity.  He  forthwith  advanced  againft 
the  Imperialifts,  forefeeing  that  fhould  they  be  worfted  in 
battle,  their  whole  army  would  be  ruined.  Prince  Louis, 
informed  of  his  intention,  immediately  repafled  the  Rhine  ; 
and  this  retreat  was  no  fconer  efrected,  than  the  river 
fwelled  to  fuch  a  degree,  that  the  ifland  in  the  middle, 
and  great  part  of  the  camp  he  had  occupied,  was  over 
flowed.  Soon  after  this  incident,  both  armies  retired 
into  winter-quarters.  The  campaign  in  Hungary  pro- 


WILLIAM  AND  MARY.  .  179 

duced   no   event  of  importance.     It  was   opened   by   the  CHAP- 
new    vifir,    who   arrived  at   Belgrade    in    the    middle  of 
Auguft:   And    about  the    fame    time    Caprara   afiemblcd   ^-"Y"'-' 
the  Imperial  army  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Peterwaradin. 
The  Turks  pafled   the    Saave,  in    order   to   attack,  their 
camp,  and  carried  on  their   approaches   with  five   hundred 
pieces  of  cannon  ;    but  made  very  little    progrcfs.     The 
Imperialifts  received   reinforcements-,  the    feafon    wafted 
away  ;  a  feud  arofe  between  the  vifir  and  the  cham  of  the 
Tartars  ;  and  the  Danube  being  fwelled  by  heavy  rains, 
fo  as   to  interrupt  the  operations  of  the    Turks,  their  ge 
neral    decamped    in  the    night    of    the    id   of   October.     t 
They  afterwards  made  an  unfuccefsful  attempt    up«n  Ti- 
tul,   while   the  Imperial    general   made   himfelf  mailer  of 
Giula.     In  the  courfe  of  this  fummeiythe  Venetians,  who 
were    alfo  at  war    with    the  Turks,    reduced    Cyclut,  a 
place  of  importance  on    the  river   Neranta,  and  made  a 
conqueft   of  the  iiland    of  Scio  in  the  Archipelago. 

We  have  already  obferved,  that  the  French  king  had 
determined  to  a£l  vigorously  in  Catalonia.  In  the  be 
ginning  of  May,  the  duke  de  Noailles  advanced  at  the 
head  of  eight-and-twenty  thoufand  men  to  the  river  Tei, 
on  the  oppofite  bank  of  which  the  viceroy  of  Catalonia 
was  encamped  with  fixteen  thoufand  Spaniards.  The 
French  general  paffed  the  river  in  the  face  of  this  army, 
and  attacked  their  entrenchments  with  fuch  iaipatupiity, 
that  in  lefs  than  an  hour  they  were  totally  defeated. 
Then  he  marched  to  Palamos,  and  undertook  the  fiege  of 
that  place,  while  at  the  fame  time  it  was  blocked  up  by 
the  combined  fquadrons  of  Brcft  and  Toulon..  Though 
the  befieged  made  an  obftinate  defence,  the  town  w,,s 
taken  by  ftorm,  the  houfes  were  pillaged,  and  the  people 
put  to  the  fword,  without  diftinclion  of  age,  fex,  or  con 
dition.  Then  he  inverted  Gironne,  which  in  a  few  days 
capitulated.  Oftalric  met  with  the  fame  fate,  and 
Noailles  was  created  viceroy  of  Citalonia  by  the  French 
king.  In  the.  beginning  of  Auguft  he  diftributed  his 
forces  into  quarters  of  refreihment,  along  the  river  Ter- 
dore,  refolving  to  undertake  the  ue^e  of  Barcelona,  which 
xvas  favcd  by  the  arrival  of  admiral  Ruff.l.  The  war  lan- 
guifhed  in  Piedmont,  on  account  of  a  fccret  negociation 
between  the  king  of  France  and  the  duke  of  Savoy  ;  not- 
withftanding  the  rerr, onftranees  of  Rouvigny,  earl  of  Gal- 
way,  who  had  fuccerdcd  the  duke  of  Schomberg  in  the 
command  of  the  Britiih  forces  in  that  country.  Cafkl 
was  clofely  blocked  up  by;  the  reduction  of  fort  St.  George, 
and  the  Vaudois  gained  the  advantage  in  fome  ilciiT^iriies 


i8e  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  in  the  valley  of  Ragelas  :  But  no  defign  of  Importance 

was  executed*. 

Vc""Y"v"'  England  had  continued  very  quiet  under  the  queen's 
J  94-  administration,  if  we  except  fome  little  commotions  occa- 
fioned  by  the  practices,  or  pretended  practices,  of  the  Ja 
cobites.  Profecutions  were  revived  againft  certain  gen 
tlemen  of  Lancamire  and  Chemire,  for  having  been  con 
cerned  in  the  confpiracy  formed  in  favour  of  the  late 
king's  projected  invafion  for  Normandy.  Thefe  fteps 
were  owing  to  the  fuggeftions  of  infamous  informers, 
whom  the  rniniftry  countenanced.  Colonel  Parker  and 
one  Crofby  were  imprifoncd,  and  bills  of  treafon  found 
againft  them  :  But  Parker  made  his  efcape  from  the  Tow 
er,  and  was  never  retaken,  though  a  reward  of  four  hun 
dred  pounds  was  fet  upon  his  head.  The  king,  having 
fettled  the  affairs  of  the  confederacy  at  the  Hague,  em- 
The  king  barked  for  England  on  the  8th  of  November,  and  the 
returns  to  next  day  landed  ac  Margate.  On  the  1 2th  he  opened  the 
Kaplan  .  fefflon  Of  parliament  with  a  fpeech,  in  which  he  obferved, 
that  the  pofture  of  affairs  was  improved  both  by  fea  and 
land  fince  they  Lift  parted  ;  in  particular,  that  a  flop  was 
put  to  the  progrefs  of  the  French  arms.  He  defircd  they 
would  continue  the  a£t  of  tonnage  and  poundage,  which 
would  expire  at  Chriftmas  :  He  reminded  them  of  the 
debt  for  the  tranfport  mips  employed  in  the  reduction  of 
Ireland ;  and  exhorted  them  to  prepare  fome  jjood  bill  for 
the  encouragement  of  feamen.  A  majority  in  both  hou- 
fes  was  already  fecured  ;  and,  in  all  probability,  he  bar 
gained  for  their  condefcenlion,  by  agreeing  to  the  bill  for 
triennial  parliaments.  This  Mr.  Harley  brought  in,  by 
order  of  the  lower  houfe,  immediately  after  their  firft  ad 
journment  ;  and  it  kept  pace  with  the  confideration  of  the 
fupplies.  The  commons  having  examined  the  eftimates 
and  accounts,  voted  four  millions  feven  hundred  fixty- 
four  thoufand  feven  hundred  and  twelve  pounds  for  the 
fervice  of  the  army  and  navy.  In  order  to  raife  this  fum, 
they  continued  the  land-tax  ;  they  renewed  the  fubfidy  of 
tonnage  and  poundage  for  five  years,  and  impofed  new  du 
ties  on  different  commodities-}-.  The  triennial  bill  enac"r.- 


*uL;,  bachelors  and  widows.  They  paffed  an  a£t  fjr  laving  additional  d 
upon  coffi'e,  tea,  and  chocolate,  towards  paying  the  debt  due  for  the  t; 
port  fhips  ;  and  another,  impofing  duties  on  glais-wareSj  ftone,  and  eat 
hottks,  coal,  and  culm. 


WILLIAM  AND  MARY.  181 

ed,  That  a  parliament  fhould  be  held  once  in  three   years  c  H  A  p- 
at  leaft  :  That  within  three  years  at  fartheft  after   the  dif-        IV. 
folution  of  the  parliament  then  fubfifting,  and  fo  from  time   (»-^\^-> 
to  time,  for  ever  after,  legal   writs  under  the   great    feal      l694- 
fhould  be  ifTued,  by  the  direction  of  the  crown,  for  calling, 
aflembling,   and    holding   another  new  parliament :   That 
no  parliament  fhould  continue  longer   than  three  years   at 
fartheft,  to  be  accounted  from   the    fnft   day   of  the   fnft 
feflion:  And,  That  the   parliament  then  fubfifting  fhould 
ceafe  and  determine  on   the   firft  day  of  November   m-xt 
following,  unlefs  their  majefties    fhould  think  fit    to   dif- 
lolve  it  fooner.     The  duke  of  Devonshire,  the  marquis  of 
Hallifax,  the  earls  of  Weymouth  and  Aylefbury,    proteft- 
ed    againft   this   bill,    becaufe  it  tended  to  the   continu 
ance   of    the    prefent   parliament    longer    than,    as   they 
apprehended,  was  agreeable  to   the  conflitution  of  Eng 
land. 

While   this    bill   was   depending,  Dr.   John  Tiilotfon,  Deat>  of 
Archbifhop  of  Canterbury,   was   fiezed   with  a  fit  of  the  Archbhh^p 
dead  palfy,   in  the  chapel  of  Whitehall,  and    died  on    the  T 
twenty-fecond  day  of  November,  deeply  regretted  by  the 
king  and  queen,  who  fhed  tears  of  forrow  at  his   deceafe  ; 
and  fmcerely  lamented  by  the  public,  as  a  pattern  of  ele 
gance,    ingenuity,    meeknefs,    charity,    and    moderation. 
Thefe    qualities  he   muft   be   allowed   to    have    pofTefTed, 
notwithstanding  the  inveclives  of  his  enemies,  who  accufed 
him  of  puntanifm,  flattery,  and  ambition ;  and  charged  him 
with  having  conduced  to  a  dangerous  fchifm  in  the  church, 
by  accepting   the   archbifhopric  during  the  life  of  the  de 
prived    Sancroft.     He  was  iucceeded   in  the   metropolitan 
fee  by  Dr.  Tennifon,  bifhop  of  Lincoln,  recommended  by 
the  Whig-party,  which  now  predominated   in  the  cabinet. 
The  queen  did  not  long   furvive   her   favourite    prelate. 
In  about  a  month  after  his   deceafe,   fhe  was  taken  ill  of 
the  fmall  pox,  and  the  fymptoms  proving  dangerous,   file 
prepared  herfelf  for  death  with  great   compofure.      She 
fpent  fome  time  in  exercifes  of  devotion,  and  private   eon- 
verfation  with  the  new  archbiihop.     She  received  the   fa-  And  of 
crament  with  all  the  bifhops  who  were  in  attendance;  and  Qi6?"  Ma 
expired  on   the   twenty-eighth   day  of  December,  in  the  ry' 
thirty-third  year  of  her  age,  and  in  the    iixth   year  of  her 
reign,  to  the  inexpreffiblc  grief  of  the  king,   who,  for  fome 
weeks   after    her   death,  could  neither  fee   company,   nor 
attend  to  the  bufincfs  of  the  ftate.     Mary  was  in  her  per- 
fon  tall  and  well  proportioned,  with  an  oval   vifage,  lively 
eyes,   agreeable  features,  a  mild  afpecl:,  and  an  air  of  dig 
nity..    Her  Jtpprehenfion  was  clear,  her  memory  tenacious, 


182  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  and  her  judgment  folid.     She  was  a  zealous   Protcftant, 
fcrupuloufly  exa&  in   all   the    duties  of  devotion,  of   an 

^~Y~**J  even  temper,  and  of  a  calm  and  mild  converfation.  She 
l694-  Was  ruffled  by  no  paffion,  and  feems  to  have  been  a  ft  ran 
ger  to  the  emotions  of  natural  affeitions  ;  for  ihe  afcend- 
ed,  without  compiin&ion,  the  throne  from  which  her  fa 
ther  had  been  depofed,  and  treated  her  fifter  as  an  alien  to 
her  blood.  In  a  word,  Mary  feems  to  have  imbibed  the 
cold  difpofition  and  apathy  of  her  hufband  ;  and  to  have 
centered  all  her  ambition  in  deferving  the  epithet  of  an 
humble  and  obedient  wife*. 

The  Princefs  Anne,  being  informed  of  the  queen's  dan 
gerous  indifpofition,  fent  a  lady  of  her  bed-chamber,  to 
denre  flie  might  be  admitted  to  her  majefty;  but  this 
requeft  was  not  granted.  She  was  thanked  for  her  ex- 
preilion  of  concern  ;  and  given  to  underftand,  that  the 
phyficiaris  had  directed'  that  the  queen  fhould  be  kept  as 
quiet  as  poffiblc.  Before  her  death,  however,  fhe  fent  a 
forgiving  ineffage  to  her  fifter  ;  and,  after  her  deceafe,  the 
carl  of  Sunderland  effected  a  reconciliation  between  the 
king  and  the  princefs,  who  vifited  him  at  Kenfmgton, 
where  fhe  was  received  with  uncommon  civility.  He 
appointed  the  palace  of  St.  James's  for  her  refidence,  and 
prefented  her  with  the  greater  part  of  the  queen's  jewels. 
But  a  mutual  jealoufy  and  difguft  fubfifted  under  thefe 
exteriors  of  friendmip  and  efteem.  The  two  houfes 
of  parliament  waited  on  the  king  at  Kenfmgton,  with 
confolatory  addreiTes  on  the  death  of  his  confort :  Their 
example  was  followed  by  the  regency  of  Scotland,  the 
city  and  clergy  of  London,  and  the  diflenting  minifters, 
and  almoit  all  the  great  corporations  in  Englandf. 

*  Her  obfequics  were  performed  with  great  magnificence.  The  body 
\va»  attended  from  Whitehall  to  Weftminftcr-abbey  by  all  the  Judges,  Ser 
jeants  at  law,  the  Lord  Mayor  and  aldermen  of  the  city  of  London,  and 
both  Houfes  of  Parliament  ;  and  the  funeral  fermon  was  preached  by  Dr. 
Tenifon,  Archbiihop  of  Canterbury.  Dr.  Kenn,  the  deprived  bifhop  of  Bath 
and  Wells,  reproached  him  in  a  letter,  for  not  having  called  on  her  majefty 
on  her  death-bed  to  repent  of  the  {hare  fhe  had  in  the  Revolution.  This  was 
anfwered  by  another  pamphlet.  One  of  the  Jacobite  clergy  infulted  the 
Queen's  memory,  by  preaching  on  the  following  text  :  "  Go,  now,  fee  this 
"  curfcd  woman,  and  bury  her,  for  {he  is  a  king's  daughter."  On  the 
other  hand,  the  Lord  Mayor,  Aldermen  and  Common  Council  of  London 
came  to  a  refolution  to  erecl:  her  ftatue,  with  that  of  the  king,  in  the 
Royal  Exchange. 

•f  The  Earls  of  Rochefter  and  Nottingham  are  faid  to  have  ftarted  a  doubt, 
Whether  the  Parliament  was  not  diffolved  by  the  Queen's  death  ?  but  this 
dangerous  motion  mtt  with  no  countenance. 


CHAP.     V. 


Account  of  the  Lancashire  plot Some  members  of  the 

Houfe     of    Commons    expelled   for    bribery Scotch 

Parliament  erett   a  Trading  Company    to    Africa   and 

the  Indies— — Namur   retaken   by    King  William 

Naval     Tranfaftions Proceedings    of   Parliament 

Confpiracy  againjt    the    King's  life Treaty    of 

France   with  the    Duke  of  Savoy Trial  and  exe 
cution  of    Sir  John    Fenivick^  for    high   treafon 

Eleffor  of  Saxony    obtains  the    croivn    of   Poland > 

Peter    the    Great  of  Mufcovy  travels    in  difguife 

General  Treaty  concluded  at  Ryfwic. 


THE  kingdom  now  refounded  with  the   complaints  of  c  H  A  P. 
the  Papifts  and  malcontents,  who   taxed  the   mi-         v- 
niltry  with  fubordination  of  perjury,    in   the    cafe  of  the   ^-^y^^ 
Lancashire    gentlemen  who   had  been  profecuted   for  the      l694 
confpiracy.     One   Lunt,  an   Irimman,  had  informed    Sir 
John  Trenchard,  fecretary  of  ftate,  that  he  had    been   fent  ^?™  c°n~ 
from  Ireland,  with  commifiions  from  King  James  to  divers  gjjnft  tt* 
gentlemen  in  Lancafhire  and  Chefhire  :  That  he  had   af-  Govem- 
fifted   in    buying    arms,  and  inlifting  men  to  ferve    that  ment* 
king  in  his  projected  invafion  of  England  :   That   he   had 
been  twice  difpatched  by  thofe   gentlemen   to  the  court  of 
St.  Germains  ;    afiifted   many   Jacobites    in   repairing   to 
France  •,  helped   to   conceal  others   that  came    from  that 
kingdom  ;  and,  that  all    thofe   perfons  told  him  they  were 
furnifhed  with  money  by  Sir  John   Friend  to   defray   the 
expence  of  their  expeditions.     His  teftimony  was  confirm 
ed   by  other   infamous    emiflaries,  who    received    but   too 
much   countenance  from   the   government.       Blank  war 
rants  were   iffued,   and  filled   up   occafionally    with   fuch 
names  as  the  informers  fuggeited.     Thefe  were   delivered 
to  Aaron  Smith,  folicitor  to   the  treafury,  who,  with  mef- 


*$4  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  fengers,  accompanied  Lunt  and  his  afTociates  to  Lancafhire, 
under  the    protection  of  a  party   of  Dutch   horfe-guards, 

V-""Y"S''  commanded  by  one  Captain  Baker.  They  were  empow- 
1  94-  ered  to  break  open  houies,  feize  papers,  and  apprehend  per 
fons,  according  to  their  pleafure ;  and  they  committed 
many  acts  of  violence  and  oppreffion.  The  perfons  againft 
whom  thefe  meafures  were  taken,  being  apprifed  of  the 
impending  danger,  generally  retired  from  their  own  ha 
bitations.  Some,  however,  were  taken  and  impriioned : 
A  few  arms  were  fecured ;  and,  in  the  houfe  of  Mr. 
Standifh,  at  Standifh-hall,  they  found  a  draft  of  a  decla 
ration  to  be  publiflied  by  King  James  at  his  landing. 
As  this  profecution  feemed  calculated  to  revive  the  honour 
of  a  ftale  confpiracy,  and  the  evidences  were  perfons  of 
abandoned  characters,  the  friends  of  thofe  who  were  per- 
fecuted,  found  no  great  difficulty  in  rendering  the  fcheme 
odious  to  the  nation.  They  even  employed  the  pen  of 
Fergufon,  who  had  been  concerned  in  every  plot  that  was 
hatched  fince  the  Rye- houfe  confpiracy.  This  veteran, 
though  appointed  houfe-keeper  to  the  excife-office  ;  thought 
himfelf  poorly  recompensed  for  the  part  he  had  acted  in  the 
Revolution,  became  diffatisfied,  and,  upon  this  occafion, 
publimed  a  letter  to  Sir  John  Trenchard,  on  the  abufe  of 
power.  It  was  replete  with  the  moft  bitter  invectives 
againft  the  miniftry,  and  contained  a  great  number  of 
flagrant  inftances,  in  which  the  court  had  countenanced 
the  vileft  corruption,  perfidy,  and  oppreffion.  This  pro- 
duilion  Was  in  every  body's  hand,  and  had  fuch  an  effect 
upon  the  people,  that  when  the  prifoners  were  brought  to 
trial  at  Manchefter,  the  populace  would  have  put  the  wit- 
nefles  to  death,  had  they  not  been  prevented  by  the  inter- 
pofition  of  thofe  who  were  friends  to  the  acculed  perfons, 
and  had  already  taken  effectual  meafures  for  their  fafety. 
Lunt's  chief  affociate  in  the  myftcry  of  information  was 
one  Taaffe,  a  wretch  of  the  moft  profligate  principles, 
who,  finding  himfelf  difappointed  in  his  hope  of  reward 
from  the  miniftry,  was  privately  gained  over  by  the, agents 
for  the  prifoners.  Lunt,  when  defired  in  court  to  point 
out  the  perfons  whom  he  had  accufed,  committed  fuch  a 
miftake  as  greatly  invalidated  his  teftimony;  and  Taaffe 
declared  before  the  bench,  that  the  pretended  plot  was 
no  other  than  a  contrivance  between  hiiiifelf  and  Lunt,  in 
order  to  procure  money  from  the  government.  The  pri 
foners  were  immediately  acquitted,  and  the  miniftry  in 
curred  a  heavy  load  of  popular  odium,  as  the  authors  or 
abettors  of  knavilh  contrivances  to  enfnare  the  innocent. 
The  government,  with  a  view  to  evince  their  abhorrence 
©f  fuch  practices,  ordered  the  witneffcs  to  be  profecutcd 


WILLIAM.  185 

for  a  confpiracy  againft  the  lives  and  eftates  of  the  gen-  CHAP. 
tlemen  who  had  been  accufed ;  and  at  laft  the  affair  was  v- 
brought  into  the  houfe  of  commons.  The  Jacobites 
triumphed  in  their  vi&ory.  They  even  turned  the  bat- 
tery  of  corruption  upon  the  evidence  for  the  crown,  not 
without  making  a  confiderable  impreffion.  But  the  caufe 
was  now  debated  before  judges  who  were  not  all  propi 
tious  to  their  views.  The  commons  having  fet  on  foot 
an  enquiry,  and  examined  all  the  papers  and  circumftances 
relating  to  the  pretended  plot,  refolved,  That  there  was 
fufficient  ground  for  the  profecution  and  trials  of  the  gen 
tlemen  at  Manchefter ;  and  that  there  was  a  dangerous 
confpiracy  againft  the  king  and  government.  They  iffued 
an  order  for  taking  Mr.  Standifh  into  cuftody ;  and  the 
meffenger  reporting  that  he  was  not  to  be  found,  they 
prefented  an  addrefs  to  the  king,  defiring  a  proclamation 
might  be  publiftied,  offering  a  reward  for  apprehending 
his  perfon.  The  peers  concurred  with  the  commons  in 
their  fentiments  of  this  affair;  for  complaints  having  been 
laid  before  their  houf«  alfo,  by  the  perfons  who  thought 
tliemfelves  aggrieved,  the  queftion  was  put,  Whether  the 
government  had  caufe  to  profecute  them  ?  and  carried 
in  the  affirmative ;  though  a  proten^was  entered  againft 
this  vote  by  the  earls  of  Rochefter  and  Nottingham. 
Notwithftanding  thefe  decifions,  the  accufed  gentlemen 
profecuted  Lunt  and  two  of  his  accomplices  for  perjury, 
at  the  Lancafter  affixes  ;  and  all  three  were  found  guilty. 
They  were  immediately  indicted  by  the  crown,  for  a  con 
fpiracy  againft  the  lives  and  liberties  of  the  perfons  they 
had  accufed.  The  intention  of  the  miniftry,  in  laying 
this  indictment,  was  to  feize  the  opportunity  of  punifhing 
fome  of  the  witnefles  for  the  gentlemen,  who  had  preva 
ricated  in  giving  their  teftimony  ;  but  the  defign  being 
difcovered,  the  Lancafhire  men  refufed  to  produce  their 
evidence  againft  the  informers :  The  profecution  drop 
ped  of  confequence ;  and  the  prifoners  were  difchar- 
ged. 

When  the  commons  were  employed  in  examining  the 
ftate  of  the  revenue,  and  taking  meafures  for  raiftng  the 
neceffary  fupplies,  the  inhabitants  of  Royfton  prefented  a 
petition,  complaining,  that  the  officers  and  foldiers  of  the 
regiment  belonging  to  Colonel  Haftings,  which  was  quar 
tered  upon  them,  exacted  fubflftence  money,  even  on  pain 
of  military  execution.  The  houfe  was  immediately  kin 
dled  into  a  flame  by  this  information.  The  officers,  and 
Pauncefort,  agent  for  the  regiment,  were  examined: 
Then  it  was  unanimoufly  refolved,  That  fuch  a  practice 
was  arbitrary,  illegal,  r.nd  a  violation  of  the  rights  and  li- 

VOL.  I.  2  A 


i86 


BOOK 
I. 


1654. 


Burnet. 
Boyer. 

Oldmixon. 
State  Traits 
Tinti  a]. 
Ralph. 
Lives  of  tae 
Admirals. 
Daniel. 
Voltaire. 


Some  mem 
Lcrs  of  the 
H.  of  Com 
mons  ex 
pelled. 


HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

bertie?  of  the  fubjecl.     Upon  further  enquiry,  Paunceforr, 
and  fome  other  agents   were  committed   to  the  cuftody  of 
the  ferjeant,  for  having  negle£led  to  pay  the  fubfiftencc- 
money  they  had  received  for  the  officers  and  foldiers.     He 
was  afterwards  fent  to  the  Tower,  together  with  Henry 
Guy,  a  member  of  the  houfe,  and  fecretary  to  the  treafu- 
ry,  the  one   for  giving,  and  the   other   for  receiving    a 
bribe  to   obtain  the  king's  bounty.     Pauncefort's  brother 
was  like  wife  committed,  for  being  concerned  in  the  fame 
commerce.     Guy  had  been  employed,  together  with  Tre 
vor  the  fpeaker  ;  as  the  court-agent  forfecuring  a  majority 
in  the  houfe  of  commons:  For  that   reafon,  he   was  ob 
noxious  to  the  members  in  the  oppofition,  who  took  this 
opportunity  to  brand  him ;  and  the   courtiers   could    not 
v/ith  any  decency  fkreen  him  from  their  vengeance.     The 
houfe  having  proceeded  in  this  enquiry,  drew  up  an  addrefs 
to  the  king  enumerating  the  abufes   which  had  crept  into 
the  army,  and   demanding    immediate  redrefs.     He    pro- 
miftd  to  confiderthe  remonftrance,  and  redrefs  the  griev 
ances  of  which  they  complained.    Accordingly,  hecafhier- 
ed  Colonel  Haftings;  appointed  a  council  of  officers  to  fit 
weekly  and  examine  all  complaints  againft  any  officer  and 
foldier  ;  and  publifhed  a   declaration    for  the  maintenance 
of  ftricT;  difcipline,    and  the   due   payment   of  quarters. 
Notwithftand'ing  thefe   conceffions,    the  commons  profe- 
cuted  their   examinations ;    they   committed   Mr.  James 
Craggs,  one  of  the  contractors  for  clothing  the  army,  bc- 
caufe  he  refufed  to  anfwer  upon   oath  to  fuch  queftions  as 
might  be    put  to  him  by   the  commiflioners  of  accounts. 
They  brought  in  a  bill  for  obliging  him  and  Mr.  Richard 
Harnage   the   other   contractor,    together    with  the  two 
Paunceforts,  to  difcover  how  they  had  difpofed  of  the  fums 
paid  into  their  hands  on  account  of  the  army;  and  for  pu- 
nifhing  them,  in  cafe  they  fhould  perfift  in   their  refufal. 
At  this  period,  they  received  a  petition  againft  the  com- 
miilioners  forlicenfing  hackney-coaches.     Three  of  them, 
by  means  of  an  addrefs  to  the   kin&r,  were  removed  with 
difgrace,    for     having    acled    arbitrarily,    corruptly,    and 
contrary  to  the  truft  repofed   in   them  by  aft  of  parlia 
ment. 

Thofe  who  encouraged  this  fpirit  of  reformation  intro 
duced  another  enquiry  about  the  orphan's  bill,  which  was 
faid  to  have  pafTed  into  an  a&,  by  virtue  of  uadue  influ 
ence.  A  committee  being  appointed  to  infpedt  the  Cham 
berlain's  books,  difcovered  that  bribes  had  been  given  to 
Sir  John  Trevor,  fpeaker  of  the  houfe,  and  Mr.  Hun-r 
gerford,  chairman  of  the  grand  committee.  The  firft 
being  voted  guilty  of  a  high  crime  and  mifdemeanor, 


W  I  L  L  I  A  M.  187 

abdicated  the  chair,  and  Paul  Foley  was  appointed  fpeaker  CHAP. 
in  his  room.  Then  Sir  John  and  Hungerford  were  ex-  /- 
pelled  the  houfe  :  One  Nois,  a  folicitor  for  the  bill,  was  (~~Y**~* 
taken  intocuftody,  becaufe  he  had  fcandalifed  the  commons  l695- 
in  pretending  he  was  engaged  to  give  great  fums  to  feve- 
ral  members,  and  denying  this  circumftance  on  his  exa 
mination.  The  reformers  in  the  houfe  naturally  conclud 
ed  that  the  fame  arts  had  been  pradtifed  in  obtaining  the 
new  charter  of  the  Eaft-India  company,  which  had  been 
granted  fo  much  againft  the  fenfe  of  the  nation.  Their 
hooks  were  fubjccledto  the  fame  committee  that  carried  on 
the  former  enquiry,  and  a  furprifing  fcene  of  venality  anxl 
corruption  was  foon  difclofed.  Tt  appeared  that  the  com 
pany,  in  the  courfc  of  the  preceding  year,  had  paid  near 
ninety  thoufand  pounds  in  fecret-fervices;  and  that  Sir 
Thomas  Cooke,  one  of  the  directors,  and  a  member  of 
the  houfe,  had  been  the  chief  manager  of  this  infamous 
commerce.  Cooke  refufmg  to  anfwer,  was  committed  to 
the  Tower,  and  a  bill  of  pains  and  penalties  brought  in, 
obliging  him  to  difcover  how  the  fum  mentioned  in  the 
report  of  the  committee  had  been  diftributed.  The  bill 
was  violently  oppofed  in  the  upper  houfe  by  the  duke  of 
Leeds,  as  being  contrary  to  law  and  equity,  and  furnifh- 
ing  a  precedent  of  a  dangerous  nature.  Cooke  being, 
agreeably  to  his  own  petition,  brought  to  the  bar  of  the 
houfe  of  lords,  declared  that  he  was  ready  aiad  willing  to 
make  a  full  difcovery,  in  cafe  he  might  be  favoured  with 
s^n  indemnifying  vote,  to  fecure  him  againft  all  actions  and 
fuits,  except  thofe  of  the  Eaft-India  company,  which  he 
had  never  injured.  The  lords  complied  with  his  rcqueft, 
and  patted  a  bill  for  this  purpofe,  to  which  the  commons 
added  a  penal  claufe  ;  and  the  former  was  laid  afide. 

When  the  king  went  to  the  houfe,  to  give  the  royal  af- 
fent  to  the  money-bills,  he  endeavoured  to  difcourage  this 
enquiry,  by  telling  the  parliament  that  the  feafon  of  the 
year  was  far  advanced,  and  the  circumftanccs  of  affairs  ex 
tremely  prefling ;  he,  therefore,  defired  they  would  dif- 
patch  fuch  bufmefs  as  they  fhould  think  of  rr.oft  importance 
to  the  public,  as  he  fhould  put  an  end  to  the  feifion  in  a 
few  days.  Notwithftanding  this  fhameful  interpolation, 
both  houfes  appointed  a  joint  committee  to  lay  open  the 
complicated  fcheme  of  fraud  and  iniquity.  Cooke,  on  his 
firft  examination,  confefied,  that  he  had  delivered  tallies 
for  ten  thoufand  pounds  to  Francis  Tyflen,  deputy-go 
vernor,  for  the  fpecial  fervice  of  the  company ;  an  equal 
fum  to  Richard  Acton,  for  employing  his  interest  in  p"c- 
venting  a  new  fettlement,  and  endeavouring  to  eftablifh 
the  old  company  ;  befides  two  thoufand  pounds  by  way  o£ 


i85  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  interefl,  and  as  a  further  gratuity  ;  a  thoufand  guineas  to 
.  Colonel  Fitzpatrick,  five  hundred  to  Charles  Bates,  and 

""Y^  three  hundred  and  ten  to  Mr,  Molineux,  a  merchant, 
95~  for  the  fame  purpofes;  and  he  owned  that  Sir  Bafil  Fire- 
brace,  had  received  forty  thoufand  pounds  on  various  pre 
tences.  He  faid,  he  helieved  the  ten  thoufand  pounds 
paid  to  TyiTcn  had  been  delivered  to  the  king  by  Sir  Jofi- 
ah  Child,  as  a  cuftomary  prefent  which  former  kings  had 
received ;  and  that  the  fums  paid  to  A&on  were  diftributcd 
among  fome  members  of  parliament.  Firebrace  being 
examined,  affirmed  that  he  had  received  the  whole  forty 
thoufand  pounds  for  his  own  ufe  and  benefit ;  but  that 
Bates  had  received  fums  of  money,  which  he  underftood 
were  offered  to  fome  perfons  of  the  firft  quality.  A<Ston 
declared,  that  ten  thoufand  pounds  of  the  fum  which  he 
had  received  was  diftributed  among  perfons  who  had  in- 
tereft  with  members  of  parliament  ;  and  that  great  part  of 
the  money  pafied  through  the  hands  of  Craggs,  who  was 
acquainted  with  fome  colonels  in  thehoufe,  and  northern 
members.  Bates  owned  he  had  received  the  money,  in 
confideration  of  ufing  his  intereft  with  the  duke  of  Leeds, 
in  favour  of  the  company  :  That  this  nobleman  knew  of 
the  gratuity ;  and  that  the  fum  was  reckoned  by  his 
grace's  domeftic,  one  Robart,  a  foreigner,  who  kept  it  in 
bis  pofleflion  until  this  enquiry  was  talked  of,  and  then  it 
was  returned.  In  a  word,  it  appeared  by  this  man's  tcf- 
timony,  as  well  as  by  that  of  Firebrace  on  his  fecond  ex 
amination,  that  the  duke  of  Leeds  was  not  free  from  cor 
ruption,  and  that  Sir  John  Trevor,  was  a  hireling  prof- 
:  titute. 

The  report  of  the  committee  produced  violent  alterca 
tion,  and  the  moft  fevere  ftricturcs  upon  the  conduct  of 
the  lord  president.  At  length  the  houfe  refolved,  that 
there  was  fufficient  matter  to  impeach  Thomas  duke  of 
Leeds  of  high  crimes  and  mifdemeanors  ;  and  that  he 
fhould  be  impeached  thereupon.  Then  it  was  ordered, 
that  Mr.  Comptroller  Wharton  fhould  impeach  him  be 
fore  the  lords,  in  the  name  of  the  houfe,  and  of  all  the 
commons  in  England.  The  duke  was  actually  in  the 
middle  of  a  fpeech  for  his  own  juftification,  in  which  he 
allured  the  houfe,  upon  his  honour,  that  he  was  not  guilty 
of  the  corruptions  laid  to  his  charge,  when  one  of  his 
friends  gave  him  intimation  of  the  votes  which  had  pafied 
in  the  commons.  He  concluded  his  fpeech  abruptly,  and 
repairing  to  the  lower  houfe,  defired  he  might  be  indulged 
with  a  hearing.  He  was  accordingly  admitted,  with  the 
compliment  of  a  chair,  and  leave  to  be  covered.  After 
having  fat  a  few  minutes,  he  took  off  his  hat,  and  addrefT- 


WILLIAM. 

cd  himfelf  to  the  commons  in  very  extraordinary  term?.  c  H  A  P. 
Having    thanked     them    for  the     favour     of    indulging   .  . 

him  with  a  hearing,  he  faid  that  houfe  would  not  have  "/^ 
been  then  fitting  but  for  him.  He  protefted  his  own  in 
nocence  with  refpedt  to  the  crime  laid  to  his  charge.  He 
complained  that  this  was  the  effect  of  a  defign  which  had 
been  long  formed  againft  him.  He  expreffcd  a  deep  fenfe 
of  his  being  under  the  difpleafure  of  the  parliament  and 
nation,  and  demanded  fpeedy  juftice.  They  forthwith 
drew  up  the  articles  of  impeachment,  which  being  exhi 
bited  at  the  bar  of  the  upper  houfe,  he  pleaded  not  guilty, 
and  the  commons  promifed  to  make  good  their  charge; 
but,  by  this  time,  fuch  arts  had  been  ufed,  as  all  at  once 
checked  the  violence  of  the  profecution.  Such  a  number 
of  confiderable  perfons  were  involved  in  this  myftery  of 
corruption,  that  a  full  difcovcry  was  dreaded  by  both  par 
ties.  The  duke  fent  his  domeftic,  Robart,  out  of  the 
kingdom,  and  his  abfence  furniflied  a  pretence  for  poft- 
poning  the  trial.  In  a  word,  the  enquiry  was  dropped  ; 
but  the  fcandal  ftuck  faft  to  the  duke's  character. 

In  the  midft  of  thefe  deliberations,  the  king  went  to  the 
houfe  on  the  3d  day  of  May,  when  he  thanked  the  parlia 
ment  for  the  fupplies  they  had  granted;  fignifying  his  in 
tention  of  going  abroad  ;  affured  them  he  would  place  the 
adminiftration  of  affairs  in  perfons  of  known  care  and  fide 
lity  ;  and  defired  that  the  members  of  both  houfes  would 
be  more  than  ordinarily  vigilant  in  preferring  the  public 
peace.  The  parliament  was  then  prorogued  to  the  iSth 
of  June  *.  The  king  immediately  appointed  a  regency 
to  govern  the  kingdom  in  his  abfence:  But  neither  the 
princefs  of  Denmark  nor  her  hufband  were  entrufted  with 
-any  fhare  in  the  adminiftration  ;  a  circumftar.ee  that  evin- 

*  In  the  courfe  of  this  fefiion,  the  lords  had  enquired  into  ihs  particulars, 
»f  the  Mediterranean  expedition,  and  presented  an  addrefs  to  the  ki.ig,  de 
claring,  that  the  fleet  in  thofe  fsas  hid  conduced  to  the  honour  and  advantage 
of  the  nition.  On  the  other  hand,  the  commons,  in  an  uddiefs,  b-lbught  his 
majefty  to  tnke  care  that  the  kingdom  might  be  put  on  equal  footing  and  pro 
portion  with  the  allies,  in  defraying  the  expcnce  of  the  war 

The  coin  of  the  kingdom  being  greatly  diminifhed  and  adulterated,  tiie  eark 
•f  Rocheft*r,  and  Nottingham,  expatiated  upon  this  national  evil  in  he  houfe 
at"  lords;  and  an  adl  was  padcd,  contjining  fLverer  penalties  againft  clippers  ; 
but  this  produced  no  good  effect.  Thr  value  of  money  funk  in  the  exchange 
ro  fuch  a  degree,  that  a  guinea  w»3  reckoned  adequate  to  thirty  Shillings  ;  and 
this  public  difgrace  lowered  the  credit  of  the  funds  and  of  the  government. 
The  nation  was  alarmed  by  the  circulation  of  fictitious  wealth,  inftead  of 
gold  and  filver,  fach  as  bank-bills,  exchequer  tallies,  and  government-fecu- 
rities.  The  malcontents  took  this  opportunity  to  exclaim  againft  the  bank, 
and  ?ven  attempted  to  fhake  the  credit  of  it  in  parliament;  but  thrir  endea 
vours  proved  abortive  ;  the  monied  intercft  preponderated  in  both  h.-..ks. 


1 9o  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  ced  the  king's  jealoufy,  and  gave  offence  to  a  great  part 

L  of  the  nation  f. 

^*~Y**J        A  feffion  of  parliament   was  deemed  necefTary  in  Scot- 

™95-  land,  to  provide  new  fublidies  for    the  maintenance  of  the 

Parhment  r    i         ,  •  i  •    i    i      i  i  r      r  11- 

of  Scotland  troops  or  that  kingdom,  which  had  been  fo  fervtceabie  in 
meets.  the  profecution  of  the  war.  But  as  a  great  outcry  had 
been  raifed  againft  the  government,  on  account  of  the  maf- 
facre  of  Glencoe,  and  the  Scots  were  tired  of  contributing 
towards  the  expence  of  a  war  from  which  they  could  de 
rive  no  advantage,  the  miniftry  thought  proper  to  cajole 
them  with  the  promife  of  fome  national  indulgence.  In 
the  mean  time,  a  commiflion  pafled  the  great  feal,  for 
taking  a  precognition  of  the  maflacre,  as  a  previous  ftep 
to  the  trial  of  the  perfons  concerned  in  that  perfidious  tranf- 
a£tion.  On  the  9th  of  May,  the  fefiion  was  opened  by 
the  marquis  of  Tweedale,  appointed  commiflioner,  who, 
after  the  king's  letter  had  been  read,  expatiated  on  his 
majcfty's  care  and  concern  for  their  fafety  and  welfare  ; 
and  his  firm  purpofe  to  maintain  the  Prefbyterian  difci- 
pline  in  the  church  of  Scotland.  Then  he  promifed,  in 
the  king's  name,  that  if  they  would  pafs  an  acl  for  efta- 
blifhing  a  colony  in  Africa,  America,  or  any  other  part 
of  the  world  where  a  colony  might  be  lawfully  planted, 
his  majefty  would  indulge  them  with  fuch  rights  and  pri 
vileges  as  he  had  granted  in  like  cafes  to  thefubje£tsof  his 
other  dominions.  Finally,  he  exhorted  them  to  confider 
ways  and  means  to  raife  the  neceflary  fupplies  for  main 
taining  their  land  forces,  and  for  providing  a  competent: 
number  of  fhips  of  war  to  protect  their  commerce.  The 
parliament  immediately  voted  an  addrefs  of  condolence  to 
his  majefty  on  the  death  of  the  queen  ;  and  they  granted 
one  hundred  and  twenty  thoufand  pounds  fterling  for  the 
iervices  of  the  enfuing  year,  to  be  raifed  by  a  general  poll- 
tax,  a  land-tax,  and  an  additional  excife. 

Their  next  ftep  was  to  defire  the  commiflioner  would 
tranfmit  their  humble  thanks  to  the  king,  for  his  care  to 
vindicate  the  honour  of  the  government  and  the  juftice  of 

-J-  The  regency  was  compofed  of  the  archbilhop  of  Canterbury ;  Somers, 
lord-keeper  of  the  great  feal ;  the  earl  of  Pembroke,  lord  privy  feal  ;  the 
<<uke  of  Devonihire,  lord  fteward  of  the  houfehold  ;  the  duke  of  Shrewsbury, 
fccrstary  of  ftate  ;  the  earl  of  Dorfet,  lord  chamberlain  ;  and  the  lord  Go- 
dolphin,  firft  commiflioner  of  the  treafury.  Sir  John  Trenchard  dying,  hi? 
place  of  fecretary  was  filled  with  Sir  William  Trumbal,  an  eminent  civilian, 
learned,  diligent,  and  virtuous,  who  had  been  envoy  at  Paris  and  Conftanti- 
nople.  William  NalTau  de  Zuyldkin,  foil  of  the  king's  natural  uncle,  was 
ci tared  biroi  of  Enneio,  vifcount  Xnmbridge,  and  earl  of  Rochford. 
Ford,  Lord  Grey  of  Werk?,  \v.is  made  vifcount  Glendaic  and  earl  of  Tan-icer- 
\ille.  The  month  of  Apvil  of  this  \ear  was  diftinguifhed  by  the  death  of  the 
famous  George  Saville  nv.rc\iis  of*Hallifax,  who  had  furvived  hi  a  good  me?.- 
fare  his  talents 


WILLIAM.  191 

the  nation,  in  ordering  a  precognition  to  be  taken  with  C  H  A  P. 
refpect  to  the  {laughter  of  Glencoe.  A  motion  was  after 
wards  made,  that  the  commiflioners  fhould  exhihit  an  ao  ( 
count  of  their  proceedings  in  this  affair:  Accordingly  a 
report,  confiding  of  the  king's  inftrudtions,  Dalrymple's 
letters,  the  depofitions  of  witnefles,  and  the  opinion  of 
the  committee,  was  laid  before  the  parliament.  The  mo 
tion  is  faid  to  have  been  privately  influenced  by  Secretary 
Johnfton,  for  the  difgrace  of  Dalrymple,  who  was  his  ri 
val  in  power  and  intereft.  The  written  opinion  of  the 
commiflioners,  who  were  creatures  of  the  court,  imported, 
that  Macdonald  of  Glencoe  had  been  perfidioufly  murder 
ed  :  That  the  king's  intentions  contained  nothing  to  war 
rant  the  maflacre  ,  and  that  Secretary  Dalrymple  had  ex 
ceeded  his  orders.  They  refolved,  that  Livingfton  was 
not  to  blame,  for  having  given  the  orders  contained  in  his 
letters  to  Lieutenant  Colonel  Hamilton  :  That  this  laft 
was  liable  to  profecution  :  That  the  king  fhould  be  ad- 
drefled  to  give  orders,  either  for  examining  Major  Dun- 
canfon  in  Flanders,  touching  his  concern  in  this  affair  or 
for  fending  him  home  to  be  tried  in  Scotland  ;  as  alfo,  that 
Campbell  of  Glenlyon,  Captain  Drummond,  Lieutenant 
Lindfay,  Enfign  Lundy,  and  Serjeant  Barber,  fhould  be 
fent  to  Scotland,  and  profecuted  according  to  law,  for  the 
parts  they  had  acted  in  that  execution.  In  confequence  of 
thefe  refolutions,  the  parliament  drew  up  an  addrefs  to  the 
king,  in  which  they  laid  the  whole  blame  of  the  maflacre 
upon  the  excefs  in  the  r»after  of  Stair's  letters  concerning 
that  tranfaclion.  They  begged  that  his  majefty  would 
give  fuch  orders  about  him,  as  he  fhould  think  fit  for  the 
vindication  of  his  government:  That  the  actors  in  that- 
barbarous  (laughter  might  be  profecuted  by  the  king's  ad-, 
vocate,  according  to  law;  and  that  fome  reparation  might 
be  made  to  the  men  of  Glencoe,  who  efcaped  the  mafla 
cre,  for  the  lofles  they  had  fuftained  in  their  effects  upon 
that  occafion,  as  their  habitations  had  been  plundered  and 
burned,  their  lands  wafted,  and  their  cattle  driven  away; 
fo  that  they  were  reduced  to  extreme  poverty.  Notwith- 
ftanding  this  addrefs  of  the  Scottifb.  parliament,  by  which 
the  king  wasfo  folemnly  exculpated,  his  memory  is  ftill 
loaded  with  the  fufpicion  of  having  concerted,  countenan 
ced,  and  enforced  this  barbarous  execution,  efpecially  as 
the  mafter  of  Stair  efcaped  with  impunity,  and  the  other 
actors  of  the  tragedy,  far  from  being  punifhed,  were  pre 
ferred  in  the  fervice.  \Vhile  the  commiflioners  were  em 
ployed  in  the  enquiry,  they  made  fuch  difcoveries  concern 
ing  the  conduct  of  the  earl  of  Breaualbane,  as  amounted 
to  a  char.o;e  of  high-  treafon,  and  he  \va^  committed  pri- 

O  IS  -  •*  I 


192 


HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 


1695.   f 

Eftablifhes 
an  African 
and  Indian 
company. 


BOOK  foner  to  the  caftle 'of  Edinburgh  ;  but  it  feems  he  had  dif- 
fembled  with  the  Highlanders,  by  the  king's  permiflion, 
and  now  {heltered  himfelf  under  the  fhadow  of  a  royal 
pardon. 

The  committee  of  trade,  in  purfuance  of  the  powers 
granted  by  the  king  to  his  commifiioner,  prepared  an  adt 
for  cftablifhing  a  company  trading  to  Africa  and  the  In 
dies,  empowering  them  to  plant  colonies,  hold  cities, 
towns,  or  forts,  in  places  uninhabited,  or  in  others,  with 
the  confent  of  the  natives  ;  vefting  them  with  an  cxclufivc 
right,  and  an  exemption  for  one-and-twenty  years  from 
all  duties  or  impofitions.  This  aft  was  likewife  confirm 
ed  by  letters  patent  under  the  great  feal  direfted  by  the 
?arliament,  without  any  further  warrant  from  the  crown, 
'aterfon,  the  projeftor,  had  contrived  the  fcheme  of 
a  fettlement  upon  the  ifthmus  of  Darien,  in  fuch 
a  manner  as  to  carry  on  a  trade  in  the  South  Sea,  as  well 
as  in  the  Atlantic ;  nay,  even  to  extend  it  as  far  as  the 
Eaft-Indies.  A  great  number  of  London  merchants,  al 
lured  by  the  profpeft  ofjjain,  were  eager  to  engage  in 
fuch  a  company,  exempted  from  all  manner  of  impofition 
and  reftriftion.  The  Scottifh  parliament  likewife  patted  an 
aft  in  favour  of  the  Epifcopal  clergy,  decreeing,  that  thofe 
who  fhould  enter  into  fuch  engagements  to  the  king  as 
were  by  law  required,  might  continue  in  their  benefice^ 
under  his  majefty's  protection,  without  being  fubjeft  to 
the  power  of  Prefbytery.  Seventy  of  the  moft  noted  mi- 
nifters  of  that  perfuafion  took  the  benefit  of  this  indul 
gence.  Another  law  was  enafted,  for  raifing  nine  thou- 
fand  men  yearly,  to  recruit  the  Scottifh  regiments  abroad, 
and  an  aft  for  erefting  a  public  bank:  Then  the  parlia 
ment  was  adjourned  to  the  yth  day  of  November. 

Ireland  began  to  be  infefted  with  the  fame  fafticns 
which  had  broke  out  in  England  fince  the  Revolution. 
Lord  Capel,  the  lord-deputy,  governed  in  a  very  par 
tial  manner,  oppreffing  the  Irifh  Papifts,  without  any  re 
gard  to  equity  or  decorum.  He  undertook  to  model  a 
parliament  in  fuch  a  manner,  that  they  fheuld  comply  with 
all  the  demands  of  the  miniftry  ;  and  he  fucceeded  in  his 
endeavours,  by  making  fuch  arbitrary  changes  in  offices 
as  beft  fuited  his  purpofe.  Thefe  precautions  being  taken,, 
he  convoked  a  parliament  for  the  2yth  day  of  A.uguft, 
when  he  open;*!  the  feflion  with  a  fpeech,  expatiating  upon 
their  obligations  to  King  William,  and  exhorting  them  to 
make  fuitable  returns  to  fuch  a  gracious  fovereign.  He 
obferved,  that  the  revenue  had  fallen  fhort  of  the  eftablifh- 
ment  :  fo  that  both  the  civil  and  military  lifts  were  great 
ly  in  debt :  That  his  majefty  had  fer.t  over  a  bill  for  a;; 
additional  excife,  and  expeft?d  they  would  find  ways  an<i 


WILLIAM.  193 

means  to  anfwsr  the  demands  of  the  fervice.  They  forth-  CHAP. 
with  voted  an  addrefs  of  thanks,  and  refolded  to  aififl  his  V. 
iwjefty  to  the  utmoft  of  their  power,  againrf  all  his  ene- 
mies  foreign  rmd  domeilic.  They  pafted  the  bill  for  an  ad-  l 
ditional  excif:,  together  with  an  act  for  taking  away  the 
writs.  "  de  hcretico  c omburendo ;"  another  annulling  all 
attainders  and  acts  paflVd  in  the  late  pretended  parliament 
of  King  James  ;  a  third  to  prevent  foreign  education  ;  the 
fourth  for  difirming  Papifts;  and  a  fifth  for  fettling  the 
cftates  of  inteftates.  Then  they  refolved,  th.it  a  fum  not 
exceeding  one  hundred  and  fixtv-three  thoufand  three  hun 
dred  and  twenty-five  pounds  fhould  be  granted  to  his  ma- 
jefty,  to  be  raif.-d  by  a  poll-b'll,  additional  cuftoms,  and 
a  continuation  of  the  additional  excife.  Sir  CharLs  Por 
ter,  the  chancellor,  finding  his  importance  diminiihed  if 
not  entirely  deftroyd,  by  the  afTuming  difpoiition  and  pow 
er  of  the  lord  deputy,  began  to  court  popularity,  by  efpouf- 
ing  the  caufeofthe  Irifh  againft  the  f verity  of  th'.-admini- 
ftratijn  ;  and  actually  formed  a  kind  of  Tory  intereft, 
which  thwarted  lord  C  ipel  in  all  his  meafures.  A  motion 
was  made  in  parliament  to  impeach  the  chancellor,  for 
fowing  difcord  and  divifion  among  his  maj  efty's  fubjeits  ; 
but  being  indulged  with  a  hearing  by  the  houfe  of  com 
mons,  he  j uftified  himfelffo  much  to  their  fatisfaclion,  that 
h-  was  voted  clear  of  all  imputation,  by  a  gre.it  majority. 
Neverthelefs  they,  at  the  end  of  the  fcffion,  fent  over  an 
addrefs,  in  which  they  bore  teftimony  to  the  mild  and  juft 
ad:niniftration  of  the  r  lord-deputy. 

King  William  having  taken  fuch  fteps  as  were  deemed  Kin 
necefTary  for  preferving  the  per.ce  of  England  in  his  ab-  ^tmfoffthe 
fence,  croffed  the  fea  to  Holland  in  the  middle  of  M,.y,  ful-  Couknent, 
ly  determined  to  make  fome  great  effort  in  the  Netherlands, 
that  might  aggrandife  his  military  character,  and  humble 
the  power  of  France,  which  was  already  in  the  decline. 
That  kingdom  was  actually  exhaufted  in  fuch  a  manner, 
that  the  haughty  Louis  found  himfelf  obliged  to  ftand  upon 
the  defensive  againft  enemies  over  whom  he  had  i->een  ufed 
to  triumph  with  uninteriupted  fuccefs.  He  heard  the  cla 
mours  of  his  people,  which  he  could  not  quiet;  he  faw  his 
advances  to  peace  rejected ;  and,  to  crown  his  misfortunes^ 
he  fuftained  an  irreparable  lofs  in  the  dearh  of  Francis  de 
Montmorency,  duke  of  Luxembourg,  to  whofe  military  ta 
lents  he  owed  the  greateft  part  of  his  glory  and  fuccefs. 
That  great  ofEcer  died  in  January  at  Verdilles,  in  the  fi,%v 
ty-feventh  year  of  his  age  ;  and  Louis  lamented  his  death 
the  more  deeply,  as  he  had  not  another  general  left,  in  whofe 
underftanding  he  could  confide.  The  condudl  of  the  army 
in  Flanders  was  entrufted  to  Marefchal  Villcroy; 

VoL.   I  2  B 


194  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  Jers  commanded  a  feparate  army,  though  fubjedl  to   the  o- 
,  .    ther's   orders.     As  the  French  king   took  it  for   granted, 

^Jf  that  the  confederates  would  have  a  fuperiority  of  numbers 
in  the  field,  and  was  well  acquainted  v/ith  the  enterprifmg 
genius  of  their  chief,  he  ordered  a  new  line  to  be  drawn 
betv/een the  Lys and  the  Scheldt:  Hs  caufed  a  difpofition  to 
be  made  for  covering  Dunkirk,  Ypres,  Tournay,  and  Na 
mur;  and  laid  injunctions  on  his  general  to  act  folely  on 
the  defenfive.  Mean  while,  the  confederates  formed  two 
armies  in  the  Netherlands.  The  firft  confifting  of  feventy 
battalions  of  infantry,  and  eighty-two  fquadrons  of  horfe 
and  dragoons,  chiefly  Er.glifh  and  Scots,  encamped  at 
Aerfeele,  Caneghem,  and  Wouterhem,  between  ThielJ 
and  Deynfe,  to  be  commanded  by  the  king  in  perfon,  afift- 
cd  by  the  old  Prince  of  Vaudemont.  The  other  army, 
compofed  of  fixteen  battalions  of  foot,  and  one  hundred  and 
thirty  iquadrons  of  horfe,  encamped  at  Zellich  and  Hamme, 
on  the  road  from  BrufTels  to  Dendermonde,  under  the  com 
mand  of  the  Elector  of  Bavaria,  feconded  by  the  duke  of 
Holftein-Ploen.  Major-General  Ellemberg  was  ported 
.near  Dixmuyde  with  twenty  battalions  and  ten  fquadrons  ; 
and  another  body  of  Brandenburgh  and  Dutch  troops  with 
a  reinforcement  from  Liege,  lay  encamped  on  the  Mehaignc, 
under  the  conduct  of  the  Baron  de  Heyden,  lieutenant-ge 
neral  of  Brandenburgh,  and  the  Count  de  Barlo,  general 
of  the  Liege  cavalry.  King  William  arrived  in  the  camp 
on  the  fifth  day  of  July,  and  remained  eight  days  at  Aer 
feele.  Then  he  marched  to  Bekelar,  while  Villeroy  retired 
behind  his  lines  between  Menin,  and  Ypres,  after  having 
detached  ten  tdoufand  men  to  reinforce  BoufHers,  who  had 
advanced  to  Pont  d'Efpieres  :  But  he  too  retreating  with 
in  his  lines,  the  elector  of  Bavaria  paffed  the  Scheldt,  and 
took  port  at  Kirkhoven :  At  the  fame  time  the  body  under 
Heyden  advanced  towards  Namur. 

laveft  Xhe  king  of  England,  having  by  his  motion    drawn  the 

forces  of  the  enemy  on  the  fide  of  Flanders,  directed  the 
Baron  de  Heyden  and  the  earl  of  Athlone,  who  commanded 
forty  fquadrons  from  the  camp  of  the  ekctor  of  Bavaria,  to 
invert  Namur;  and  this  fervice  was  performed  on  the  third 
day  of  July:  But,  as  the  place  was  not  entirely  furrounded, 
Marefchal  BoufHers  threw  himfelf  into  it,  with  fuch  a  re 
inforcement  of  dragoons  as  augmented  the  garrifon  to  the 
number  of  fifteen  thoufand  chofen  men.  Kins;  William 
and  the  elector  brought  up  the  reft  of  the  forces,  which  en 
camped  on  both  fides  of  the  Sambre  and  the  Maefe  ;  and  the 
lines  of  circumv?.llation  were  begun  on  the  fixth  day  July, 
under  the  direction  of  the  celebrated  engineer,  General 
Coehorn.  The  place  .\v-n.s  formerly  veryftrong,  both  by 


WILLIAM  i 

fitmtion  and  art ;   but  the  French,  fince  its  Lift  rcdu&ion  ;  c  H   \ 
had  made  fuch  additional  works,  that  both  the  town  and  ci-         v. 
tadel  feemed  impregnable.     Confidering  the  number  of  the   '^--y- 
garrifon,  and  the  quality  of  the  troops,   commanded   by  a       1695. 
marefchal  of  France,  diftinguifhed  by  his   valour  and  con 
duct,   the   enterprife   was  deemed  an  undeniable   proof  of 
William's  temerity.     On  the  eleventh,   the  trenches   were 
opened,  and  next  day,  the  batteries  beo-an  to  play  with  in 
credible  fury.     The  king  received  intilligence  of  the  mo 
tion   made  by  a  body  of  French  troops,  with  a  view  to  in 
tercept  the  convoys,  detached    twenty  fquadrons    of  hoj-f'e 
and  dragoons  to  obferve  the  enemy. 

Prince  Vaudemont,  who  was  left  at  Rofelaer  with  fifty 
battalions,  and  the  like  number  of  fquadrons,  underftand- 
ing  that  Villeroy  had  paffecl  the  Lys,  in  order  to  attack 
him,  took  poft  with  his  left  near  Grammen,  his  right  by 
Aerfeele  and  Caneghem,  and  began  to  fortify  his  camp, 
with  a  view  to  expe6l  the  enemy.  T'heir  vanguard  appear 
ing  on  the  evening  of  the  thirteenth  at  Dentreghem,  he 
changed  the  difpofition  of  his  camp,  and  entrenched  himdrlf 
on  both  fides.  Next  day,  however,  perceiving  Viileroy's 
defign  w.is  to  furrouad  him,  by  means  of  another  body  of 
troops  commanded  by  M.  Montal,  who  had  already  pa/Ted 
the  Thieldt  for  that  purpofe,  he  refolved  to  avoid  an  en 
gagement,  and  effected  a  retreat  to  Ghent,  which  is  cele 
brated  as  one  of  the  moft  capital  efforts  of  military  conduit. 
He  forthwith  detached  twelve  battalions  and  twelve  pieces 
of  cannon,  to  fecure  Newport,  which  Villeroy  had  intended 
to  inveft:  But  that  general  now  changed  his  refolution,  and 
undertook  the  fiege  of  Dixmuyde,  garrifoned  by  eight  bat 
talions  of  foot,  and  a  regiment  of  dragoons,  commanded 
by  A/[ajor-general  Ellembei^,  who,  in  lix-and-thirty  hours 
after  the  trenches  were  opened,  furrendered  himfelf  and  his 
foldiers  prifoners  of  war.  This  fcandalous  example  was 
followed  by  Colonel  Ofarrel,  who  yielded  up  Deynfe  on 
the  fame  fhameful  conditions  even  before  a  battery  was 
opened  by  the  befiegers.  In  the  fequel,  ihev  were  both  tri 
ed  for  their  mi  (behaviour  :  Ellemberg  differed  death,  and 
Ofarrel  was  broke  with  infamy.  The  Prince  of  Vaude 
mont  fcnt  a  meflage  to  the  French  general,  demanding  the 
garrifons  oft  hofe  two  places,  according  to  a  cartel  which  had 
been  fettled  between  the  powers  at  war;  but  no  regard  was 
paid  to  this  remonflrance.  Villeroy,  after  feveral  marches 
and  countermarches,  appeared  before  BruiTels,  on  the  thir 
teenth  day  Auguft,  and  fent  a  letter  to  the  Prince  of  Berg- 
hem,  governor  of  that  city,  importing  that  the  king  his  ma- 
ftcr  had  ordered  him  to  bombard  the  town,  by  way  of  mak 
ing  reprifals  for  the  damage  done  by  the  Engliih  fleet  to  the 


196  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  maritime  towns  of  France  :  He  likewife  defired  to  know  in 
what  part  the   elect;  .fs   of  Bavaria  rcfided,  that  he   might 
not  fire  into  the  quarter.  After  this  declaration,   which  was 
-     m  more  than  an  unmeaning  compliment,  he  began  to  bom 
bard  and  cannonade  the  pLce  with  red  hot   bullets,  which 
produced  conflagrations    in    many   different    parts    of  the 
city,  and  frightened  the  ele&refs  into  a  mifcarriags.  On  the 
fifteenth,  the  French  difcontinued  their  firing,  and  retired 
to  Enghein. 
of      During    thefe   tranfacT:ions,  the  fiejje  of  Namur   was 

the  uegc.  prof-cuted  with  great  ardour,  under  the  eye  of  the  king 
of  England  ;  while  the  garrifon  defended  the  place  with 
equal  fpirit  and  perfev?rance.  On  the  eighteenth  day  of 
July,  M.  jor-general  Ran, fay  and  Lord  Cutts,  at  the 
head  of  five  battalions,  Englifh,  Scots,  and  Dutch,  at 
tacked  the  enemy's  advanced  work?,  on  the  right  of  the 
counterfcarp.  They  were  fuftained  by  fix  Engliih  batta 
lions,  commanded  by  Brigadier-general  •  t  itzpatrick  j 
while  eight  foreign  regiments,  with  nine  thoufand  pio 
neers,  advanced  on  the  left,  under  Major-general  Salifh. 
The  aflault  was  defperate  and  bloody,  the  emMV.y  main 
taining  their  ground  for  two  hours  with  undaunted  cour 
age;  but  at  laft,  they  were  obliged  to  give  way,  and 
were  purfued  to  the  very  gates  of  the  town,  though  not 
before  they  had  killed  or  wounded  twelve  hundred  men  of 
the  confederate  army.  The  king  was  fc  well  pleafed  with 
the  behaviour  of  the  Britifh  troops,  that  during  the  ac 
tion  he  laid  his  hand  upon  the  (houlder  of  the  elector  of 
Bavaria,  .and  exclaimed  with  emotion,  u  See  my  brave 
Engliih  !J>  On  the  twenty-f;venth,  the  Emtlifli  and 
Scots,  under  Ramfay  and  Hamilton,  aflaulted  the  coun 
terfcarp,  where  they  met  with  prodigious  oppofition  from 
the  fir-;  of  the  befiegcd.  Neverthclei?,  being  fuftained  by 
the  Dutch,  they  n^ck  a  lodgment  on  the  foremoft  co 
vered  way  before  the  gate  of  St.  Nicholas,  ?s  alfo  upon 
part  ef  the  counterwuaid.  The  vaJour  of  the  afiailants  on 
this  occalion  was  altogether  unprecedented,  and  almoft 
inci;d^ble;  \vfiilj,  on  the  other  hand,  the  courage  of  the 
befieged  was  *  worthy  pfpraife  and  admiration.  Several 
perfons  wjtfc. killed  in  the  trench,  s  at  the  fide  of  the  king, 
and  t  an  ong  t  thefe  Mr.  Godfrey,  deputy-governor  of  the 
Bank  of  Eriglahd,  who  had  come  to  the  carrp,  to  coiifer 
with  his  majefty  about  remitting  n:onry  for  the  payment 
of  the  army.  On  the  thirtieth  day  of  July,  the  elector  of 
Bavaria  attacked  Vauban's  line  that  furrounded  the  works 
of  the  -cattle.  General  Coehorn  was  prefent  in  this  ac 
tion,  whi-ch  was  performed  with  equal  valour  and  fucctfs. 
1  hey  not  only  broke  through  the  line,  but  even  took 


WILLIAM.  197 

poflelTion   of  Coehorn's    fort,  in  which,   however    they,  CHAP. 
found  it  impoffible  to  efFeft  a   lodgment.     On  the  fecond    ,^' 
day   of   Auguft,  Lord  Cutts,  with  four  hundred  Engiifh    V-"Y*—' 
and     Dutch    grenadier?,    attacked    the   failiant-angle   of 
a  demi-baftion,  and  lodged  himiUf  on  the  fjcond  counter- 
icarp.     The    breaches  being  now  practicable,  and  prepa 
rations    made    for  a  general  aflauli,  Count  Guifcard,  the 
governor,  capitulated    for    the  town  on  the  fourth  of  An- 


gull;  and  the  French  retired  into  the  citadel,  againft  reti 
which  twelve  batteries  pi  lyed,  upon  the  thirteenth.  The  the  citadel. 
trenches,  mean  while,  were  carried  on  with  great  expedi 
tion,  notwithftanding  all  the  efforts  of  the  befieged,  who 
fired  without  ceafms;,  and  exerted  amazing  diligence  and 
intrepidity  in  defending  and  repairing  the  damage  thry 
fuftained.  At  length,  the  annoyance  bjcame  fo  dreadful 
ffo'n  ihe  uatntermitting  ftiowers  of  bombs  and  red  hot 
bullets,  that  Bourllers,  after  having  made  divers  furious 
fallies,  formed  a  fcheme  for  breaking  through  the  confe 
derate  camp  with  his  cavalry.  This,  however,  was  pre 
vented  by  the  extreme  vigilance  of  King  William. 

After  the  bombardment  of  Bruffels,  Villeroy  being  Vi'leroy  at  - 
reinforced  with  all  the  troops  that  could  be  drafted  from  te.r.p.s  i 
garrifons,  advanced  towards  Namur,  with  an  army  of  j^  ei;> 
ninety  thoufind  men  ;  and  Prince  Vaudemont  being  join 
ed  by  the  prince  of  HefTe,  with  a  lirong  body  of  forces 
from  the  Rhine,  took  polTefllon  of  the  ftrong  camp  at 
Mafy,  v/ithin  five  English  miles  of  the  befjeging  army. 
The  kin?,  undei  Handing  that  the  enemy  had  reached 
Fleurus,  where  th  y  difcharged  ninety  pieces  of  qannon, 
as  a  fignal  to  inform  the  garrifon  of  their  approach,  left 
the  conduct  of  the  fiege  to  the  elector  of  Bavaria,  and 
took  upon  himfelf  the  command  of  the  covering  army,  in 
order  to  oppofe  Villeroy,  who  being  further  reinforced  by 
a  detachment  from  Germany,  declared,  that  he  would 
hazard  a  battle  for  the  relief  of  Namur.  But,*  when  he 
viewed  the  pofture  of  the  allies  near  Mafy,  he  changed 
his  refolution,  and  retired  in  the  night  without  noife.  On 
the  3_>th  day  of  Auguft,  the  befieged  were  fummonsd  to 
furrender,  by  Count  Horn,  who,  in  a  parley  with  the 
count  de  Larnont,  general  of  the  French  infuntr.y,  gave 
him  to  underftand,  that  Marefchal  Villeroy  had  retired 
towards  the  Mehaigne  ;  fo  that  the  ga-rifon  could  not  ex- 
peel  to  be  relieved.  No  immediate  anfwer  being  returned 
to  this  meflage,  the  parley  was  broke  off,  and  the  king 
refolved  to  proceed  without  delay  to  a  general  aiTault, 
which  he  had  already  planned  with  the  elector  and  his  o- 
ther  generals.  Between  one  and  two  in  the  afternoon, 
Lord  Cults,  who  deiired  the  command,  though  it  was 


198  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

K  O  O  K  p.ot  his  turn  of  duty,  ruflied  out  of  the  trenches  of  the  fe- 
cond    line,  at    the    head    of  three  hundred  grenadiers,  to 

V-*PVV-'  make  a  lodgment  in  the  breach  of  Terra-nova,  fuoport- 
55-  cd  by  the  regiments  of  Coulthorp,  Buchan,  Hamilton, 
and  M.Tckay;  while  Colonel  Marfelly,  with  a  body  of 
Dutch,  the  Bavarian?,  and  Brandenburghers,  attacked  at 
two  other  places.  The  aiTail-ints  met  with  fuch  a  warm 
reception,  that  the  Englifh  grenadiers  were  repulfed,  e- 
ven  after  they  had  mounted  the  breach,  Lord  Cutts  being 
•for  Tome  time  difabled  by  a  {hot  in  the  head.  Marfclly 
was  defeated,  taken,  and  afterward?  killed  by  a  cannon 
l>all  from  the  batteries  of  the  befieger?.  The  Bavarians, 
by  miftaking  their  way,  were  expofcd  to  a  terrible  fire, 
by  which  their  general,  Count  Rivera,  and  a  great  num-, 
lu-r  of  their  officers  were  {lain  :  Nevertheless,  they  fixed 
themfelves  on  the  outward  entrenchment,  on  the  point  of 
the  Coehorn  next  to  the  Sambrc,  and  maintained  their 
ground  with  amazing  fortitude.  Lord  Cutts,  when  his 
wound  was  drefled,  returned  to  the  fcene  of  action,  and 
ordered  two  hundred  chofen  men  of  Mackay's  regiment, 
commanded  by  Lieutenant  Cockle,  to  attack  the  face  of 
the  faillar.t-angb  next  to  the  breach,  fword  in  hand, 
while  the  enfigns  of  the  fame  regiment  fhould  advance:, 
and  plant  their  colours  on  the  pallifadocf.  Cockle  and 
his  detachment  executed  the  command  he  had  received 
with  admirable  intrepidity.  They  broke  through  the  pal- 
lifadoes,  drove  the  French  from  the  covered-way,  made 
a  lodgment  in  one  of  the  batteries,  and  turned  the  can- 
ron  naainft  the  enemy.  The  Bavarians  being  thus  fuf- 
tained,  made  their  poft  good.  The  Major-generals  La 
Cave  and  Schwerin  lodged  themfelves  at  the  fame*tffne 
on  the  covered-way  ;  and  though  the  general  aflault  did 
not  fucceed  in  its  full  extent,  the  confederates  remained 
rcafters  of  a  very  considerable  lodgment,  nearly  an  Eng- 
lifii  mile*  in  length.  Yet  this  was  dearly  purchafcd  with 
the  lives  of  two  thoufand  men,  including  many  officers  of 
great  rank  and  reputation.  During  the  action,  the  elec 
tor  of  Bavaria  fignalized  his  courage  in  a  very  remarka 
ble  manner,  ridiria;  from  place  to  place  through  the  hot- 
ttft  of  the  fire,  giving  his  directions  with  notable  pre- 
fence  of  mind,  according  to  the  emergency  c.»  circum- 
iiances,  animating  the  officers  with  praifc  and  promife  of 
preferment,  and  clifliibuting  hancfuls  of  gold  among  the 
private  foldiers. 

On  the  firtt  day  of  September,  the  befieged  having  ob 
tained  a  cerTationof  arms,  that  their  dead  might  be  buried, 
the  Count  de  Guifcard  appearing  on  the  breach,  defired  to 
{peak  .with  the  elector  of  Bavaria.  Kis  highnefs  immcdi- 


W  I  L  L  I  A  M.  J99 

ately  mounting  the  breach,  the  French  governor  offered  to  C  H  A  P. 
furrender  the  fort  of  Coehorn ;  but  was  given  to  understand,  v- 
that  if  he  intended  to  capitulate,  he  muft  treat  for  the  whole. 
This  reply  being  communicated  to  BoufHers,  he  agreed  to 
the  propofal ;  The  cefTation  was  prolonged,  and  that  very 
evening  the  capitulation  was  finifhed.  Villeroy,  who  lay 
encameped  at  Gemblouis,  was  no  fooner  apprifed  of  this 
event,  by  a  triple  difcharge  of  all  the  artillery,  and  a  run* 
ning  fire  along  the  lines  of  the  confederate  army,  than  he 
pafied  the  Sambre  near  Charleroy,  with  great  precipitation; 
and  having  reinforced  the  garrifon  of  Dinant,  retreated  to 
wards  the  lines  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Mons.  On  the  5th  The  French 
day  of  September,  the  French  garrifon,  which  was  now  «pi:uiai,e, 
reduced  from  fifteen  to  five  thoufand  five  hundred  men, 
evacuated  the  citadel  of  Namur.  BoufHers,  in  marching 
out,  was  arrefted  in  the  name  of  his  Britannic  majefty,  by 
way  of  reprifal  for  thegarrifons  of  Dixmuyde  and  Deynfe, 
which  the  French  king  had  detained,  contrary  to  the  cartel 
fubfifting  between  the  two  nations.  The  marefchal  was 
not  a  little  difcompofed  at  this  unexpected  incident,  and  ex- 
poftulated  warmly  with  Mr.  Dyckvelt,  who  allured  him  the 
king  of  Great  Britain  entertained  a  profound  refpec~t  for 
his  perfonand  character.  William  even  offered  to  fet  liinv 
at  liberty,  provided  he  would  pafs  his  word,  that  the  gar- 
rifons  of  Dixmuyde  and  Deynfe  fhould  be  fent  back,  or  that 
hehimfelf  would  return  in  a  fortnight.  He  laid,  that  he 
could  not  enter  into  any  fuch  engagement,  as  he  did  not 
know  his  mailer's  reafons  for  detaining  the  garrifons  in 
queftion.  He  was,  therefore,  reconveyed  to  Namur;  from 
thence  removed  to  Maefti  icht,  and  treated  with  great  rever 
ence  and  refpect,  till  the  return  of  an  officer  whom  he  had 
difpatched  to  Verfailles  with  an  account  of  his  captivity. 
Then  he  engaged  his  word,  that  the  garrifons  of  Dixmuyde 
and  Deynfe  ihould  be  fent  back  to  the  allied  army.  He  was 
immediately  releafed,  and  conducted  in  fafety  to  Dinant. 
When  he  repaired  to  Verfailles,  Louis  received  him  with 
very  extraordinary  marks  of  eiteem  and  affecV.on.  H? 
embraced  him  in  public  with  the  warmeft  expreffions  of 
regard  ;  declared  himfelf  perfectly  well  fatisfted  with  his  con- 
duel;  created  him  a  duke  and  peer  of  France;  and  prefented 
him  with  a  very  large  furn,  in  acknowledgment  of  his  fig;- 
rial  fcrvice?. 

After  the  reduction  of  "Namur,  which  greatly  enhanced 
the  military  character  of  King  William,  he  retired  to  his 
houle  at  Loo,  which  was  his  favourite  ph>ce  of  refidence, 
leaving  the  command  to  th.;  elector  of  Bavaria;  and  about 
the  latter  end  of  September  both  armies  began  to  frparate. 
Th?  French  forces  retried  within  th^tr  linss.  A  o:;i 


200  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK,  number  of  the   allied  troops  were  diftributed  in  different 
gar.ifon?;  and  aftrong  detachment  marched  towards  New- 
V-*"Y"°   port,  undjr  th-i  command  of  the  prince  of  Wi.tembeig,  for 
IV  in  a*  o    ^e  f-curit}r  °fthat  place.     Thus   ended   the   campaign  in 
pciaaoaoiu  the  Netherlands.     On  the   Rhine  nothing  of  moment  was 
c^rma/iy,     attempted    by   either  am  y.     The  Marefchal   dc   Lorges, 
in  the  beginning  of  June,  p^ff-d  the  Rhine  at  Philipfburgh; 
and  polling  hi.nfjf  at  B  ruckfJ,  fent  out  parties  to   ravage 
the  country,     On  the  Iith  of  the  f  me  mon:h,  the    Prince 
of  Baden  joined  the  German  army  at  Steppach,  and   on  the 
8th  of  July  w.cS  reinforced  by  the  troops  of  the  other    Ger~ 
man  confederate?,  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Wifelock.     On 
the  IQ'.h,  the   French    retired  without  noife,  rn  the   night, 
towards  Manheim,  where  they   repafled  the  river,  without 
any  interruption  from  the  Imperial  general:  Then  he    fent 
off  a  large  detachment  to  Flanders.     The  fame  ftep   was 
taken  by  the  prince  of  Baden  ;  and  each  army  l*y    inactive 
in  their  quarters  for    the  remaining  part  of  the  campaign. 
The  command  of  the  Germans  in  Hungary  was  conferred 
upon  the  elector  of  Saxony :  But  the  court  of  Vienna  was 
fo  dilatory  in  their  preparations,  that  he  was  not  in  a  condi 
tion  to  act  till  the  middle  of  Auguft.     Lord  Paget  had  been 
fent  ambaffador  from  England  to  the  Ottoman  Porte,   with 
inftruction?  relating  to  a  pacification  :  But,  before  he  could 
obtain  an  audience,  the  fultan  died,  and  was  fucceeded   by 
his  nephew,  Muftapha,  who  refolved  to  profecute  the  war 
in  perfon.  The  warlike  genius    of  this  new  emperor  afford 
ed  but  an  uncomfortable  profpect  to  his  people,  confidering 
that  Peter,  the  czar  of  Mufcovy,  had  taken  the   opportunity 
of  the  war  in  Hungary,  to  invade  the  Crimea,  and  behege 
Azoph:    So  that  the   Tartars  were  too  much  employed  at 
home  to  fpare  the  fuccours  which  the  fultan  demanded.  Ne- 
verthel:  ft,  Muftapha  and  his  vifir  took   the  field  before  the 
Imperialifts  could  commence  the  operations  of  the  campaign, 
paffed  the  Danube,  took  Lippa  and  Titul  by  affault,  flormed 
the  camp  of  General  Veterani,  who  was  ported  at   Lugos 
with  feven  thoufand  men,  and  who  loft  his  life  in  the  action. 
The  infantry  were  cut  to  pieces,  after  having  made  a   dcf- 
perate  defence  :  But  the  horfe  retreated  to  Ca  o"uf;bcs,  under 
the  conduct  of  General  Trufchc?.     The  Turks,  after  this 
exploit,  retired  to  Orfovva.     Their  navy,  mean   while,  fur- 
prifed  the  Venetian  fleet  at  Scio,  where  feveral  fhips  of  the 
republic  were  deftroyed,  and  they   recovered  that    ifhnd, 
which  the  Venetians  thought  proper  to  abandon:   But,  in 
order  to  balance  this  misfortune,  thefe  laft  obtained  a  com 
plete  victory  over  the  bafhaw  of  Ncgupon.  in  the  Morea. 
The  French    king  ftil!    maintained  a  fecret  negociation 
with   the   duke   of  Savoy,   whofe  .conduct  had    been   for 


W  I  L  L  I  A  M.  201 

> 

fome  time  mytlerious  and  equivocal.  Contrary  to  the  CHAP 
opinion  of  his  allies,  he  undertook:  the  fi^ge  of  Cafal,  v- 
which  was  counted  one  of  the  ftrono^fl:  fortifications  in 
Europe,  defended  by  a  numerous  garrilon,  abundantly  fup- 
plied  with  ammunition  and  provision.  The  fiege  was  be 
gun  about  the  middle  of  May  ;  and,  the  place  was  furren- 
dered  by  capitulation  in  about  fourteen  dav?,  to  the  afto- 
nifhment  of  the  confederates,  who  did  not  know  that  this 
was  a  facrifice  by  which  the  French  court  obtained  the 
duke's  forbearance  during  the  remaining  part  of  the  cam 
paign.  The  capitulation  imported,  That  the  place  fhould 
be  reflored  to  the  duke  of  M  intua,  who  was  the  rightful 
proprietor  :  That  the  fortifications  flioulJ  be  dcmolifhed 
at  the  expence  of  the  allies:  That  the  garrifon  ihould  re 
main  in  the  fort  till  that  work  (hould  be  completed  :  And 
hoftages  were  exchanged  for  the  performance  of  thefe 
conditions.  The  duke  underftood  the  art  of  procraftina- 
tion  fo  well,  that  September  was  far  advanced  before  the 
place  was  wholly  dismantled;  and  then  he  was  feized  with 
an  ague,  which  obliged  him  to  quit  the  army. 

In  Catalonia  the  French  could  hardly  maintain  the 
footing  they  had  gained.  Admiral  Ruflel,  who  wintered 
at  Cadiz,  was  created  admiral,  chief  commander,  and  cap 
tain-general  of  all  his  majefry's  fhips  employed,  or  to  be 
employed  in  the  Narrow-Seas,  and  in  the  Mediterranean. 
He  was  reinforced  by  four  thoufand  five  hundred  foldiers, 
under  the  command  of  Brigadier-general  Stewart;  and 
fever,  thoufand  men,  Imperialifts  as  well  as  Spaniardsj 
were  drafted  from  Italy,  for  the  defence  of  Catalonia. 
Thefs  forces  were  tranfported  to  Barcelona,  under  the 
convoy  of  Admiral  Nevil,  detached  by  Ru/Tel  for  that 
purpofe.  The  affairs  of  Catalonia  had  already  changed 
their  afpecl.  Several  French  parties  had  been  defeated. 
The  Spaniards  had  blocked  up  Oftalric  and  Cafbl-Follit : 
Noailles  had  been  recalled,  and  the  command  devolved  to 
the  duke  da  Nendome,  who  no  fjoner  underilood  that  the 
forces  from  Italy  were  landed,  than  he  dif-mntled  Oftal- 
ric  and  Caftel-Follit,  and  retired  to  P-damos.  The  vi 
ceroy  of  Catalonia,  and  the  Englifh  admiral  having  re- 
falved  to  give  battle  to  the  enemy,  and  reduce  Palamos, 
the  Engiifli  troops  were  landed  on  the  gth  dav  of  Auguil, 
a::d  the  allied  army  advanced  to  Palamos.  The  French 
appeared  in  order  of  battle:  But  the  viceroy  declined  an 
engagement.  Far  from  attacking  the  enemy,  he  withdrew 
his  forces,  and  the  town  was  bombarcfed  by  the  admiral. 
The  mifcarriage  of  thir,  expedition  was  in  a  great  mea- 
furc  owing  to  a  mifunderftanding  between  RuflTel  and  the 
court  ci:  Spain.  The  admiral  complained  that  his  Ca- 

VQL.  I.  2  C 


202  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND 

BOOK  thoiic  majefty  had  made  no  preparations  for  the  campaign: 
That  he  had  neglected  to  fulfil  his  engagements  with  re- 
V"*"Y"V^  fpe6r.  to  the  Spanifh  fquadron,  which  ought  to  have  joined 
J6?5-  the  fleets  of  England  and  Holland:  That  he  had  taken  no 
care  to  provide  tents  and  proviiion  for  the  Britifh  forces. 
On  the  ayth  day  of  Auguft  he  failed  for  the  coaft  of  Pro 
vence,  where  his  fleet  was  endangered  by  a  terrible  tem- 
peft  :  Then  he  fleered  down  the  Straits,  and  towards  the 
latter  end  of  September  arrived  in  the  bay  of  Cadiz. 
There  he  left  a  number  of  {hips  under  the  command  of 
Sir  David  Mitchel,  until  he  fhould  be  joined  by  Sir 
George  Rooke,  who  was  expected  from  England, 
and  returned  home  with  the  reft  of  the  combined 
fquadrons. 

A  Britifh  While  Admiral  RufTcl  afierted  the  Britifti  dominion  in 

thecMfa  t^le  Mediterranean,  the  French  coafts  were  again  infulted 
of  France.  m  tne  channel  by  a  feparate  fleet,  under  the  command  of 
Lord  Berkley  of  Straton,  affifted  by  the  Dutch  Admiral 
Allemonde.  On  the  4th  day  of  July  they  anchored  before 
St.  Maloes,  which  they  bombarded  from  nine  ketches  co 
vered  by  fome  frigates,  which  fuftained  more  damage  than 
was  done  to  the  enemy.  On  the  6th,  Granville  under 
went  the  fame  fate  ;  and  then  the  fleet  returned  to  Portf- 
mouth.  The  bomb-veflels  being  refitted  the  fleet  failed 
round  to  the  Downs,  where  four  hundred  foldiers  were 
embarked  for  an  attempt  upon  Dunkirk,  under  the  di 
rection  of  Meefters,  the  famous  Dutch  engineer,  who  had 
prepared  his  Internals,  and  other  machines  for  the  fervice. 
On  the  ift  day  of  Auguft  the  experiment  was  tried  with 
out  fuccefs.  The  bombs  did  fome  execution  :  But  tw@ 
frEoak  fhips  mifcarried.  The  French  had  fecured  the 
Riflvink  and  wooden  forts,  with  piles,  bombs,  chains,  and 
floating  batteries,  in  fuch  a  manner,  that  the  machine- 
vefTels  could  not  approach  near  enough  to  produce  any 
efFecl.  Befidcs,  the  councils  of  the  afl'ailants  were  dif- 
tracled  by  violent  animofities.  The  Englifh  officers  hated 
Mcefters,  becaufe  he  was  a  Dutchman,  and  had  acquired 
fome  credit  with  the  king  :  He,  on  the  other  hand,  treated 
them  with  difrefpect.  He  retired  with  his  machines  in  the 
night,  and  refufed  to  co-operate  with  Lord  Berkley  in  his 
deiign  upon  Calais,  which  was  now  put  in  execution. 
On  the  1 6th  he  brought  his  batteries  to  bear  upon  this 
place,  and  fet  fire  to  it  in  different  quarters  :  But  the  ene 
my  had  taken  fuch  precautions  as  rendered  his  fcheme 
abortive. 

wilmot's  A  fquadron  had  been  fent  to  the  Weft-Indies  under 
JjSSJ?  th;e  Joint  command  of  Captain  Robert  Wilmot  and 
to  the  Weft-  Colonel  Lilingfton,  with  twelve  hundred  land-force?. 

Indies. 


WILLIAM.  20 

They  had  instructions  to  co-operate  with  the  Spaniards  in  C  H  A  i\ 
Hifpaniola,  againft  the  French  fettlements  on  that  ifland,  v- 
and  to  deftroy  their  fisheries  on  the  banks  of  Newfound-  ^"Y^ 
Jand,  in  their  return.  They  were  accordingly  joined  by  l695- 
feventeen  hundred  Spaniards  raifed  by  the  president  of  St. 
Domingo:  But,  inftead  of  proceeding  againft  Petit-Gua- 
vas,  according  to  the  directions  they  had  received,  Wilmot 
took  pofTeffion  of  Fort  Francois,  and  plundered  the  coun 
try  for  his  own  private  advantage,  notwithftanding  the 
remonftrances  of  Lilingfton,  who  protefted  againft  his 
conduit.  In  a  word,  the  fea  and  land-officers  lived  in  a 
ftate  of  perpetual  difTenfion  ;  and  both  became  extremely 
difagreeable  to  the  Spaniards,  who  foon  renounced  all  con 
nexion  with  them  and  their  defigns.  In  the  beginning  of 
September  the  commodore  fet  fail  for  England,  and  loft 
one  of  his  fhip5  in  the  gulf  of  Florida.  He  himfelf  died 
in  the  paffage;  and  the  greater  part  of  the  men  being 
fwept  off  by  an  epidemical  diftemper,  the  fquadron  re  . 
turned  to  Britain  in  a  moft  miferable  condition.  Not 
withstanding  the  great  efforts  the  nation  had  made  to 
maintain  fuch  a  number  of  different  fquadrons  for  the  pro 
tection  of  commerce,  as  well  as  to  annoy  the  enemy,  the 
trade  fufFered  feverely  from  the  French  privateers,  which 
Avarmed  in  both  channels,  and  made  prize  of  many  rich 
veflels.  The  marquis  of  Caermarthen,  being  ftationed 
with  a  fquadron  off  the  Scilly  Iflands,  miftook  a  fleet  of 
merchant  fhips  for  the  Breft  fleet,  and  retired  with  pre 
cipitation  to  Milford-Haven.  In  confequence  of  this  re 
treat,  the  privateers  took  a  good  number  of  {hips  from 
Barbadoes,  and  five  from  the  Eaft  Indies,  valued  at  a  mil 
lion  fterling.  The  merchants  renewed  their  clamour 
againft  the  commiffioners  of  the  admiralty,  who  produced 
their  orders  and  inftructions  in  their  own  defence.  The 
marquis  of  Caermarthen  had  been  guilty  of  flagrant  mif- 
conduct  on  this  occafion :  But,  the  chief  fource  of  thofe 
national  calamities  was  the  circumftnntial  intelligence  tranf- 
mitted  to  France  from  time  to  time,  by  the  malcontents  of 
England;  for  they  were  actuated  by  a  fpahdalous  prin 
ciple,  which  they  ftill  retain,  namely,  that  of  rejoicing  in 
the  diftrefs  of  their  country. 

King  William,  after  having  conferred  with  the  ftates  of  The  king 
Holland,  and  the  elector  of  Brandenburgh,   who  met   hi:;i  r^uiMto 
at  the  Hague,  embarked   for  England  on  the    igth   day  of  Ensland- 
October,  and  arrived   in    fafety  at  Margate,  from   whence 
he  proceeded  to  London,  where  he  was  received  ?.s   a  con 
queror,   amidft    the   rejoicings    and   acclamations  of  the 
people.     On  the  fame  day  he  lummoned  a  council  at  Iven- 
lington,   in  which  it   was  determined   to   convoke  a  new 


204  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  parliament.     While  the   nation  was   in    good  humour,   it 
was  fuppofed  that  they  would  return  fuch  members  only  as 

'""""Y"**^  were  w^ll  affected  to  the  government ;  whereas,  the  pre- 
*  55-  fent  parliament  might  proceed  in  its  enquiries  into  cor 
ruption  and  other  grievances,  and  be  the  k'fs  influenced 
by  the  crown,  as  their  dependence  ^as  of  fuch  fhort  du 
ration.  The  parliament  was,  therefore,  difJolved  by  pro 
clamation,  and  a  new  one  fummoned  to  meet  at  Weft- 
minfter  on  the  22d  day  of  November.  While  the  whole 
nation  was  occupied  in  the  elections,  William,  by  the  ad 
vice  of  his  chief  confidents,  laid  his  own  difpofition  under 
reftraint,  in  another  effort  to  acquire  popularity.  He  ho 
noured  the  divcrilons  of  Newmarket  with  his  prefence, 
and  there  received  a  compliment  of  congratulation  from 
the  univerfity  of  Cambridge.  Then  he  vifited  the  earls 
of  Sunderland,  Northampton,  and  Montague,  at  their 
different  houfes  in  the  couatry;  and  proceeded  with  a 
iplendid  retinue  to  Lincoln,  from  whence  he  repaired  to 
Welbeck,  a  feat  belonging  to  the  duke  of  Newcoflle  in 
Nottinghamfhi'e,  where  he  was  attended  by  Dr.  Sharp, 
archbifhop  of  York,  and  his  clergy.  He  lodged  one  night 
with  Lord  Brooke,  at  Warwick-caftle,  dined  with  the 
duke  of  Shrewfbury  at  Eyefort,  and,  by  the  way  of  Wood- 
itock,  made  a  folemu  entry  into  Oxford,  having  been 
met  at  fome  diltance  from  the  city  by  the  duke  of  Ormond, 
as  chancellor  of  the  univerfity,  the  vice-chancellor,  the 
doctors  in  their  habits,  and  the  magiftrates  in  their  for 
malities.  He  proceeded  directly  to  the  theatre,  where  he 
was  welcomed  in  an  elegant  Latin  fpeech:  He  received 
from  the  chancellor  on  his  knees,  the  ufual  prefents  of  a 
large  Engliih  bible,  and  book  of  common  prayer,  the  cuts 
of  the  univerfity,  and  a  pair  of  gold  fringe  gloves.  The 
conduits  ran  with  wine,  and  a  magnificent  banquet  was 
prepared;  Bu^,  an  anonymous  letter  being  found  in  the 
itreet,  importing,  thr.t  there  was  a  defign  to  poifon  his  ma- 
jeity,  William  refund  to  eat  or  drink  in  Oxford,  and  re 
tired  immediately  to  Windfor.  Notwithstanding  this 
abrupt  departure,  which  did  not  favour  much  of  magna 
nimity,  the  univerfity  chole  Sir  William  Trumbal,  fe- 
cretary  of  ft  ate,  as  one  Oi*  their  representatives  in  par 
liament. 

The  Whig  intereR'  generally  prevailed  in  the  elections, 
though  many  even  of  that  party  were  malcontents  ;  and 
when  the  parliament  met,  Foley  was  again  cholen  fpeaker 
of  the  commons.  The  king,  in  his  firil  fpeech,  extolled 
the  valour  of  tiu  Englifh  forces  ;  exprefTed  his  concern  at 
being  obliged  to  demand  fuch  large  fupplies  from  his  peo 
ple  ;  obfervcd,  that  the  funds  had  proved  very  deficient. 


W  I  L  L  I  A  M.  205 

and  the  civil  lift  was  in  a  precarious  condition  ;  recom-  CHAP, 
mended  to  their  companion  the  mifcrable  fituation  of  the  ,T_, 
French  1'rotefhnts  :  Took  notice  of  the  bad  ftate  of  the  ^"Y^ 
coin  ;  defired  they  would  form  a  good  bill  for  the  encou 
ragement  and  increafe  of  feamen  ;  and  contrive  laws  for 
the  advancement  of  commerce.  He  mentioned  the  great 
preparations  which  the  French  were  making  for  taking 
the  field  early  ;  intreated  them  to  ufe  difpatch  ;  sxprefTed 
his  fatisfaction  at  the  choice  which  his  people  had  made 
of  their  representatives  in  the  houfe  of  commons;  and  ex 
horted  them  to  proceed  with  temper  and  unanimity. 
Though  the  two  houfcs  prefented  addreffes  of  congratula 
tion  to  the  king,  upon  his  late  fuccefs,  and  promifed  to  af- 
fift  him  in  profc-cuting  the  war  with  vigour,  the  nation 
loudly  exclaimed  againft  the  intolerable  burthens  and  lof- 
fes  to  which  they  were  fubj  cted,  by  a  foreign  fchems  of 
politics,  which,  like  an  unfathomable  abyfs,  (wallowed  up 
the  wealth  and  blood  of  the  kingdom.  All  the  king's  en 
deavours  to  cover  the  difgufting  fide  of  his  character  had 
proved  ineffectual :  He  was  ftill  dry,  referved,  and  forbid 
ding;  and  the  malcontents  inveighed  bitterly  againft  his 
behaviour  to  the  Princefs  Anne  of  Denmark.  When  the 
news  of  Namur's  being  reduced  arrived  in  England,  this 
lady  congratulated  him  upon  his  fuccefs  in  a  dutiful  letter, 
to  which  he  would  not  deign  to  fend  a  reply,  either  by 
writing  or  mtflage  ;  nor  had  fhe  or  her  hufband  been  fa 
voured  with  the  flightefr.  mark  of  regard  fmce  his  return 
to  England.  The  members  in  the  lower  houfe,  who  had 
adopted  oppofing  maxims,  either  from  principle  or  refent- 
ment,  refolved,'  That  the  crown  fhould  purchafe  the  fup- 
plies  with  ibme  conceflion  in  favour  of  the  people.  They 
therefore,  brought  in  the  fo  long  contefted  bill  for  reo-u- 
lating  trials  in  cafes  of  high  treafon,  and  mifprifion  of  trea 
fon;  and,  conlidering  the  critical  juncture  of  affairs,  the 
courtiers  were  afraid  of  obfr.ruCr.ing  fuch  a  popular  mea- 
iiire.  The  lords  inferted  a  cLuie,  enacting,  That  a  peer 
fhould  be  tried  by  the  whole  peerage  ;  and  the  commons 
at  once  afll-nted  to  this  amendment.  The  bill  provided, 
That  perfons  indicted  for  high  treafon,  or  mifprifion  of 
treafon,  fhould  be  furnilhed  with  a  copy  of  the  indictment 
five  days  before  the  trial ;  and  indulged  with  counfel  to 
plead  in  their  defence:  That  no  perfon  fhould  be  indicted 
but  upon  the  oaths  of  two  lawful  witneflbs  f wearing  to 
overt-acts  :  That  in  two  or  more  diftinct  treafons  of  divers 
kinds,  Pledged  in  one  bill  of  indi^ment,  one  witncfs  to 
one,  and  another  witnefs  to  another,  ihould  not  be  deemed 
two  witnefTes  :  That  no  perfon  ihould  be  profecuted  for 
any  fuch  crime,  \uikfs  the  indic>inent  be  f^und  wi-h'n 


2o6  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  three  years  after  the  offence  committed,  except  in  cafe  of 
a  deftp-n  or  attempt  to  affaffinate  or  poifon  the  king,  where 
V-*"Y^*''  thii  limitation  fhould  not  take  place:  That  perfons  in- 
1  95-  dieted  for  treafon  or  mifprifion  of  treafon,  fhould  be  fup- 
plied  with  copies  of  the  pannel  of  the  jurors,  two  days  at 
leaft  b'.-fore  the  trial,  and  have  proccjs  to  compel  their 
witnefles  to  appear:  That  no  evidence  fhould  be  admitted 
of  any  ovwr-acl:  not  exprefsly  laid  in  the  indictment : 
That  this  aci:  fliould  not  extend  to  any  ircpeachment,  or 
other  proceedings  in  parliament;  nor  to  any  indictment 
for  counterfeiting  his  Majcfty's  coin,  his  great-leal,  pri- 
vy-fcal,  fign-manual,  or  fignet. 

This  important  affair  being  difcuffed,  the  commons  pro 
ceeded  to  examine  the  accompts  and  efHmates,  and  voted, 
above  five  millions  for  the  fervice  of  the  enfuing  year. 
State  of  the  The  ftate  of  the  coin  was  by  this  time  become  fuch  a  na- 
Coia  taken  tional  grievance  as  could  not  efcape  the  attention  of  par- 
deratiaa  b  liament.  The  lords  prepared  an  addrefs  to  the  throne,  for 
parliament.  a  proclamation  to  put  a  flop  to  the  currency  of  diminifhed 
coin  ;  and  to  this  theydefired  the  concurrence  of  the  com 
mons.  The  lower  houfe,  however,  determined  to  take  this 
affair  under  their  own  infpe&ion.  They  appointed  a  com 
mittee  of  the  whole  houfe,  to  deliberate  on  the  ftate  of  the 
nation  with  refpect  to  the  currency.  Great  oppofition  was 
jr.ade  to  recoinage,  which  was  a  meafure  ftrenuoufly  re 
commended  and  fupported  by  Mr.  Montague,  who  a&ed 
on  this  occafion  by  the  advice  of  the  great  mathematician, 
Sir  Ifaac  Newton.  The  enemies  of  this  expedient  argued, 
that,  fhould  the  filver  coin  be  called  in,  it  would  be  im- 
pofilble  to  maintain  the  war  abroad,  or  profecute  foreign 
trade,  inafmuch  as  the  merchant  could  not  pay  his  bills  of 
exchange,  nor  the  foldier  receive  his  fubfiftence :  That  a 
ftop  would  be  rut  to  all  mutual  payment;  and  this  would 
produce  univerful  confufion  and  defpair.  Such  a  refor 
mation  could  not  be  effected  without  fome  danger  and 
difficulty;  but  it  was  become  abfolutely  neceflary,  as  the 
evil  daily  increafcd,  and  in  a  little  time  muft  have  termi 
nated  in  national  anarchy.  After  long  and  vehement  de 
bate?,  the  rnr.prity  ivfolved  to  proceed  with  all  pofTible  ex 
pedition  to  a  nev.'  coinage.  Another  queftion  arofe,  \V  hc- 
ther  the  new  coir,,  ia  different  denomination?,  fhould  re 
tain  the  original  weight  and  purity  of  the  old;  or  the  efra- 
bliihed  jiand.ird  be  raifcd  in  vAite  ?  The  famous  Locke 
cnga^:d  in  this  difpute  againfr  Pvlr.  Lovvnues,  who  pro - 
pof'xl'that  the  ftandard  fhould  b*  raifcd  ;  The  arguments 
of  Mr.  Locke  wcr  fo  convincing,  that  the  committee  re- 
folved  the  cfhblilhea  ftar.dr.rd  fhould  b::  prckrved  with  re- 
fpecl  to  v/eight  and  fincnefs.  They likewife  refolvcd,  that 


WILLIAM.  207 

the  lofs  accruing  to  the  revenue  from  clipped  money  fhould  CHAP. 
be  borne  by  the  public.  In  order  to  prevent  a  total  flag-  V 
nation,  they  further  refolved,  That,  after  an  appointed  day, 
no  clipped  money  fhould  pafs  in  payment,  except  to  the 
collectors  of  the  revenue  and  taxes,  or  upon  loans  or  pay 
ments  into  the  exchequer :  That,  after  another  day  to  be 
appointed,  no  clipped  money  of  any  fort  fhould  pafs  in  any 
payment  whatfoever;  and  that  a  third  day  fhould  be  fixed 
for  all  perfons  to  bring  in  their  clipped  money  to  be  recoin- 
ed ;  after  which  they  fhould  have  no  allowance  upon  what 
they  might  offer.  They  addrefled  the  king  to  iffue  a  pro 
clamation  agreeably  to  thefe  refolutions  ;  and,  on  the  nine 
teenth  day  of  December,  it  was  publifhed  accordingly. 
Such  were  the  fears  of  the  people,  augmented  and  inflamed 
by  the  enemies  of  the  government,  that  all  payment  imme 
diately  ceafed,  and  a  face  of  ciftraclion  appeared  through 
the  whole  community.  The  adverfaries  of  the  bill  feized 
this  opportunity  to  aggravate  the  npprehenfions  of  the  pub 
lic.  They  inveighed  againft  the  miniftry,  as  the  authors 
of  this  national  grievance  :  They  levelled  their  fatire  par 
ticularly  at  Montague  ;  and  it  required  uncommon  for 
titude  and  addrefs  to  avert  the  moftdangerouscorifequer.ee 
of  popular  difcontent.  T'he  houfe  of  commons  i  greed  to 
the  following  refolutions  ;  That  twelve  hundred  thoufand 
pounds  fhould  be  raifed  by  a  duty  on  gl,afs  windows,  to 
make  up  the  lofs  on  the  clipped  money:  That  the  recom- 
pence  for  fupplying  the  deficiency  of  clipped  money  fhould 
extend  to  all  filver  coin,  though  of  a  coarfer  alloy  than  the 
ftandard:  That  the  collectors  and  receivers  of  his  maje- 
fiy's  aids  and  revenues  {hould  be  enjoined  to  receive  all 
inch  monies  ;  That  a  reward  of  five  per  cent,  fliould 
be  given  to  all  fuch  perfons  as  fhould  bring  in  either  mil 
led  or  broad  undipped,  money,  to  be  applied  in  exchange 
of  the  clipped  money  throughout  the  kingdom  :  That  a 
reward  of  three  pence  per  ounce  fhould  be  given  to  all 
perfons  who  fliould  bring  in  wrought  plate  to  the  mint  to 
be  coined:  That  perfons  might  pay  in  their  whole  next 
year's  land-tax  in  clipped  money,  at  one  convenient  time 
to  be  appointed  for  that  purpofe  :  That  commifiioners 
fhould  be  appointed  in  every  county,  to  pay  and  diilribute 
the  milled  and  board  undipped  money,  and  the  new  coin 
ed  money  in  lieu  of  that  which  was  diminifhed.  A  bill 
being  prepared  agreeably  to  thefe  determinations,  was  fent 
up  to  the  houfe  of  lords,  who  made  fome  amendments, 
which  the  commons  rejected;  but,  in  order  to  avoid  ca 
vils  and  conferences,  they  dropped  the  bill,  and  brought 
in  another,  without  the  claufes  which  the  lords  had  in- 
fertcd.  They  were  again  propofed  in  the  upper  houfe, 


208  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  and  over-ruled  by   the  majority;  and  on  the   2ift   day  of 
January,  the  bill  received    the  royal  afTenr,  as  did  another 

'"•""Y"'^  bill,  enlarging  the  time  for  purchafing  annuities,  and  con- 
l695-  tinning  the  duties  on  low  wines.  At  the  fame  time,  the 
king  paffed  the  bill  of  trials  for  high  treafon,  and  aii  act  to 
prevent  mercenary  elections.  Divers  merchants  and  tra 
ders  petitioned  the  houfe  of  commons,  that  the  lofies  in 
their  trade  and  payments,  occafioned  by  the  rife  of  guineas, 
might  be  taken  into  confideration.  A  bill  was  immedi 
ately  brought  in  for  taking  off  the  obligation  and  encou 
ragement  for  coining  guinea?,  for  a  certain  time  ;  and 
then  the  commons  proceeded' to  lower  the  value  of  this 
coin ;  a  tafk  in  which  they  met  great  oppofition  from 
fome  members,  who  alledged  that  it  would  foment  the  po 
pular  difturbances.  At  length,  however,  the  majority 
agreed,  that  a  guinea  fhould  be  lowered  from  thirty  to 
eight-and  twenty  {hillings,  and  afterwards  to  fix-and- 
twenty.  At  length  a  claufe  was  inferted  in  the  bill  for 
encouraging  people  to  bring  plate  to  the  mint,  fettling 
the  price  of  a  guinea  at  two  and  twenty  (hillings,  and  it 
naturally  funk  to  its  original  value  of  twenty  millings  and 
fix  pence.  Many  perfons,  however,  fuppofing  that  the 
price  of  gold  would  be  raifed  in  the  next  feflion,  hoarded 
up  their  guineas  ;  and,  upon  the  fame  fuppofition,  encou 
raged  by  the  malcontents,  the  new  coined  filver  money 
was  referved,  to  the  great  detriment  of  commerce.  The 
king  ordered  mints  to  be  erected  in  York,  Briftol,  Exe 
ter,  and  Chefter,  for  the  purpofe  of  the  recoinage,  which 
was  executed  with  unexpected  fuccefs  ;  fo  that,  in  lefs 
than  a  year,  the  currency  of  England,  which  had  been  the 
worft,  became  the  beft  coin  in  Europe. 

At  this  period,  the  attention  of  the  commons  was  di 
verted  to  an  object  of  a  more  private  nature.  The  earl  of 
Portland,  who  enjoyed  the  greateft  fhare  of  the  king's  fa 
vour,  had  obtained  a  grant  of  fome  lord-fhips  in  Derby- 
fhire.  While  the  \varrant  was  depending,  the  gentlemen 
of  that  county  refolved  to  oppofe  it  with  all  their  power. 
In  confequence  of  a  petition,  they  were  indulged  with  a 
hearing  by  the  lords  of  the  treafury.  Sir  William  Willi 
ams,  in  the  name  of  the  reft,  alledged,  that  the  lordfhips 
in  queftion  were  the  ancient  demefnes  of  the  prince  of 
Wales,  abfolutely  unalienable  :  That  the  revenues  of 
thofe  lordfhips  fupported  the  government  of  Wales,  in 
paying  the  judges  and  other  falaries:  That  the  grant  was 
of  too  large  an  extent  for  any  foreign  fubject ;  and  that  the 
people  of  the  county  were  too  great  to  be  fubject  to  any 
foreigner.  Sundry  other  fubitantial  reafons  were  ufed  a- 
.gainft  the  grant,  which,  notv.'ithftanding  all  their  remon- 


WILLIAM,  209 

fharsces,  Would  have  parted  through  the  offices,  had  not  CHAP, 
the  Welch  gentlemen  addrefTed  thernfelves  by  petition  to  ,  _. 
the  houfe  of  commons.  Upon  this  cccafion,  Mr.  Price,  >" 
a  member  of  the  houfe,  harangued  with  great  feverity 
againft  the  Dutch  in  general,  and  did  not  even  abftain 
from  farcafms  upon  the  kind's  perfon,  title  and  govern 
ment.  The  objections  ftarted  by  the  petitioners  being  du 
ly  confidered,  were  foui;d  fo  reasonable,  that  the  commons 
prefented  an  addrefs  to  the  king,  reprefenting,  that  thofe 
manors  had  been  ufually  annexed  to  the  principality  of 
Wales,  and  fettled  on  the  princes  of  Wales  for  their  fup- 
port:  That  many  perfons  in  thofe  parts  held  their  eftates 
by  royal  tenure,  under  great  and  valuable  compofitions, 
rents  royal  payments,  and  fervices  to  the  crown  and  prin 
ces  of  Wales  ;  and  enjoyed  great  privileges  and  advanta 
ges  under  fuch  tenure.  They,  therefore,  pefougfft  his 
majefty  to  recal  the  grant,  which  was  in  diminution  of  the 
honour  and  intereft  of  the  crown  ;  and  prayed,  that  the 
faid  manors  2nd  lands  might  not  be  alienated  without  the 
confent  of  parliament.  This  addrefs  met  with  a  cold  recep 
tion  from  the  king,  who  promifed  to  recal  the  grant  which 
had  given  fuch  offence  to  the  commons  ;  and  faid  he 
would  find  fome  other  way  of  fhewing  his  favour  to  the 
earl  of  Portland. 

The  people  in  general  entertained  a  national  averuon  to 
this  nobleman  :  The  malcontents  inculcated  a  notion  that 
he  made  ufe  of  his  intereft  and  intelligence  to  injure  the 
trade  of  England,  that  the  commerce  of  his  own  country 
might  flourish  without  competition.  To  his  fuggeftions  ' 
they  imputed  the  act  and  patent  in  favour  of  the  Scottifh 
company,  which  was  fuppofed  to  have  been  thrown  in  as 
a  bone  cf  contention  between  the  two  kingdoms.  The 
fubjeit  was  firft  ftarted  in  the  houfe  of  lords,  who  invited 
the  commons  to  a  conference;  A  committee  was  appoint 
ed  to  examine  into  the  particulars  of  the  act  for  erecting 
the  Scottifh  company;  and  the  two  houfes  prefented  a 
joint  addrefs  againft  it,  as  a  fcheme  that  would  prejudice 
all  the  fubjects  concerned  in  the  wealth  and  trade  of  the 
Engliih  nation.  They  reprefented,  thst,  in  confcquence 
of  the  exemption  from  taxes,  and  other  advantages  grant 
ed  to  th?  Scottifh  company,  that  kingdom  would  become 
a  free  port  for  ail  Eaft  and  Weft  India  commodities  :  That 
the  Scots  would  be  enabled  to  fupply  all  Europe  at  a 
cheaper  .rate  than  the  Englifh  could  afford  to  fell  their 
merchandife  for  ;  therefore,  England  would  \ofs  the  bene 
fit  cf  its  foreign  trade  ;  bv/ides,  they  obferved,  that  the 
Scots  would  fmug^le  their  commodities  into  England,  to 
the  srrcat  detriment  of  his  rnriieftv  and  his  cuftoms.  To 

VOL.  T.  2  £> 


2io  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  this  remonftrance  the  king  replied,  that  he  had  been  ill 
ferved  in  Scotland;  but  that  he  hoped  fome  remedies 
would  be  found  to  prevent  the  inconveniences  of  which 
they  were  apprehenfive.  In  all  probability  he  had  been 
impofed  upon  by  the  miniftry  of  that  kingdom ;  for,  in  a 
little  time,  he  difcarded  the  marquis  of  Tweedale,  and 
difmifTed  both  the  Scottifh  fecretaries  of  ftate,  in  lieu  of 
whom  he  appointed  Lord  Murray,  fon  to  the  marquis  of 
Athol.  Notwithflanding  the  king's  anfwer,  the  commit 
tee  proceeded  on  the  enquiry,  and,  in  confequence  of  their 
report,  confirming  a  petition  from  the  Eaft  India  company, 
the  houfe  refolved,  that  the  directors  of  the  Scottifh  com 
pany  were  guilty  of  a  high  crime  and  mifdemeanor,  in 
adminiftering  and  taking  an  oath  defideli\n  this  kingdom  ; 
and  that  they  {hould  be  impeached  for  the  fame.  Meanwhile, 
Roderick  Mackenzie,  from  whom  they  had  received  their 
chief  information,  began  to  retract  his  evidence,  and  was 
ordered  into  cuftody  ;  but  he  made  his  efcape,  and  could 
not  be  retaken,  although  the  king,  at  their  requeft,  iflued 
a  proclamation  for  that  purpofe.  The  Scots  were  ex 
tremely  incenfed  againft  the  king,  when  they  underftood 
he  had  difowned  their  company,  from  which  they  had  pro- 
mifed  themfelves  fuch  wealth  and  advantage.  The  fettle- 
ment  of  Darien  was  already  planned,  and  afterwards  put 
in  execution,  though  it  mifcarried  in  the  fequel,  and  had 
like  to  have  produced  abundance  of  mifchief. 

The  complaints  of  the  Englifh  merchants  who  had  fuf- 
fered  by  the  war  were  fo  loud  at  this  juncture,  that  the 
commons  refolved  to  take  their  cafe  into  confideration. 
The  houfe  refolved  itfelf  into  a  committee  to  confider  the 
fia'te  of  th.j  nation  with  regard  to  commerce,  and  having 
duly  weighed  all  circumftances,  agreed  to  the  following 
refolutions  :  That  a  council  of.trade  fhould  be  eftablifhed 
by  act  of  parliament,  with  powers  to  take  meafure-sfor  the 
more  effectual  prefervation  of  commerce  :  That  the  com- 
miffioners  (hould  be  nominated  by  parliament,  but  none  of 
them  have  feats  in  the  houfe :  That  they  {hould  take  an 
oath,  acknowledging  the  title  of  King  William  as  rightful 
and  lawful ;  and  abjuring  the  pretenfions  of  James,  or  any 
t?ther  perfon.  The  king  confidered  thefe  refolutions  as  an 
open  attack  upon  his  prerogative,  and  fignified  his  dif- 
pleafure  to  the  earl  of  Sunderland,  who  patronifed  this 
mcafure:  But  it  was  fo  popular  in  the  houfe,  that  in  all 
probability  it  would  have  been  put  in  execution,  had  not 
the  attention  of  the  commons  been  diverted  from  it  at  this 
period  by  the  detection  of  a  new  confpiracy.  The  friends 
of  King  James  had,  upon  the  death  of  Queen  Mary,  re 
newed  their  practices  fur  effecting  a  reiteration  of  that 


W  fl,  L  I  A  M.  211 

monarch,  on  the  fuppofition  that  the  intereft  of  William  c  H  A  i>, 
was  considerably  weakened  by  the  deceafe  of  his  confer  t.  v- 
Certain  individuals,  whofe  zeal  for  James  overfnot  their  ^*~y**J 
difcretion,  formed  a  defign  to  feize  the  perfon  of  King  l695- 
XVilliam,  and  convey  him  to  France,  or  put  him  to  death, 
in  cafe  of  refiftance.  They  had  fent  emiflaries  to  the 
court  of  St.  Germain's,  to  demand  a  commiffion  for  this 
purpofe,  which  was  refufed.  The  earl  of  Aylefbury,  Lord 
Montgomery,  fon  to  the  marquis  of  Povvis,  Sir  John  Fen- 
wick,  Sir  John  Friend,  Captain  Charnock,  Captain  Porter, 
and  one  Mr.Goodman,  were  the  firft  contrivers  of  this  pro 
ject.  Charnock,  was  detached  with  a  propofal  to  James,  that 
he  mould  procure  a  body  of  horfe  and  foot  from  France, 
to  make  a  defcent  in  England,  and  they  would  engage  not 
only  to  join  him  at  his  landing,  but  even  to  replace  him 
on  the  throne  of  England.  Thefe  offers  being  declined 
by  James,  on  pretence  that  the  French  king  could  not 
fpare  fuch  a  number  of  troops  at  that  juncture,  the  earl  of 
Aylefbury,  went  over  in  perfon,  and  was  admitted  to  a 
conference  with  Louis,  in  which  the  fcheme  of  an  inva- 
fion  was  actually  concerted.  In  the  beginning  of  Febru 
ary,  the  Duke  of  Berwick  repaired  privately  to  England, 
where  he  conferred  with  the  confpirators,  aflured  them 
that  King  James  was  ready  to  make  a  defcent  with  a  con- 
fiderable  number  of  French  forces,  diftributed  com  mi  f- 
fions,  and  gave  directions  for  providing  men,  arms,  and 
horfes,  to  join  him  at  his  arrival.  When  he  returned  to 
France,  he  found  every  thing  prepared  for  the  expedition. 
The  troops  were  drawn  down  to  the  lea -fide  :  A  g;reat 
number  of  tranfports  were  affembled  at  Dunkirk:  Mon- 
fieur  Gabaret,  had  advanced  as  far  as  Calais  with  a  fqus- 
dron  of  fhips,  which,  when  joined  by  that  of  Du  Eart  at 
Dunkirk,  was  judged  a  fufficient  convoy  ;  and  James  had 
come  as  far  as  Calais,  in  his  way  to  embark.  Meanwhile, 
the  Jacobites  in  England  were  afliduoufly  employed  in  ma 
king  preparations  for  a  revolt.  Sir  John  Friend  had  very 
near  completed  a  regiment  of  hoife.  Confiderabie  pro- 
grefs  was  made  in  levying  another  by  Sir  William  Per 
kins.  Sir  John  Fenwick,  had  enlifted  four  troops.  Co 
lonel  Tempeft,  had  undertaken  for  one  regiment  of  dra 
goons:  Colonel  Parker  was  preferred  to  the  command  of 
another:  Mr.  Curzon  was  commifiioned  for  a  third;  and 
the  malcontents  intended  to  raife  a  fourth  in  Suffolk,  where 
their  intereft  chiefly  prevailed. 

While  one  part  of  tha  Jacobites  proceeded  againfc  Wil-  A  plo^a- 
iiarr,  in  the  ufual  way  of  exciting  an  infurreclion,   another,  s^'-ft  tbe 
confining  of  the  molt  defperate  confpirators,  had  formed  a  kllis's  hre- 
fcheme  of  affirmation.     Sir  George  Barclay,  a  native  of 


212  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  Scotland,  who  had  ferved  as  ari  officer  in  tlis  army  of 
Jamts,  a  man  of  undaunted  courage,  a  furious  bigot  in  the 

^•""Y"*'-'  religion  of  Rome,  yet  clofe,  circurr.fpecl,  and  determined, 
1  55-  vvas  landed,  with  other  officers,  in  Romney-rriarih,  by  one 
Captain  Gill,  about  the  beginning  of  January,  and  is  faid 
to  have  undertaken  the  tafk  of  fuzing  or  aflaffinating  Kin* 
William.  He  imparted  his  defign  to  Harrifon,  alias  John- 
fton,  a  prieft,  Charnock,  Porter,  and  Sir  William  Perkins, 
by  whom  it  was  approved;  and  he  pretended  to  have  a 
particular  commiffion  for  the  fcrvice.  After  various  con- 
fultations,  they  refolved  to  attack  the  king  on  his  return 
fro'.*  Richmorid,  where  he  commonly  hunted  on  Saturdays; 
and  the  fcenc  of  their  intended  ambufcade  was  a  lane  be 
tween  Brentford  and  Turnham- green.  As  it  would  be 
necefTary  to  charge  and  difperfe  the  guards  that  attended 
the  coach,  they  agreed  that  their  number  fhould  be  increaf- 
ed  to  forty  horfemcn,  and  each  confpirator  began  to  encage 
proper  perfons  for  the  enterprifo.  When  their  complement 
Was  full,  they  determined  to  execute  their  purpoieonthe 
1 5th  day  or  February.  They  concerted  the  manner  in 
which  they  fhould  meet  in  fmall  pirties  without  fufpicicn, 
and  waited  with  impatience  for  the  hour  of  action.  In  this 
interval,  fame  ofthe  underling  a6kvs,fj;Z':  a  With  horror  at 
the  refk&ion  cf  what  they  had  undertaken,  or  captivated 
with  the  profpedl  of  reward,  refolved  to  prevent  the  execu 
tion  of  the  delign  by  a  timely  difcovcry.  On  the  i  ith  day  of 
February,  one  Filher  informed  the  earl  of  Portland  of  the 
fcheme,  and  named  fome  of  the  confpirators ;  but  his  ac 
count  was  imperfect.  On  the  1 3th,  however,  he  returned 
with  a  circumstantial  detail  of  all  the  particulars.  Next  day, 
the  earl  was  accoftexl  by  one  Pendergrafs,  an  Iriih  officer, 
who  told  his  lordfhip  he  had  juft  come  from  Hampihire, 
at  the  requeft  of  a  particular  friend,  and  undentood  that  he 
had  been  called  up  to  town  with  a  view  of  engaging  him  in. 
a  defign  to  affaffinate  King  William.  He  faid,  he  had  pro- 
mifcd  to  embark  in  the  undertaking,  though  he  detefled  it 
in  his  own  mind,  and  took  this  firfl  opportunity  of  revealing 
the  fccret,  which  was  of  fuch  confequence  to  his  majelly's 
life.  He  owned  himfelf  a  Roman  Catholic,  but  declared, 
that  he  did  not  think  that  any  religion  could  juftify  fuch  a 
treacherous  purpofr.  At  the  fame  time  he  obfcrved,  that 
as  he  lay  under  obligations  to  fome  of  the  confpirators,  his 
honour  and  gratitude  would  not  permit  him  to  accufe  them 
by  name ;  and  that  he  would  upon  no  confidcration  appear 
as  an  evidence.  The  king  had  been  fo  much  ufed  to  fic 
tions  plots,  and  folk  difcoveries,  that  he  paid  little  regard  to 
thefe  informations,  until  they  were  confirmed  by  the  tefd- 
iuony  of  another  confpirator,  called  La  Rue,  a  Frenchman, 


I  A  iVT.  213 

who  communicated  the  ftme  particulars  to  Brigadier  Levi-  C  H  A  P- 
fon,  without  knowing  the  kaft  circu-ndance  of  the  other  v- 
difcoverics.  Then  the  king  believed  there  w;is  fomerhing 
real  in  the  confpiracy;  and  Pendergrafs  and  La  Ri:e  were 
ijverally  examined  in  his  prefence.  Ha  thanked  r'endergrafs 
in  partcular  for  this  infiance  of  his  probity;  but  obferved 
that  it  mall  p;ove  inefFecta.J,  unlefs  he  would  difover  the 
names  of  the  confpirators ;  for,  without  knowing  who  they 
were,  he  ill  >ulu  not  be  able  to  fecure  his  lif?  againfl  their 
attempts.  At  length  Pendergrafs  was  prevailed  upon  to 
give  a  lift  of  thofj  h.:  knew,  yet  not  before  the  king  had 
Ibbnnly  promifed  that  he  {houldnot  be  u  fed  as  an  evidence 
ag.uuit  the;n,  except  with  his  own  confent.  As  the  king 
tiid  not  go  to  Richmond  on  the  day  appointed,  the  canfpira- 
tors  poftponed  the  execution  of  their  den^n  till  the  Satur- 

*  rr* 

Jay  following.  They  accordingly  met  at  uiiferent  houfts 
on  the  Friday,  when  every  man  received  his  ihftru&iotts. 
There  they  agreed,  that  after  the  perpetration  of  the  parri 
cide,  they  fnould  ride  in  a  body  as  far  as  Hammerfmith, 
and  then  difperfing,  enter  London  by  different  avenues. 
But,  on  the  morning,  when  they  undeiicoou  that  the  guards 
were  returned  to  their  quarters,  and  the  king's  cv.c'n:s 
fent  back  to  the  Mews,  they  were  feized  with  a  fuddea 
clamp,  on  the  fuppofition  that  their  plot  was  difcovered.  Sir 
George  Barclay  withdrew  himfelf,  and  every  one  began  to 
think  of  providing  for  his  own  fafety.  -Next  night,  how 
ever,  a  great  number  of  them  were  apprehended,  and  then 
the  whole  difcovery  was  communicated  to  the  privy  coun 
cil.  A  proclamation  was  Hfued  aginft  thofe  that  abfcohd- 
ed  ;  and  great  diligence  was  ufed  to  find  Sir  George  Bar 
clay,  who  was  fuppofed  to  have  a  particular  commiffion 
trom  James  for  affaflLlating  the  prince  of  Orange  :  But  he 
made  good  his  retreat,  and  it  was  never  proved  that  any 
fuch  commiffion  had  been  granted. 

This  dehgn  and  the  projected   invuflon   proved  equally 
abortive.     James    had  fcarce    reached   Calais,   when    the  £va™° o 
duke    of  Wirtemberg    difpatched  his   aid-de-camp    from  prevented 
Flanders  to  King  William,  with  an  account  of  the  purpo-  by  Admiral 
•fed  defcent.     ExprefLs  with  t'.ie  fame  tidings  arrived  from  Rttffel< 
the  elector  of  Bavaria  and  the  prince  de  Vaudemont    Tw3 
confiderabh  fquadrons  being  ready  far  fea,  Admiral  Ruiiel 
embarked  at  Spithead,  and  ftood  over  to  the  French  coail 
with  above  fifty  lail  of  the    line.      The  enemy    were    con- 
fouoded  at  his  appearance,  and  hauled  in  their  veiiels  under 
the  more,  in  fuch    Ih  illow    \vater  that  he  could  not  follow 
and  deftroy  them  :  But  he  abfolutely  ruined  their  deugn,  by 
cooping  them  up  in   their  harbours.     King    James,   after 
havin    tarried  forn?  weeks  at  C  J;.is   retarned  to  St.  G.jr- 


2H  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK    main's.     The  forces  were  fent  back  to  the  garrifons  from 
.  .    which  they  were  drafted:  The  people  of  France  exclaimed, 

'""Vs  that  the  malignant  ftar  which  ruled  the  deftiny  of  James 
had  blafted  this,  and  every  other  project  formed  for  his  re- 
ftoration.  By  means  of  the  reward  offered  in  the  procla 
mation,  the  greater  part  of  the  confpirators  were  betrayed 
or  taken.  George  Harris,  who  had  been  fent  from  Francs, 
with  orJcrs  to  obey  Sir  George  Barclay,  furrendered  him- 
felf  to  Sir  William  Trumball,  and  confefled  the  fcheme  of 
afTalB nation  in  which  he  had  been  engaged.  Porter  and 
Pendergrafs  were  apprehended  together.  This  laft  infiftcd 
upon  the  king's  promife,  that  he  fhould  not  be  compelled 
to  give  evidence:  But,  when  Porter  owned  himfelf  guilty, 
the  other  obfcrved,  he  was  no  longer  bound  to  be  filent,  as 
his  friend  had  made  a  confefEon;  and  they  were  both  admit 
ted  as  evidences  f >r  the  crown. 

After  their  examination,  the  king,  in  a  fpeech  to  both 
houfc?,  communicated  the  nature  of  the  confpiracy  againft 
his  life,  as  well  as  the  advices  he  had  received  touching 
the  invafion  :  He  explained  the  fteps  he  had  taken  to  de 
feat  the  double  defign,  and  profefTed  his  confidence  in 
their  readinefs  and  zeal  to  concur  with  him  in  every  thing 
that  fhould  appear  neceffary  for  their  common  fafety. 
That  fame  evening  the  two  houfes  waited  upon  him  at 
Kenfington,  in  a  body,  with  an  affectionate  addrefs,  by 
which  they  exprefled  their  abhorrence  of  the  villainous 
and  barbarous  defign  which  had  been  formed  againft  his 
facred  perfon,  of  which  they  befought  him  to  take  more 
than  ordinary  care.  They  afTured  him  they  would,  to 
their  utmoft,  defend  his  life  and  fupport  his  government 
r.orainft  the  late  King  James,  and  all  other  enemies  ;  and 
declared,  that,  in  cafe  his  majefty  fhould  come  to  a  vio- 
.lent  death,  they  would  revenge  it  upon  his  adverfaries 
and  their  adherents.  He  was  extremely  well  pleafed  with 
this  warm  addrefs,  and  allured  them,  in  his  turn,  he 
would  take  all  opportunities  of  recommending  himfelf  to 
the  continuance  of  their  loyalty  and  affedlion.  The  com 
mons  forthwith  empowered  him,  by  bill,  to  fecure  all 
perfons  fufpected  of  confpiring  againft  his  perfon  and  go 
vernment.  They  brought  in  another,  providing,  That  in 
cafe  of  his  majcfty's  death,  the  parliament  then  in  being 
fhould  continue  until  diflblved  by  the  next  heir  in  fuccef- 
fion  to  the  crown,  eftablilhed  by  a£t  of  parliament:  That 
if  his  majefty  fhould  chance  to  die  between  two  parlia 
ments,  that  which  had  been  taft  diflblved  fhould  imme 
diately  re-afiemble,  and  fit  for  the  difpatch  of  national  af 
fairs.  They  voted  an  addrefs,  to  defire,  That  his  majefty 
•vcuM  banifh  by  proclamation}  all  Papifls  to  the 


WILLIAM.  215 

of  ten  miles  from  the  cities  of  London  and  Weftminfter  ;  c  wA  p 
and  give  inftru&ions  to  the  judges  going  on  the  circuits, 
to   put  the   laws    in  execution   againft  Roman  Catholics 
and    Nonjurors.     They  drew   up  an  affociation,  binding 
themfelves   to  affift   each  other  in  fupport  of  the  king  and 
his  government ;  and  to  revenge  any  violence  that  fhould 
be  committed  on  his  perfon.     This  was  figned  by  all  the 
members  then  prefent :   But,  as  fome  had  abfentcd  thern- 
ielves   on  frivolous  pretences,  the  houfc  ordered,  That  hi 
fixteen  days   the  abfentees  fhould  either  fubfcribe,  or  de 
clare    their  refufal.     Several  members  neglecting  to  com 
ply   with  this  injunction    within   the   limited   time,    the 
fpeaker    was  ordered   to  write  to  thofe  who  were  in  the 
country,    and    demand   a    peremptory  anfwer  ;    and    the 
clerk  of  the   houfe  to  attend  fuch  as  pretended  to  be  ill  in 
town.     The   abfentees,  finding  themfelves  preffed  in  this 
manner,  thought  proper  to  fail  with  the  ftream,  and  ftgn 
the   affociation,  which    was  prefented  to  the   king  by  the 
commons    in   a   body,  with   a    requeft,  that    it  might  be 
lodged   among  the  records  in  the  Tower,  as  a  perpetual 
memorial  of  their  loyalty  and  affe&iofl.  The  king  receiv 
ed  them  with  uncommon  complacency ;  declared,  that  he 
heartily   entered  into  the  fame  affociation ;  that  he  fhould 
be  always  ready  to  venture  his  life  with  his  good  fubjects, 
againft  all   who  fhould  endeavour  to  fubvert  the  religion, 
1  iws,  and    liberties  of  England  ;  and   he  promifcd    that 
ibis,  and  all    other    affociations,  fhould  be  lodged  among 
the  records  in  the  Tower  of  London.  Next  clay  the  com- 
.  nions  refolved,  That  whoever  fhould  affirm  an  affociatiou 
was    illegal,  fhould   be  deemed  a  promoter  of  the  deiigns 
of  the  late  King  James,  and  an  enemy  to  the  laws  and  li 
berties  of  the  kingdom.     The  lords  followed  the  example 
of  the  lower  houfe  in  drawing  up  an  affociation  ;  but  the 
earl    of  Nottingham,    Sir    Edward    Seymour,    and    Mr. 
Finch,  objected    to   the  words  Rightful   and   Lawful,  as 
applied  to   his  majefty.     They  faid,  as  the  crown  and  its 
prerogatives  were  vefted  in  him,  they  would  yield  obedi 
ence,  though    they  could  not   acknowledge   him  as  their 
rightful   and  lawful  king.     Nothing  could  be  more  abfurd 
than  this  diftinclion,  ftarted  by  men  who  had  actually  con- 
fticuted    part   of  the  adminiftration ;  uniefs  they  fuppofed 
that  the  right  of  King  William  expired  with  Queen  Ma 
ry.     The  earl    of  Rochefter  propofed  an  expedient  in  fa 
vour    of  fuch    tender  confidences,  by  altering  the  words 
that  gave   offence ;    and   this   was   adopted    accordingly. 
Fifteen    of  the  peers,  anu  ninety-two  commoners  figned 
the   afibciation    with  reluctance.     It  was,  however,  fub- 
fcribsd    by   all  forts   of  people  in  different   parts  of  the 


2r6  HISTORY  OF   ENGLAND. 

BOOK   kingdom  ;  and  the  bifnops  drew  up  a  form  for  the  clergy, 

which   was   figned   by   a  great  majority.     The  commons 

•"V*^    brought   in    a   bill,  declaring;    all  men  incapable  of  public 

IJr>'5'       truft,  or   of  fitting  in  parliament,  who  would  not  engage 

p,nr,Tt.         in  this  uflbchtion.     At  the  fame  time,  the  council  ifTuecl 

Old  .lixon.    an    order  for  renewing   all   the  commiflions  in  England, 

Tindai         t'iat  ^lo^e  W'AO  kav'  not  ugnc^  ^  voluntarily  fhould  be  dif- 
R.i!ph.         mifTxl  from  the  fervice  as  difaffecled  perfons. 
Lives  of  the       After  thefe  warm    demonftrations  of  loyalty,  the  com- 
a  s<     mons  proceeded  upon  ways  and  means  for  railing  the  fup- 
A  new  bank  P^les*     ^  new  t*30^-  was  conftituted  as  a  fund,  upon  which 
eftablKhed.    the  fum  of  two  millions  five  hundred  and  fixty-four   thou- 
fand   pounds  fhould  be  raifcd  ;  and  it  was  called  the  Land 
Bank,  becaufe  eftablifhed  on  land  fecurities.    This  fchemc, 
faid  to  have  been  projected  by   the  famous  Doctor  Cham 
berlain,  was    patronifed    by  the   earl  of  Sunderland,   and 
managed  by  Foley  and    Harley :  So  that  it  feemed  to  be 
a  Tory  plan,  which  Sunderland  fupported,  in   order  to  re 
concile  bimfdf   to   that  party.      *  The  Bank  of  England 
petitioned  againft  this  bill,  and  were  heard  by  their  coun- 

*  The  commons  refolv;'d,  That  a  fund  redeemable  by  parliament  be  fet 
tled  in  a  national  land-bank,  to  be-raifcd  by  new  fubf;riptions  :  That  no 
perfon  be  concerned  in  both  b:nks  at  the  fanv>  time  :  That  the  duties  upon 
coals,  culm',  and  tounjge  of  fliios  be  taken  off,  from  the  ijth  day  of  March  : 
That  the  turn  of  two  millions  five  hundred  and  fixty-four  thoufand  pounds 
be  raifcd  on  this  perpetual  fund,  redeemable  by  parliament  :  That  the  new 
bank  fhould  be  reftrainsd  from  lending  money  but  upon  land  fjcurities,  or 
to  the  government  in  the  Exchequer  :  That  for  making  up  the  fund  of  in- 
tcreft  for  the  carital  (lock,  certain  duties  upon  glafs-wares,  ftone,  and  ear 
then  bottles,  granted  before  to  the  king  for  a  term  of  yeais,  he  continued  to 
r  his  rr.ajsfty,  his  heirs,  and  fucceflbrs  :  That  a  further  duty  be  laid  upon  ftonc 

and  earthen  ware,  and  another  upon  tobacco  pipes.  This  "bank  was  to  lerrl 
out  five  h  .ndred  thoufand  pounds  a  year  upon  land  fecutities,  at  ti  ree  pounds 
ten  fhiilings  per  cent,  per  annum,  and  to  ceafi  and  determine,  unlefc  the  fub- 
fcrrptien  fliould  be  full  by  the  jft  day  of  Auguft  next  enfuing. 

The  mot  remarkable  laws  enacted  in  this  feffion  were  thefe  :  An  act  for 
voiding  all  the  elections  of  parliament  men,  at  which  the  elected  had  been  at 
any  cxpsnce  in  meat,  drink  or  money,  to  procure  votes.  Another  againft 
unlawful  and  double  returns,  A  third,  for  the  mere  eafy  recovery  of  fmall 
tythes.  A  fourth,  to  prevent  marriages,  without  Ikenf.;  or  bans.  A  fifth, 
for  enabling  the  inhabitants  of  Wales  to  difpofe  of  all  their  perfonal  cftates  as 
they  fho..ld  think  fit.  This  law  was  in  bar  of  a  cufrom  that  had  pr  vailed  in 
that  country.  The  widows  and  young' r  children  claimed  a  (hare  of  the  effects, 
called  their  reafonablc  part,  although  the  effects  had  been  otScrwife  difpofrd 
of  by  will  o;  deed.  The  parliament  likewife  p*.Ted  an  act,  for  p  eventing 
the  exportation  of  wool,  ar.J  encouraging  the  importation  thereot  fro'Ti  Ireland. 
An  act  for  enccuragirg  the  linen  manufactures  of  Ireland.  An  act  for  regu 
lating  injuries.  An  act  for  encouraging  the  Greenland  tiade.  An  act  of  in 
dulgence  to  the  Quakers,  that  their  folcmn  affirmation  fhould  be  accepted 
inlteaJ  of  an  oath.  And  an  aft  for  continuing  cvrtain  other  acts  that  were 
near  exphing.  Another  bill  had  paffcd,  for  the  better  regulating  eleflions 
for  members  of  parliament,  but  the  royal  afl'ent  was  denied.  Ths  queftion 
was  put  in  the  houfe  of  com-nons,  That  whofoever  advif.d  his  mcjelty  not  to 
give  his  afi'ent  to  thf.t  bill  was  an.  enemy  to  his  country  ;  but  it  was  rejected 
by  a  gr.  ac  majority. 


WILLIAM,  217 

fel  :  But  their  rcprefentations  produced  no  effect,  and  the  CHAP- 
bill  having;  paffed  through  both  houfe?,  received  the  royal         v- 
afienr.     On  the   2jth  day  of  April  the  king    clofed  the  ^^"^ 
feflion  with  a  fliort  but  gracious    fpeech  ;    and  the  parlia 
ment  was  prorogued  to  the    i6th  day  of  June. 

Before  this    period  fome  of  the    confpir?tors  had  been  Trial  and 
brought   to  trial.     The    firft  who   fuffered    was    Robert  e*cc'lts°n 
Charnock,  one  of  the  two   fellows  of  Magdalen-college,  fpirat:ors  a. 
who  in  the  reign  of  James,   had  renounced  the  Proteftant  gainit  King 
religion  :  The  next  were  Lieutenant   King,  and   Thomas  Wllllam- 
Keys,  which  laft    had   been    formerly  a  trumpeter,    but  of 
late  fervant  to  Captain  Porter.     They   were  found   guilty 
of  high  treafon,  and  executed  at  Tyburn.     They  delivered 
papers  to  the  fheriff,   in   which  they   folemnly    declared, 
that  they  had  never  feen  or  heard  of  any  commiflion  from 
King    James   for   a/Iaffinating   the    prince   of    Orange : 
Charnock,  in  particular,   obferved,    that   he   had    received 
frequent   affurances  of  the    king's    having   rejected    fuch 
propofals  when  they  had  been  offered  ;  and  that  there  was 
no  other  commiilion  but  that  of  levying  war   in  the  ufual 
form.     Sir   John  Friend  and   Sir    William   Perkins  were 
tried  in  April.     The  firft  from  mean   beginnings    had  ac 
quired  great  wealth  and  credit,  and   always  firmly  adhered 
to  the  interefls  of  King  James.     The  other  was  likewife  a 
man  of  fortune,  violently  attached  to  the  fame   principles 
though  he  had  taken  the  oaths  to  the   prefent   government, 
as  one  of  the  fix  clerks   in    chancery.     Porter   and   Blair, 
another  evidence,  depofed,  that  Sir  John  Friend  had  been 
concerned  in  levying  men  under  a  commiflion  from    King 
James  ;  and  that  he  knew  of  the  affaflination  plot,  though 
not  engaged  in  it  as  a   perfonal    actor.     He    endeavoured 
to  invalidate  the  teftimony  of  Blair,  by  proving  him  guilty 
of  the  mod  ftiocking  ingratitude.     He  obferved,  that  both 
the  evidences  were  reputed  Papifts.     The  curate  of  Hack 
ney,  who  officiated   as   chaplain    in   the  prifoner's    houfe, 
declared  upon  oath,  that   after   the   Revolution   he  ufed  to 
pray  for  King  William  ;  and  that  he  had  often    heard  Sir 
John  Friend  fay,  that   though  he  could  not   comply  with 
the  prefent  government,  he  would  live  peaeably  under  it, 
and  never  engage  in  any  confpiracy.     Mr.  Hoadly,    father 
of  the  prefent  bifhop  of  Winchefter,   added,  that  the  pri- 
foner  was  a  good  Proteftant,   and  frequently  exprefied  his 
deteftation    of   king-killing     principles.       Friend    himfelf 
owned  he  had    been   with    fome  of  the  confpirators  at  a 
meeting  in  Leadenhall-ilreet,    but  heard  nothing    of  raif- 
ing  men,  or  any  defign  againft  the  government.     He  like 
wife  affirmed    that   a   confutation  to  levy  war  was  not 
treafon  ;  and   that  his  being  at  a  treafonable  confult  could 
VOL.. I.  2  E 


218  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  amount  to   no  more  than  a   mifprifion  of  treafon.     Lord- 
Chief- Juftice  Holt  declared,  that  although   a  bare   confpi- 

<*"''"V"sJ  racy,  or  defign  to  levy  war,  was  not  treafon  within  the 
1696.  ftatute  of  Edward  III.  yet,  if  the  defign  or  confpiracy  be 
to  kill,  or  depofe,  or  imprifon  the  king,  by  the  means  of 
levying  war,  then  the  confultation  and  confpiracy  to  levy 
war  becomes  high  treafon,  though  no  war  be  actually  le 
vied.  The  fame  inference  might  have  been  drawn  againft 
the  authors  and  inftruments  of  the  Revolution.  The 
judge's  explanation  influenced  the  jury,  who  after  fome 
deliberation  found  the  prifoner  guilty.  Next  day  Sir 
William  Perkins  was  brought  to  the  bar,  and  upon  the 
teftimony  of  Porter,  Ewebank  his  own  groom,  and  Hay- 
wood,  a  notorious  informer,  was  convicted  of  having  been 
concerned,  not  only  in  the  invafion,  but  alfo  in  the  defign 
againft  the  king's  life.  The  evidence  was  fcanty,  and 
the  prifoner  having  been  bred  to  law,  made  an  artful  and 
vigorous  defence  :  But  the  judge  acted  as  counfel  for  the 
crown;  and  the  jury  decided  by  the  hints  they  received 
from  the  bench.  He  and  Sir  John  Friend  underwent  the 
fentence  of  death,  and  fuffered  at  Tyburn  on  the  3d  day 
of  April.  Friend  protefted  before  God,  that  he  knew  of 
no  immediate  defcent  purpofed  by  King  James,  and  there 
fore  had  made  no  preparations  :  That  he  was  utterly  ig 
norant  of  the  afTaffinatron  fcheme  :  That  he  died  in  the  com 
munion  of  the  church  of  England,  and  laid  down  his  life 
ehearfully  in  the  caufe  for  which  he  fuffered.  Perkins  de 
clared,  upon  the  word  of  a  dying  man,  that  the  tenor  of 
the  king's  commiflion  which  he  faw,  was  general,  directed 
to  all  his  loving  fubjects,  to  raife  and  levy  war  againft  the 
prince  of  Orange  and  his  adherents,  and  to  feize  all  forts, 
caftles,  &c.  but  that  he  neither  faw  nor  heard  of  any  com- 
miflion  particularly  levelled  againft  the  perfon  of  the 
prince  of  Orange.  He  owned,  however,  that  he  was 
privy  to  the  defign :  But  believed  it  was  known  to 
few  or  none  but  the  immediate  undertakers.  Thefe  two 
criminals  were  in  their  laft  moments  attended  by  Collier, 
Snatt,  and  Cook,  three  Nonjuring  clergymen,  who  ab- 
folved  them  in  the  view  of  the  populace,  with  an  impofi- 
tion  of  hands :  A  public  infult  on  the  government,  which 
didnotpafs  unnoticed.  Thofe  three  clergymen  were  pre- 
fented  by  the-  grand-jury,  for  having  countenanced  the 
treafon  by  abfolving  the  traitors,  and  thereby  encouraged 
other  perfons  to  difturb  the  peace  of  the  kingdom.  An 
indictment  being  preferred  againft  them,  Cook  and  Snatt 
were  committed  to  Newgate :  But  Collier  abfconded, 
and  published  a  vindication  of  their  conduct,  in  which  he 
affirmed,  that  the  impofition  of  hands  was  the  general 
practice  of  the  primitive  church.  On  the  other  hand,  the 


W  I  L  L  I  A  M.  219 

two  metropolitants,  and  twelve  other  bifliops  fubfcribed  CHAP. 
a  declaration,  condemning  the  adrniniftration  of  abfolution  v- 
without  a  previous  coafcilion  made,  and  abhorrence  ex-  ^^y^ 
prefled  by  the  prifoners  of  the  heinous  crimes  for  which  l696- 
they  fuffered.  In  the  courfe  of  the  fame  month,  Rook- 
wojj,  Cranborne,  and  Lowick,  wers  tried  as  confpirators, 
by  a  fpecial  commiffion,  in  the  king's  bench  ;  and  con 
victed  on  the  joint  teftimony  of  Porter,  Harris,  La  Rue, 
Bertram,  Fifher,  and  Pendergrafs.  Some  favourable  cir- 
cumftances  appeared  in  the  cafe  of  Lowick.  The  proof 
of  his  having  been  concerned  in  the  defign  againft 
the  king's  life  was  very  defective:  Many  perfons  of  re 
putation  declared  he  was  an  honeft,  good-natured,  inof- 
fenfiye  man  :  And  he  himfelf  concluded  his  defence  with 
the  moft  folemn  proteftation  of  his  own  innocence. 
Great  uitsrceflion  was  made  for  his  pardon  by  fome  no 
blemen  :  But  all  their  intereft  proved  ineffeclu?!.  Cran 
borne  died  in  a  tranfport  of  indignation,  leaving  a  paper, 
which  the  government  thought  proper  to  fupprcfs.  Lo 
wick  and  Rowkwood  likcwife  delivered  declarations  to  the 
iherifF,  the  contents  of  which,  as  being  Icfs  inflammatory, 
were  allowed  to  be  publifhed.  Both  folemnly  denied  any 
knowledge  of  a  commiffion  from  King  James  toaflaflinate 
the  prince  of  Orange :  The  one  affirming,  that  he  was 
incapable  of  granting  fuch  an  order ;  and  the  other  afTert- 
ing  that  lie,  the  beft  of  kings,  had  often  reje£led  propo- 
fals  of  that  nature.  Lowick  owned  that  he  would  have 
joined  the  king  at  his  landing  :  But  declared,  he  had  ne 
ver  been  concerned  in  any  bloody  affair  during  the  whole 
courfe  of  his  life.  On  the  contrary,  he  faid,  he  had  en 
deavoured  to  prevent  bloodihed  as  much  as  lay  in  his  pow 
er  ;  and  that  he  would  not  kill  the  moft  miferable  crea 
ture  in  the  world,  even  though  fuch  an  a&  would  fave  his 
l.fe,  reftore  his  fovereign,  and  make  him  one  of  the  great- 
eft  men  in  England.  Rookwood  alledged,  he  was  enga 
ged  by  his  immediate  commander,  whom  he  thought  it 
was  his  duty  to  obey,  though  the  fervice  was  much  againft 
his  judgment  and  inclination.  He  profefled  his  abhor 
rence  of  treachery  even  to  an  enemy.  He  forgave  all  man 
kind,  even  the  prince  of  Orange,  who,  as  a  foldier,  he 
faid,  ought  to  have  confidered  his  cafe  before  he  figned 
his  death  warrant:  He  prayed  God  would  open  his  eyes, 
and  render  him  fenfible  of  the  blood  that  was  from  all 
parts  crying  againft  him,  fo  as  he  might  avert  a  heavier 
execution  than  that  which  he  now  ordered  to  be  inflicted. 
The  next  perfon  brought  to  trial,  was  Mr.  Cooke,  fon  of 
Sir  Miles  Cooke,  one  of  the  fix  clerks  in  chancery. 
Porter  and  Goodman  uepofed,  That  he  had  been  prefcnt 


HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

B  o  O  K  at  two  mectings-at  the  king's  head  tavern  in  Leadenhall-- 
ftreet,  with  the   Lords    Aylefbury   and  Montgomery,    Sir 

^"V^  William  Perkins,  Sir  John  Fenwick,  Sir  John  Friend, 
1696,  Charnock,  and  Porter.  The  evidence  of  Goodman  was 
invalidated  by  the  teftimony  of  the  landlord  and  two 
drawers  belonging  to  the  tavern,  who  fwore  that  Good 
man  was  not  there  while  the  noblemen  were  prefent. 
The  prifoner  himfelf  folemnly  protefted  that  he  was  ever 
averfe  to  the  introduction  of  foreign  forces  :  That  he  did 
not  fo  much  as  hear  of  the  intended  invafion,  until  it  be 
came  the  common  topic  of  converfation  ;  and  that  he  had 
never  feen  Goodman  at  the  king's-head.  He  declared 
his  intention  of  receiving  the  bleffed  facrament,  and  wifhed 
he  might  perifh  in  the  inftant,  if  he  now  f  poke  untruth. 
No  refpect  was  paid  to  thefe  afleverations.  The  Solicjtor- 
General  Hawles,  and  Lord-Chief- Juftice  Treby,  treated 
him  with  great  feverity  in  the  profecution  and  charge  to 
the  jury,  by  whom  he  was  capitally  convicted.  After 
his  condemnation  the  court-agents  tampered  with  him 
to  make  further  difcoveries  ;  and  after  his  fate  had  been 
protracted  by  divers  fhort  reprieves,  he  was  fent  into  ba- 
nifhment,  From  the  whole  tenor  of  thefe  difcoveries  and 
proceedings,  it  appears,  that  James  had  actually  meditated 
an  invafion  :  That  his  partifans  in  England  had  made  pre 
parations  for  joining  him  on  his  arrival  :  That  a  few 
defperadoes  of  that  faction  had  concerted  a  fcheme  againft 
the  life  of  King  William :  That  in  profecuting  the  con- 
fpirators  the  court  had  countenanced  informers  :  That  the 
judges  had  drained  the  law,  wrefted  circumftances,  and 
deviated  from  the  function  of  their  office,  to  convict  the 
prifoners  :  In  a  word,  that  the  adminiftration  had  ufed  the 
fame  arbitrary  and  unfair  practices  againft  thofe  unhap 
py  people,  which  they  themfelves  had  in  the  late 
reigns  numbered  among  the  grievances  of  the  king 
dom. 

The  warmth,  however,  manifefted-on  this  occafion,  may 
have  been  owing  to  national  refentment  of  the  purpofed  in 
vafion.  Certain  it  is,  the  two  houfes  of  parliament,  and 
the  people  in  general,  were  animated  witn  extraordinary 
indignation  againft  France  at  this  juncture.  The  lords  be- 
fought  his  rnajefty,  in  a  folemn  addrefs,  to  appoint  a  day  of 
thank fgiv ing  to  Almighty  God,  for  having  defeated  the 
barbarous  purpofe  of  his  enemies:  and  this  was  obferved 
with  uncommon  zeal  and  devotion.  Admiral  RufTel,  leav 
ing  a  fquadron  for  obfervation  on  the  French  coaft,  re 
turned  to  the  Downs  :  But  Sir  Cloudefiy  Shovel  being  pro 
perly  prepared  for  the  expedition,  fubj  :"fbd  Cr.Liis  to  another 
nt,  by  which  the  to\vn  v/ns  fet  on  £re  in  differ- 


W  I  L  L  I  A  M.  221 

rent  parts,  and  the  inhabitants  were  overwhelmed  with  con-  CHAP. 
flernation.  The  generals  of  the  allied  army  in  Flanders  v- 
refolved  to  make  Tome  immediate  retaliation  upon  the  («-rf*Y**-' 
French  for  their  unmanly  defign  upon  the  life  of  King-  i696- 
.  William,  as  they  took  it  for  granted  that  Louis  was  accef- 
fr.ry  to  the  fcheme  of  aflaflination.  That  monarch,  on  the 
iuppofmon  that  a  powerful  diverfion  would  be  made  by  the 
defcent  on  England,  had  eftablifhed  a  vaft  magazine  at  Gi- 
vet,  defigning,  when  the  allies  would  be  enfeebled  by  the 
ab  fence  of  the  Britifh  troops,  to  ftrike  fome  ftroke  of  im 
portance  early  in  the  campaign.  On  this  the  confederates 
now  determined  to  wreak  their  vengeance.  In  the  begin 
ning  of  March,  the  earl  of  Athlone  and  Monfieur  de  Coe- 
horn,  with  the  concurrence  of  the  duke  of  Holitein-Ploen, 
who  commanded  thr  allies,  fenta  itrong  detachment  of  horfe, 
drafted  from  Bruflels  and  the  neighbouring  garrifons,  to 
amufe  the  enemy  on  the  fide  of  Charleroy;  while  theyaf- 
fembled  forty  fquadrons,  thirty  battalions,  with  fifteen 
pieces  of  cannon,  and  fix  mortars,  in  the  territory  of  Namur. 
AthLne  with  part  of  this  body  inverted  Dinant,  while  Coe- 
horn,  with  the  remainder,  advanced  to  Givet.  He  forth 
with  began  to  batter  and  bombard  the  place,  which  in  three 
hours  was  on  fire,  and  by  four  in  the  afternoon  wholly  de- 
ftroyed,  with  the  great  magazine  it  contained.  Then  the 
two  generals,  joining  their  forces,  returned  to  Namur 
without  interruption.  Hitherto  the  republic  of  Venice 
had  deferred  acknowledgement  King  William;  but  now 
they  fent  an  extraordinary  embafly  for  that  purpofe,  con- 
fifting  of  Signiors  Soranzo  and  Venier,  who  arrived  in 
London,  and  on  the  firftday  of  May  had  a  public  audience, 
The  king,  on  this  occafion,  knighted  Soranzo  as  the  fenior 
ambaflador,  and  prefented  him  with  the  fword,  according  to 
cuftom.  On  that  day,  too,  William  declared  in  council, 
that  he  had  appointed  the  fame  regency  which  had  governed  William 
the  kingdom  during  his  laft  abfence  ;  and  embarking  on  fcts  out 
the  feventh  at  Margate  arrived  at  Orange-Polder  in  the  £r  ^e  . 

T  i-  IT-  1-1    A     i  r-,^i.  Lontment. 

evening,  under  convoy  of  Vice-admiral  Aylmer.  1  his  of 
ficer  had  been  ordered  to  attend  with  a  fquadron,  as  the  fa m 
ousDuBartftill  continued  at  Dunkirk,  and  fome  attempt  of 
importance  was  apprehended  from  his  enterpriiing  genius  *. 
The  French  had  taken  the  field  before  the  allied  army 
could  be  aflembled  ;  but  no  tranfa&ion  of  confequcMcj  dif- 

*  Some  promotions  were  male  before  the  king  left  England.  Grcr-g?  Ha 
milton,  third  fon  of  the  duke  of  thr.t  n%me,  was,  for  his  military  fcrvices  in 
irclanJ  and  FLinders,  creaccj  Earl  of  Orkney.  Sir  John  Low  her  vv.is  enncL>kii 
by  the  title  of  Baro.i  'Lowth^r,  and  Viicount  LrjnfJale  ;  Sir  Jjhn  Tiij;!^,:,,  i 
made  Baron  of  Hav^rfhara,  and  the  celebrated  John  Locke  app  ;i  it  J,  oacof  ;hg 
•:ojTnriiifi-3r.ers  of  Tudc  a  .id  i'la;it.uic;is. 


222  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  tinguifhed  this  campaign,  either  upon  the  Rhine  or  in  Flan- 
ders.     The  fcbeme  of  Louis  was  ftill  defenfive  on   the  fide 
of  the  Netherlands,  while  the  a£Hve  plans  of  King  William 
were  defeated  by  want  of  money.     All  the   funds  for   this 
year  proved  defective  :  The  land-bank  failed  ;  and  the  na 
tional  bank  fuftained  a  rude  fhock  in  its  credit.     The  lofs 
of  the  nation  upon  the  recoinage  amounted  to  two  millions 
two  hundred   thoufand   pounds  ;  arid  though  the    different 
mints  weie  employed   without  interruption,  they  could  not 
for  fome  months  fupply  the  circulation,  efpecially  as   great 
part  of  the  new  money  was  kept  up  by  thofe  who    received 
it  in  payment,  or  difpofed  of  it  at  an  unreafonable  advantage. 
The  French  king  having  exhaufted  the  wealth  and  patience 
of  his  fubjecls,  and   greatly  diminifhed  their  number  in  the 
courfe  of  this   war,  began  to  be  diffident  of  his  arms,   and 
employed  all  the  arts  of  private  negotiation.     While  his  mi- 
nifter   D'Avaux  preffed  the  king  of  Sweden  to  offer  his 
mediation,,  he  fcnt  Callieres  to  Holland,  with  propofals  for 
fettling  the  preliminaries  of  a  treaty.     He  took  it  for  grant 
ed,  that   as  the  Dutch  were  a  trading  people,  whofe  com 
merce    had   greatly  fuffered  in  the  war,  they  could  not  be 
averfe   to   a  pacification  ;  and  he   inftru&ed  his   emifTaries 
to  tamper  with  the  malcontents  cf  the  republic,  efpecially 
with  the  remains  of  the  Louveftein  faction,  which  had  al 
ways   oppofed  the   fchemcs   of  the  Stadtholder.     Callieres 
rnet   with  a   favourable  reception  from  the  States,  which 
began  to  treat  with  him  about  the  prelimSnaries,though  not 
without   the  confent  and   concurrence  of  King  William 
and  the  reft  of  the  allies.     Louis,  with  a  view  to  quicken 
the  effect   of  this  negotiation,  purfued  offenfive  meafures 
in    Catalonia,  where   his  general,  the   duke  de  Vendovne 
attacked   and   worded  the  Spaniards    in   their  camp  near 
Oftalrick,  though   the   action   was  not  dccifivej'  for  that 
general  was  obliged    to  retreat,  after  having  made  vigor 
ous  efforts  againft  their  intrenchments.     On  the  twentieth 
day   of  June,  Marefchal   de    Lorges   paffed    the  Rhine  at 
Philipsburgh,  and  encamped  within  a  league  of  Eppingen, 
where  the  Imperial  troops  were  obliged  to  entrench  them- 
felves,  under  the  command  of  the  prince  of  Baden,  as  they 
were  not  yet  joined  by  the  auxiliary  forces.     The  French 
genera],  after  having  faced  him  about  a  month,  thought 
proper    to  repafs   the  river.     Then  he  detached  a  body  of 
liorfe   to  Flanders,  and  cantoned    the  reft  of  his  troops  at 
Spires,  Frankendahl,  Worms,  and  Oftofen.     On  the  laft 
day    cf  Auguft,  the  prince  of  Baden  retaliated  the  infult, 
by    paffing    the  Rhine  at  Mentz  and  Cocfheim.     On  the 
t:nth  he  was  joined  by  General  Thungen,  who  comman 
ded  a  fcparata   bo-JVj  together  with  the  militia  of  Suabia 


WILLIAM.  223 

and  Franconia,  and  advanced  to  the  camp  of  the  enemy,  CHAP, 
who  had  re-affembled ;  but  they  were  ported  in  fuch  ,  ' 
a  manner,  that  he  would  not  hazard  an  attack.  Having,  "/?*** 
therefore,  cannonaded  them  for  fome  days,  fcoured  the  ad 
jacent  country  by  detached  parties,  and  taken  the  little 
ca(He  of  Wiezengen,  he  repaffed  the  river  at  Worms,  on 
the  feventh  day  of  October  :  The  French  likewife  crofled 
at  Philipsburgh,  in  hopes  of  furprifing  General  Thungen, 
who  had  taken  poft  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Strasbourg}}  ; 
but  he  retired  to  Eppingen  before  their  arrival,  and  in 
a  little  time  both  armies  were  diftributed  in  winter- 
quarters.  Peter,  the  Czar  of  Mufcovy,  carried  on  the 
fiege  of  Azoph  with  fuch  vigour,  that  the  garrifon  was 
obliged  to  capitulate,  after  the  Ruffians  had  defeated 
a  great  convoy  fent  to  its  relief.  The  court  of  Vienna 
forthwith  engaged  in  an  alliance  with  the  Mufcovite  em 
peror  j  but,  they  did  not  exert  themfelves  in  taking  ad 
vantage  of  the  difarter  which  the  Turks  had  undergone. 
The  Imperial  army,  commanded  by  the  elector  of  Saxony, 
continued  inaftive  on  the  river  Marfoch  till  the  nineteenth 
day  of  July  ;  then  they  made  a  feint  of  attacking  Temif- 
waer ;  but  they  marched  towards  Betzkerch,  in  their 
route  to  Belgrade,  on  receiving  advice  that  the  Grand 
Signor  intended  to  befiege  Titul.  On  the  twenty-firft  day 
of  Auguft,  the  two  armies  were  in  light  of  each  other. 
The  Turkifh  horfe  attacked  the  Imperialifts  in  a  plain 
near  the  river  Begue;  but  were  repulfed.  The  Germans 
next  day  made  a  fhovv  of  retreating,  in  hopes  of  drawing 
the  enemy  from  their  intrenchments.  The  ftratagem  fuc- 
ceeded.  On  the  twenty-fixth,  the  Turkifh  army  was  in 
motion.  A  detachment  of  the  Imperialifts  attacked  them 
in  flank,  as  they  inarched  through  a  wood.  A  very  def- 
perate  action  enfued,  in  wh'ch  the  Generals  Heufler  and 
Poland,  with  many  other  gallant  officeis,  loft  their  lives. 
At  length  the  Ottoman  horfe  were  routed  ;  but  the  Ger 
mans  were  fo  roughly  handled,  that  on  the  fecond  day  af 
ter  the  engagement  they  retreated  at  midnight,  arid  ths 
Turks  remained  quiet  in  their  intrenchments. 

In  Piedmont,  the  face  of  affairs  underwent  a  flrange  al 
teration.     The   Duke  of  Savoy,  who  had  for  fome  time  Duke  ef 
been  engaged   in  a   fecret  negociation   with    France,  at  Savo-Y'  ilSIX5 
length  embraced   the   offers   of  that  crown,  and  privately  treaty"*** 
figneda  feparate  treaty  of  peace  at  Loretto,  to  which  place  F-.aner. 
he  repaired  on  a  pretended  pilgrimage.    The  French  king 
engaged  to  prefent  him  with  four  millions  of  livres,  by  way 
of  reparation  for   damage  he  had  fuftained  ;  to  afiift  him 
with   a  certain   number   of  auxiliaries  againft  all  his  ene 
mies  ;  and  to  effect  a  marriage  between  the  duke  of  Burgundy 


224  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  and  the  princefs  of  Piedmont,  asfoon  as  the  parties  flioulcl  be 
,  .   marriageable.     The  treaty  was  guarantied  by  the  Pope  and 

if  the  Venetians,  who  were  extremely  defirous  of  feeing  the 
Germans  driven  out  of  Italy.  King  William  being  ap 
prized  of  this  negotiation,  communicatedthe  intelligence  to 
the  earl  of  Galway,  his  ambaffador  at  Turin,  who  expoftu- 
lated  with  the  duke  upon  his  defection ;  but  he  perfifted  in 
denying  any  fuch  correfpondence,  until  the  advance  of  the 
French  army  enabled  him  to  avow  it,  without  fearing;  the  re- 
fentment  of  the  allies  whom  he  had  abandoned.  Catinat 
marched  into  the  plains  of  Turin,  at  the  head  of  fifty  thou- 
fand  men ;  an  army  greatly  fuperior  to  the  confederates. 
Then  the  duke  imparted  to  the  minifters  of  the  allies  the 
propofals  which  France  had  made  ;  reprefented  the  fuperior 
ftrengthof  her  army;  the  danger  to  which  he  was  expofed  j 
and  finally  his  inclination  to  embrace  her  offers.  On  the  twelfth 
of  July,  a  truce  was  concluded  for  a  month,  and  afterwards 
prolonged  till  the  fifteenth  of  September.  He  wrote  to  all 
the  powers  engaged  in  the  confederacy,  except  King  Wil 
liam,  expatiating  on  the  fame  topics,  and  foliciting  their 
confenf.  Though  each  in  particular  refufed  to  concur,  he,  on 
the  twenty  third  day  of  Auguft,  figned  the  treaty  in  public, 
which  he  had  before  concluded  in  private.  The  emperor 
was  no  fooner  informed  of  his  defign,  than  he  took  every 
ftep  which  he  thought  could  divert  him  from  his  purpofe. 
He  fent  the  count  Mansfieldt  to  Turin,  with  propofals  for 
a  match  between  the  king  of  the  Romans  and  the  princefs 
of  Savoy,  as  well  as  with  offers  to  augment  his  forces  and 
his  fubfidy;  but  the  duke  had  already  fettled  his  terms  with 
France,  from  which  he  would  not  recede.  Prince  Eugene, 
though  his  ,kinfman,  expreffed  great  indignation  at  his 
conduct.  The  young  prince  de  Commercy  was  fo  pro 
voked  at  his  defection,  that  he  challenged  him  to  fingle 
combat,  and  the  duke  excepted  of  his  challenge ;  but  the 
quarrel  was  compromifed  by  the  intervention  of  friends' 
and  they  parted  in  an  amicable  manner.  He  had  conceal 
ed  the  treaty  until  he  fhould  receive  the  remaining  part  of 
the  fubfidies  due  to  him  from  the  confederates.  A  confi- 
derable  fum  had  been  remitted  from  England  to  Genoa  for 
his  ufe  ;  but  lord  Galway  no  fooner  received  intimation 
of  his  new  engagement,  than  he  put  a  ftop  t«  the  payment 
of  this  money,  which  he  employed  in  the  Milanefe,  for  the 
fubfiiknce  of  thofe  troops  that  were  in  the  Britiih  fervicc. 
King  William  was  encamped  atGemblours  when  the  duke's 
envoy  notified  thefeparate  peace  which  his  matter  had  con 
cluded  with  the  king  of  France.  Though  he  was  extremely 
chagrined  at  the  information,  he'  dilfembled  his  anger,  and 
liftened  to  the  minifter  without  the  leaft  emotion.  One  of 


W  I  L  L  I  A  M.  225 

the  conditions  of  this  treaty  was,  that  within  a  limited  time  CHAP. 
the  allies  fhould  evacuate  the  duke's  dominions,  othcrwife  v- 
they  fhould  be  expelled  by  the  joint  forces  of  France  and  (**~Y**J 
Savoy.  A  neutrality  was  offered  to  the  confederates ;  and  l69$- 
this  being  rejected,  the  contracting  powers  refolved  to  at 
tack  the  Milanefc.  Accordingly  when  the  truce  expired, 
the  duke,  as  generaliffimo  of  the  French  king,  entered  that 
duchy,  and  undertook  the  fiege  of  Valentia;  fo  that  in  one 
campaign,  he  commanded  two  contending  armies.  The 
garrifon  of  Valentia,  confifting  of  feven  thoufand  men, 
Germans,  Spaniards,  and  French  Proteftants,  made  an  ob- 
ftinate  defence;  and  the  duke  of  Savoy  profecuted  the  fiege 
with  uncommon  impetuofity.  But,  after  the  trenches  had 
been  open  for  thirteen  days,  a  courier  arrived  from  Madrid, 
with  an  account  of  his  Catholic  majefty's  having  agreed 
to  the  neutrality  for  Italy.  This  agreement  imported,  that 
there  fhould  be  a  fufpenfion  of  arms  until  a  general  peace 
could  be  effected  ;  and,  that  the  Imperial  and  French  troops 
fhould  return  to  their  refpeftive  countries.  Chriftendom 
had  well  nigh  been  embroiled  anew  by  the  death  of  John 
Sobiefki,  king  of  Poland,  who  died  at  the  age  of  feventy,  in 
the  courfe  of  this  fummcr,  after  having  furvived  his  facul 
ties  and  reputation.  As  the  crown  was  elective,  a  compe 
tition  arofe  for  the  fucceffion.  The  kingdom  was  divided 
by  factions;  and  the  different  powers  of  Europe  interefted 
themfelves  warmly  in  the  contention. 

Nothing  of  confequence  had  been  lately  achieved  by  the  Naval 
naval  force  of  England.  When  the  confpiracy  was  fjjft  tr:^f~ 
difcovered,  Sir  George  Rooke  had  received  orders  to  re 
turn  from  Cadiz ;  and  he  arrived  in  the  latter  end  of  April. 
While  he  took  his  place  at  the  board  of  admiralty,  Lord 
Berkeley  fucceeded  to  the  command  of  the  fleet;  and  in  the 
month  of  June  fet  fail  towards  Ufhant,  in  order  toirifult  the 
coaft  of  France.  He  pillaged  and  burned  the  villages  on 
the  Iflands  Grouais,  Houat,  and  Heydic  ;  made  prize  of  a- 
bout  twenty  veflels  ;  bombarded  St.  Martin's  on  the  Ifle  of 
Rhe,  and  the  town  of  Olonne,  which  was  fet  on  fire  in  fif 
teen  different  places  with  the  {hells  and  carcafles.  Though 
thefe  appear  to  have  been  enterprizes  of  fmall  import,  they 
certainly  kept  the  whole  coaft  of  France  in  perpetual  alarm. 
The  miniftry  of  that  kingdom  were  fo  much  afraid  of  in- 
vafion,  that  between  Breft  and  Goulet  they  ordered  above 
one  hundred  batteries  to  be  erected,  and  above  fixty  thou 
fand  men  were  continually  in  arms,  for  the  defence  of  the 
maritime  places.  In  the  month  of  May,  Rear-Admiral 
Benbow  failed  with  a  fmall  fquadron,  in  order  to  block  up 
Du  Bart  in  the  harbour  cf  Dunkirk  ;  but  that  famous  ad- 
venturer  found  means  to  efcape  in  a  fog,  and  fleering  to  the 
VOL.  I.  2  F 


226  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  eastward,  attacked  the  Dutch  fleet  in  the  BrJtic,  under  a 
convoy  of  five  frigates.  Thefe  laft  he  took,  together  with 

^"Y"**-'  half  the  number  ©f  the  trading  (hips;  but,  falling  in  with 
the  outward-bound  fleet,  convoyed  by  thirteen  (hips  of  the 
line,  he  was  obliged  to  burn  four  of  the  frigates,  turn  the 
fifth  adrift,  and  part  with  all  his  prizes  except  fifteen, 
which  he  carried  into  Dunkirk. 

The  parliament  of  Scotland  met  on  the  8th  day  of  Sep 
tember  ;  and  Lord  Murray,  fecretary  of  ftate,  now  earl 
of  Tullibardine,  prefided  as  king's  commiflioner.  Though 
that  kingdom  was  cxhaufted  by  the  war,  and  two  fuccef- 
five  bad  harvefts,  which  had  driven  a  great  number  of  the 
inhabitants  into  Ireland,  there  was  no  oppofition  to  the 
cpurt-meafures.  The  members  of  parliament  figned  an 
aflbciaticn  like  that  of  England.  They  granted  a  fupply 
of  one  hundred  and  twenty  thoufand  pounds  for  maintain 
ing  their  forces  by  fea  and  land.  They  pafled  an  a£t  for 
fecuring  their  religion,  lives,  and  properties,  in  cafe  his 
majefty  fhould  come  to  an  untimely  death.  By  another, 
they  obliged  all  perfons  in  public  truft  to  fign  the  aflocia- 
tion ;  and  then  the  parliament  was  adjourned  to  the  8th 
day  of  December.  The  disturbances  of  Ireland  feemcd 
now  to  be  entirely  appeafed.  Lord  Capel  dying  in  May, 
the  council,  by  virtue  of  an  a£l  pafled  in  the  reign  of 
Henry  VIII.  eledted  the  chancellor,  Sir  Charles  porter, 
to  be  lord  juftice  and  chief  governor  of  that  kingdom 
until  his  majefty's  pleafure  fhould  be  known.  The  par 
liament  met  in  June;  the  commons  expelled  Mr.  San- 
derfon,  the  only  member  of  that  houfe  who  had  refufed  to 
fign  the  aflbciation  ;  and  adjourned  to  the  4th  day  of  Au- 
guft.  By  that  time  Sir  Charles  Porter,  and  the  earls  of 
Montrath  and  Drogheda,  were  appointed  lords  juftices, 
and  fignified  the  king's  pleafure  that  they  fliould  adjourn. 
In  the  beginning  of  December  the  chancellor  died  of  an 
apoplexy. 

King  William  being  tired  of  an  inactive  campaign, 
left  the  army  under  the  command  of  the  elector  of  Bava 
ria,  and,  about  the  latter  end  of  Auguft  repaired  to  his 
palace  at  Loo,  where  he  enjoyed  his  favourite  exercife  of 
ftag-hunting.  He  vifited  the  court  of  Brandenburgh  at 

The  king     Cleves ;    conferred    with   the  States   of  Holland   at   the 

returns  to  Hague  ;  and,  embarking  for  England,  landed  at  Margate 
on  the  6th  day  of  October.  The  domeftic  oeconomy  of 
the  nation  was  extremely  perplexed  at  this  junfture, 
from  the  finking  of  public  credit,  and  the  ftagnation  that 
neccffarily  attended  a  recoinage.  Thefe  grievances  were 
with  difficulty  removed  by  the  clear  apprehenfion,  the  en- 
terpriiing  genius,  the  unfhak.cn  fortitude  of  Mr.  Monta- 


W  I  L  L  I  A  M.  227 

gue,  chancellor,  of  the  exchequer,  operating  upon   a   na-  CHAP, 
tional  fpirit  of  adventure,   which  the  monied  inter  eft   had        v- 
produced.  v-*-y-O 

,     *j 

The  king  opened  the  feffion  of  parliament  on  the  2Oth 
day  of  October,  with  a  fpeech,  importing;,  That  over-  parl-iarnon 
tures  had  been  made  for  a  negociation  ;  but  that  the  bed  ta,y  pro. 
way  of  treating  with  France  would  be  (word  in  hand,  tradings 
He,  therefore,  defired  they  would  be  expeditious  in  rail 
ing  the  fupplies  for  the  fervice  of  the  enfuing  year,  as 
well  as  for  making  good  the  funds  already  granted,  tie 
declared,  that  the  civil  lift  could  not  be  fupported  without 
their  affiftance.  He  recommended  the  miferable  condition 
of  the  French  Proteftants  to  their  companion.  He  defired 
they  would  contrive  the  bell  expedients  for  the  recovery 
of  the  national  credit.  He  obferved,  that  unanimity  and 
difpatch  were  now  more  than  ever  necefTary  for  the  ho 
nour,  fafety,  and  advantage  of  England.  The  commons 
having  taken  this  fpeech  into  confidcration,  refolved,  that 
they  would  fupport  his  majefty  and  his  government,  and 
aflifV  him  in  the  profecution  of  the  war :  That  the  flandard 
of  gold  and  filver  fhould  not  be  altered  ;  and,  that  they 
v/ould  make  good  all  parliamentary  funds.  Then  they 
prefented  an  addrefs,  in  a  very  fpirited  {train,  declaring 
that,  notwithfranding  the  blood  and  treafu re  of  which  the 
nation  had  been  drained,  the  commons  of  England  would 
not  be  diverted  from  their  firm  refolutions  of  obtaining  by 
war  a  fafe  and  honourable  peace.  They  therefore,  renew 
ed  their  affurances,  that  they  would  fupport  his  maje'ly 
againft  all  his  enemies  at  home  and  abroad.  The  houfe 
of  lords  delivered  another  to  the  fame  purpofe,  declaring, 
that  they  would  never  be  wanting  or  backward,  on  their 
parts,  in  what  mrght  be  neceflary  to  his  majefty's  honour, 
the  good  of  his  kingdoms,  and  the  quiet  of  Chriftendorh. 
The  commons,  in  the  firft  tranfports  of  their  zeal,  or 
dered  two  fbditious  pamphlets  to  be  burned  by  the  hands 
of  the  common  hangman.  They  deliberated  upon  the 
eftimates,  and  granted  above  fix  millions  for  the  fervice 
of  the  enfuing  year.  They  refolved,  that  a  fupply  fhoukl 
be  granted  for  making  good  the  deficiency  of  parliamenta 
ry  funds  ;  and  appropriated  feveral  duties  for  this  pur 
pofe. 

With  refpedt   to  the  coin,  they  brought  in   a    bill,  re-  I'arliamen 
pealing  an  act  for  taking  off  the  obligation  and  encourage-  t""v  l" 
mentofcoining  guineas    for   a   certain    time,  and  for 
portingand coining  guineas  and  half-guineas,  as  the  extra 
vagant  price  of  thofe  coins,  which  occafioned  this  act,  was 
now  fallen.     They  paffed  a  fecond  bill  for  remedying;  the 
ill  ftate  of  the  coin;  and  a  third,  explaining  an  act  in  the 


HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  preceding  feffion,  for  laying  duties  on  low  wines  and  fpi- 
rits  of  the  firft  extraction,     in  order  to  raife  the  fupplies 

^"Y^  of  the  year,  they  refolved  to  tax  all  perfons  according  to 
1696.  tne  true  valu^  of  their  real  and  perfonal  eftates,  their  ftock 
upon  land  and  in  trade,  their  income  by  offices,  penfions, 
and  profeflions.  A  duty  of  one  penny  per  week,  for  one 
year,  was  laid  upon  all  perfons  not  receiving  alms.  A. 
further  impoii tion  of  one  farthing  in  the  pound  per  week 
was  fixed  upon  all  fervants  receiving  four  pounds  per  an 
num,  as  wages,  and  upwards,  to  eight  pounds  a-year  in- 
clufive.  Thofe  who  received  from  eight  to  fixteen 
pounds  were  taxed  at  one  halfpenny  per  pound.  An  aid 
of  three  (hillings  in  the  pound  for  one  year  was  laid  upon 
all  lands,  tenements,  and  hereditaments,  according  to 
their  true  value.  Without  fpecifying  the  particulars  of 
thofe  impofitions,  we  fhall  only  obferve,  that  in  the  gene 
ral  charge,  the  commons  did  not  exempt  one  member  of 
the  commonwealth  that  could  be  fuppofed  able  to  bear  any 
part  of  the  burden.  Provifion  was  made,  that  hammered 
money  fhould  be  received  in  payment  of  duties,  at  the  rate 
of  five  {hillings  and  eight  pence  per  ounce.  All  the  defici 
encies  on  annuities  and  monies  borrowed  on  the  credit  of 
the  exchequer  were  transferred  to  this  aid.  The  treafury 
was  enabled  to  borrow  a  million  and  a  half  at  eight  per 
cent,  and  to  circulate  exchequer  bills  to  the  amount  of  as 
much  more.  To  cancel  thefe  debts,  the  furplus  of  all  the 
fupplies,  except  the  three  fhillings  aid,  was  appropriated. 
The  commons  voted  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  thou- 
fand  pounds  for  making  good  the  deficiency  in  recoining 
the  hammered  money,  and  the  recompence  for  bringing 
in  plate  to  the  mint.  This  fum  was  raifed  by  tax  or  duty 
upon  wrought-plate,  paper,  p?.fte-board,  vellum,  and 
parchment,  made  or  imported.  Taking  into  confidera- 
tion  the  fervices,  and  the  prefent  languifhing  ftate  of  the 
bank,  whofe  notes  were  at  twenty  per  cent,  difcount, 
they  refolved,  That  it  mould  be  enlarged  by  new  fub- 
fcriptions,  made  by  four-fifths  in  tallies  (truck  on  parlia 
mentary  funds,  and  one-fifth  in  bank-bills  or  notes :  That 
effectual  provifion  (hould  be  made  by  parliament,  for  pay 
ing  the  principal  of  all  fuch  tallies  as  (hould  be  fubfcribed 
into  the  bank,  out  of  the  funds  agreed  to  be  continued : 
That  an  intereft  of  eight  per  cent,  mould  be  allowed  on 
sll  1'ich  tallies:  And,  that  the  continuance  of  the  bank 
fhould  be  prolonged  to  the  firft  day  of  Auguft,  in  the  year 
one  thoufand  feven  hundred  and  ten :  That  all  alignments 
of  orders  on  tallies  fubfcribed  into  the  bank  mould  be  re- 
gift.'  red  in  th~  exchequer :  That,  before  the  day  mould  be 
fixtd  for  the  beginning  of  the  new  fubfcriptions,  the  old 


WILLIAM. 

Ihould  be  made  one  hundred  per  cent,  and  what  might  CHAP. 
eX'~  ^ed  that  value  fhould  be  divided  among  the  old  mem-  v- 
bers :  That  ill  the  intereft  due  on  tliofc  tallies  which 
n  ;^hr  b  •  fubfcribed  into  the  bank-flock,  at  the  time  ap- 
po  ;ted  K  :  fubfc,  ipiion?,  to  the  end  of  the  laft  preceding 
Q-J  ter  o;.  e.'ch  tally,  ihould  be  allowed  as  principal: 
That  liberty  .]•  uld  be  t.iven  by  p-irli.r-,  .nt  to  enlarge  the 
number  of  bank-biljs,  ta  the  value  of  the  f.im  that  ihould 
b-j  fo  iublc;  ibed,  over  ,;nd  above  the  tv/elv -  hurJ: •'.•'.!  thou- 
land  pounds  j  provided  they  fhould  be  obliged  to  ahfvver 
fiich  bills  and  de-rands,  and  to  default  thereof,  be  anf\\\v  .1 
by  the  exchequer,  out  of  the  firft  money  due  to  th^-m  : 
That  no  other  bank  fhouldbe  erected  or  allowed  by  a£  of 
parliament,  during  the  continuance  of  the  bank  of  Eng 
land:  That  this  fhould  be  exempted  from  all  tax  or  tmpo- 
iltion :  That  no  a£t  of  the  corporation  fhould  forfeit  the 
particular  intereft  of  any  perfon  concerned  therein:  That 
provilion  fhould  be  made  to  prevent  the  officers  of  the  ex 
chequer,  and  all  other  officers  and  receivers  of  the  re 
venue,  from  diverting,  delaying,  or  obftrucling  the  courfe 
of  payments  to  the  bank:  That  care  fhould  be  taken  to 
prevent  the  altering,  counterfeiting,  or  forging  any  bank- 
bills  or  notes  :  That  the  eftate  and  intereft  of  each  mem 
ber  in  the  ilock  of  the  corporation  fhould  be  made  a  pcr- 
fonal  cftate  :  That  no  contract  made  for  any  bank-flock, 
to  be  bought  or  fold,  fhould  be  valued  in  lav/  or  equity, 
unlefs  actually  regiftered  in  the  bank-books  within  feven 
days,  and  actually  transferred  within  fourteen  dr.ys  after 
the  contract  fhould  be  made.  A  bill  upon  thefe  refolutions 
was  brought  in,  under  the  direction  of  the  chancellor  of 
the  exchequer.  It  related  to  the  continuation  of  tonnage 
and  poundag*  upon  wine,  vinegar,  and  tobacco ;  and 
comprehended  a  claufe  for  laying  an  additional  duty  upon 
fair,  for  two  years  and  three  quarters.  All  the  feveral 
branches  conftituted  a  general  fund,  fince  known  by  the 
name  of  the  General  Mortgage,  without  prejudice  to  their 
former  appropriations.  The  bill  alfo  provided,  That  the 
tallies  fhould  bear  eight  per  cent,  intereft  :  That  from  the 
loth  of  June,  for  five  years,  they  ihould  bear  no  more 
than  fix  per  cent,  intereft  ;  and,  that  no  premium  or  o'if- 
count  upon  them  fhould  be  taken.  In  cafe  of  the  genera! 
fund's  proving  infufficient  to  pay  the  whole  intereft,  it 
was  provided,  That  every  proprietor  fnould  receive  hi> 
proportion  of  the  produdc,  and  the  dificienC] 
good  from  the  next  aid  :  But,  fhould  th ^  fund  prociuc  • 
more  than  the  intereft,  the  furplus  was  deftlncd  tooper 
as  a  Hnking  fund  for  the  difchsrgc:  of  the  principal.  '.  ,\ 
«rder  to  make  up  a  deficiency  of  above  eidit  Iv.nurjJ 


230  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  thoufand    pounds,  occafioned   by    the  failure  of  the  land- 
bank,  additional  duties  were  laid  upon  leather:  The  time 
"•7*1     was  enlarged  for  perfons  to  come  in  and  purchafe  the  an 
nuities  payable  byfeveral  former  afts,  and  to  obtain  more 
certain  intereft  in  fuch  annuities. 

Never  were  more  vigorous    meafures  taken  to  fupport 
the  credit  of  the  government ;  and  never  was  the  govern 
ment  ferved  by  fuch    a  fet  of  enterprifmg   undertakers. 
The   commons  having  received  a  meffage  from  the  king, 
touching  the  condition  of  the  civil   lift  refolved,  That  a 
fum   not    exceeding   five   hundred    and    fifteen    tlioufand 
pounds  fhould  be  granted  for  the   fupport  of  the  civil  lift 
for  the  enfuing  year,  to  be  raifed  by  a  malt-tax,  and  addi 
tional  duties  upon  mum,  fweets,  cyder,  and  perry.     They 
likewife  refolved,  That  an  additional    aid  of  one  fhilling 
in  the  pound  fhould    be   laid  upon  land,  as  an  equivalent 
for  the  duty  of  ten  per  cent,  upon  mixed  goods.     Provi- 
lion  was  made  for  raifing  one  million  four  hundred  thou 
fand    pounds   by  a  lottery.     The  treafury  was  empowered 
to  iffue  an  additional  number   of  exchequer  bills,  to   the 
amount  of  twelve  hundred  thoufand  pounds,  every  hundred 
pounds  bearing  intereft  at  the  rate  of  five-pence  a  day,  and 
ten  per  cent,  for    circulation  :  Finally,  in   order  to  liqui 
date    the   tranfport-debt,  which  the  funds    eftablifhed  for 
that  purpofe  had  not  been  fufficient  to  defray,  a  money-bill 
was  brought  in,  to  oblige  pedlars  and  hawkers  to  take  out 
licenfes,  and  pay  for  them  at  certain  ftated  prices.     One 
cannot  without  aftonifhment   reflect  upon  the    prodigious 
efforts    that   were   made   upon  this    occafion,  or  confider 
without  indignation  the  enormous  fortunes  that  v/ere  raifed 
up  by  ufurers  and    extortioners  from  the  diftrcfies  of  their 
country.     The    nation   did  not  feem   to    know  its   own 
ftrength,  until  it  was  put  to  this  extraordinary  trial ;  and 
the  experiment  of  mortgaging  funds    fucceeded  fo   well, 
that  later  minifters  have  proceeded  in  the  fame  fyftem,  im- 
pofmg  burden  upon  burden,  as  if  they  thought  the  finews 
Sir  John       °f tne  nation  could  never  be  overftrained. 
Fenwkk          The  public  credit  being  thus  bolftered  up  by  the  fmgu- 
Toff Jn    3ar  ad(irefs  of  Mr-  Montague,  and  the  bills  parted  for  the 
cbn"ofUbe-~  fupplies  of  the  enfuing  year,  the  attention  of  the  commons 
ing  con-      was  transferred  to  the  cafe  of  Sir  John  Fenwick,  who  had 
the^fotl     keen  apprehended  in  the  month  of  June  at  New  Rcmney, 
gamftThe"    'in  n's  way  to    France.     He  had,  when   taken    written  a 
king.  letter  to  his  lady  by  one  Webber,  who  accompanied  him  ; 

but  this  man  being  feized,  the  letter  was  found,  contain 
ing  fuch  a  confeffion  as  plainly  evinced  him  guilty.  Ke 
then  entered  into  a  treaty  with  the  court  for  turning  evi 
dence,  and  delivered  a  long  information  in  writing,  which 


WILLIAM.  231 

was  fent  abroad  to  his  majefty.  He  made  no  difcoveries  CHAP. 
that  could  injure  any  of  the  Jacobites,  who,  by  his  account  v- 
and  other  concurring  teftimonies,  appeared  to  be  divided  ^V^^ 
into  two  parties,  known  by  the  names  of  Compounders  l69s- 
and  Noncompounders.  The  firft,  headed  by  the  earl  of 
Middleton,  infifted  upon  receiving  fecurity  from  King 
James,  that  the  religion  and  liberties  of  England  fhould 
be  preferved  :  Whereas,  the  other  party,  at  the  head  of 
which  was  the  earl  of  Melfort,  refolved  to  bring  him  in 
without  conditions,  relying  upon  his  own  honour  and 
generofity.  King  William  having  fent  over  an  order  for 
bringing  Fcnwick  to  trial,  unlefs  he  fliould  make  more 
material  difcoveries,  the  prifoner,  with  a  view  to  amufe 
the  miniftry,  until  he  could  take  other  meafures  for  his 
own  fafety,  accufed  the  earls  of  Shrewfbury,  Marlborough, 
and  Bath,  the  lord  Godolphin,  and  Admiral  Ruflel,  of 
having  made  their  peace  with  King  James,  and  engaged 
to  a£t  for  his  intereft.  Mean  while  his  lady  and  relations 
tampered  with  the  two  witnefles,  Porter  and  Goodman. 
The  firft  of  thefe  difcovered  thofe  practices  to  the  govern 
ment  :  and  one  Glancey,  who  acled  as  agent  for  lady 
Fenwick,  was  tried,  convicted  of  fubornation,  fined,  and 
fet  in  the  pillory  :  But  they  had  fucceeded  better  in  their 
attempts  upon  Goodman,  who  difappeared  ;  fo  that  one 
witnefs  only  remained,  and  Fenwick  began  to  think  his 
life  was  out  of  danger.  Admiral  Ruffel  acquainted  the 
houfe  of  commons,  that  he  and  feveral  perfons  of  quality 
had  been  reflected  upon  in  fome  informations  of  Sir  John 
Fenwick  :  He,  therefore,  defired  that  he  might  have  an 
opportunity  to  juftify  his  own  character.  Mr.  Secretary 
Trumball,  produced  the  papers,  which  having  been  read, 
the  commons  ordered,  That  Sir  John  Fenwick  fhould  be 
brought  to  the  bar  of  the  houfe.  There  he  was  exhorted 
by  the  fpeaker  to  make  an  ample  difcovery;  which,  how 
ever,  he  declined,  except  with  the  provifo,  that  he  fhould 
firft  receive  fome  fecurity,  that  what  he  might  fay  fhould 
not  prejudice  himfelf.  He  was  ordered  to  withdraw,  until 
they  fhould  have  deliberated  on  his  requeft.  Then  he 
was  called  in  again,  and  the  fpeaker  told  him,  he  might  de- 
ferve  the  favour  of  the  houfe,  by  making  a  full  difcovery. 
He  defired  he  might  be  indulged  with  a  little  time  to  re 
collect  himfelf,  and  promifed  to  obey  the  command  of  the 
houfe.  This  favour  being;  denied,  he  again  infifted  upon 
having  fecurity;  which  they  refufing  to  grant,  he  chofe  to 
be  filent,  and  was  difmified  from  the  bar.  The  houfe 
voted,  That  his  informations,  reflecting  upon  the  fidelity 
of  feveral  noblemen,  members  of  the  houfe,  2nd  others 
upon  hearfay,  were  falfe  and  fcandalous,  contrived  to  un-  , 


232.  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  derrninc   the    government,  and  create  jealoufies   between 
the  king  and  his  fubjecls,  in  order  to  llifle  the  co::fpiracy. 
A  motion   being  made   for  lc.;vc  to   brine  in  a  bill   to 

B  .     o  o 

attaint  him  of  high  treaton,  a  warm  debate  eufued,  and  the 
queftion  being  put.,  was  carried  in  the  affirmative  by  a 
great  majority.  He  was  furnifhed  wiih  a  copy  of  the 
bill,  and  allowed  the  ufc  of  pen,  ink,  paper,  and  counfel. 
When  he  prefented  a  petition,  praying  that  his  counfel 
might  be  heard  againft  pafling  the  bill,  they  made  an  order, 
that  his  counfel  might  be  allowed  to  make  his  defence  at 
the  bar  of  thehoufe:  So  that  he  was  furprifed  into  an 
irregular  trial,  inftead  of  being  indulged  with  an  opportu 
nity  of  offering  objections  to  their  patting  the  bill  of  at 
tainder.  He  was  accordingly  brought  to  the  bar  of  the 
houfe  ;  and  the  bill  being  read  in  his  hearing,  the  fpeaker 
called  upon  the  king's  counfel  to  open  the  evidence.  The 
prifoner's  counfel  objected  to  their  proceeding  to  tri£l> 
alledging,  that  their  client  had  not  received  the  leaft  no 
tice  of  their  purpofe,  and  therefore  could  not  be  prepared 
for  his  defence ;  but  that  they  came  to  offer  their  reafons 
againft  the  bill.  The  houfe,  after  a  long  debate,  refolved, 
That  he  fhculd  be  allowed  further  time  to  produce  wit- 
nefies  in  his  defence :  That  the  counfel  for  the  king  ihould 
like  wife  be  allowed  to  produce  evidence  to  prove  the 
the  t reafons  of  which  he  flood  indicted  ;  and  rn  order 
was  made  for  his  being  brought  to  the  bar  ac;-.in  in  three 
days.  In  purfuance  of  this  order  he  appeared,  when  the 
indictment  which  had  been  found  agamir,  him  by  the 
grand  jury  was  produced  ;  and  Porter  was  examined  r.s 
evidence.  Then  the  record  of  Clunccy's  conviction  was 
read;  and  one  Roe  teftified,  that  Digh ton,  the  prifoner's 
folicitor,  hud  offered  him  an  annuity  of  one  hundred  pounds, 
to  clifcredit  the  teftimony  of  Goodman.  The  king's 
counfel  moved,  that  Goodman's  examination,  as  taken  by 
Mr.  Vernon,  clerk  of  the  council,  might  be  read.  Sir 
J.  Powis  and  Sir  Bartholomew  Shower,  the  prifoner's 
counfel,  warmly  oppofed  this  propofal  :  They  affirmed, 
that  a  depofition  taken  when  the  party  affected  by  h  was 
not  prcfent  to  crofs-examine  the  depcfer,  could  not  be  ad 
mitted  in  a  cafe  of  five  (hillings  value :  That  though  the 
houfe  was  not  bound  by  the  rules  of  inferior  courts,  it  was 
neverthelefs  bound  by  the  eternal  and  unalterable  rules  of 
juftiee  :  That  no  evidence,  according  to  the  rules  of  law, 
could  be  admitted  in  fuch  a  cafe,  but  that  of  living  wit- 
nefles;  and  that  the  examination  of  a  perfon  xvho  is  ab- 
fent  was  never  read  to  fupply  his  teftirriony.  The  dif- 
pute  between  the  lawyers  on  this  fubjeft  gave  rife  to  a 
very  violent  debate  among  the  members  of  the  houfc. 


W  I  L  L  I  A  M.  233 

Sir  EdvvaiJ  Seymour,  Sir  Richard  Temple,  Mr.  Harlty,  CHAP. 
Mr.  Harcourt,  Mr.  Manly,  Sir  Chriitopher  Mufgrave, 
and  all  the  leaders  of  the  Tory  party,  argued  againfl  the  ^T^T 
hardmip  and  injufticc  of  admitting  this  information  as  an 
evidence.  They  dernonftrated,  that  it  would  be  a  ftep 
contrary  to  the  practice  of  all  courts  of  judicature,  repug- 
nint  to  the  common  notions  of  juftice  and  humanity,  dia 
metrically  oppofite  to  the  laft  a<5t  for  regulating  trials  in 
cafes  of  high  trcafon,  and  cf  dangerous  confequences  to 
the  lives  and  liberties  of  the  people.  On  the  other  hand, 
Lord  Cults,  Sir  Thomas  Lyttleton,  Mr.  Montagu,  Mr. 
Smith  or  the  treafury,  and  Trevor,  the  attorney-general, 
affirmed,  that  the  houfe  was  not  bound  by  any  form  of  law 
whatfoever :  That  this  was  an  extraordinary  cafe,  in  which 
the  fafety  of  the  government  was  deeply  concerned  :  That 
though  the  common  law  might  require  two  evidences  in 
cafes  of  treafon,  the  houfe  had  a  power  of  deviating  from 
thofe  rules  in  extraordinary  cafes :  Thst  there  was  no 
doubt  of  Sir  John  Fenwick's  being  concerned  in  the 
conspiracy :  That  he  or  his  friends  had  tampered  with 
Potter;  and  that  there  were  ft r on g  preemptions  to  be 
lieve  the  fame  practices  had  induced  Goodman  to  abfcond. 
In  a  word,  the  Tories,  either  from  party  or  patriotiim, 
ftrenuoufly  afierted  the  caufe  of  liberty  and  humanity,  by 
thofe  very  arguments  which  had  been  ufed  againft  them  in 
the  former  reigns  ;  while  the  Whigs,  with  equal  violence 
and  more  fucccfs,  efpoufed  the  dictates  of  arbitrary  power 
and  oppreffion,  in  the  face  of  their  former  principles, 
with  which  they  were  now  upbraided.  At  length  the 
queftion  was  put,  Whether  or  not  the  information  of 
Goodman  fhould  be  read  ?  and  was  carried  in  the  affir 
mative  by  a  majority  of  feventy-three  voices.  Then  two 
of  the  grand  jury  who  had  found  the  indictment,  recited 
the  evidence  which  had  been  given  to  them  by  Porter  and 
Goodman.  Laftly,  The  kind's  counfel  infifted  upon  pro 
ducing  the  record  of  Cooke's  conviction,  as  he  had  been 
tried  for  the  fame  xronfpiracy.  The  prifoner's  counfel  ob 
jected,  That  if  fuch  evidence  was  admitted,  the  trial  of 
one  perfon  in  the  fame  company  would  be  the  trial  of  all; 
and  it  could  not  be  expected  that  they  who  came  to  defend 
Sir  John  Fenwick  only,  fhould  be  prepared  to  anfwer  the 
charge  againft  Cooke.  This  article  produced  another 
vch.'.-nent  debate  among  the  members;  and  the  Whigs 
obtained  a  fecond  victory.  The  record  was  read,  and  the 
king's  counfel  proceeded  to  call  on  fome  of  the  jury  who 
ferved  on  Cooke's  trial,  to  aflirm  that  he  had  been  con 
victed  on  Goodman's  evidence.  Sir  Bartholomew  Show 
er  faid,  he  would  fubmit  it  to  the  confederation  of  the 
VOL.  I.  2  G 


234  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  hoiif?,    Whether  it  was  juft   that  the  evidence  againft  one 
perfon  fhould  conclude  againft    another   ftanding  at  a  dif- 

^-">"Y">*-'  fcrent  bar,  in  defence  of  his  life  ?  The  parties  were  again 
16564  ordered  to  withdraw  ;  and  from  this  point  arofe  a  third 
debate,  which  ended,  as  the  two  former,  to  the  di  fad  van 
tage  of  the  prifoner.  The  jury  being  examined,  Mr. 
Sergeant  Gould  moved,  That  Mr.  Vernon  might  be  de- 
fired  to  produce  the  intercepted  letter  from  Sir  John 
Fenwick  to  his  lady.  The  prifoner's  counfcl  warmly  op- 
pofed  this  motion,  infifting  upon  their  proving-  it  to  be 
his  hard  writing  before  it  could  be  ufed  againft  him  ;  and 
no  further  ftrefs  was  laid  on  this  evidence.  When  they 
were  called  upon  to  enter  on  his  defence,  they  plead 
ed  incapacity  to  deliver  matters  of  fuch  importance 
after  they  had  been  fatigued  with  twelve  hours  at 
tendance. 

The  houfe  refolved  to  hear  fuch  evidence  as  the  prifoner 
had  to  produce  that  night.  His  counfel  declared,  that  they 
had  nothing  then  to  produce  but  the  copy  of  a  record  ; 
and  the  fecond  refolution  was,  that  he  fhould  be  brought 
up  again  next  day  at  noon.  He  accordingly  appeared  at 
the  bar,  and  Sir  J.  Powis  proceeded  on  his  defence.  Ke 
obferved,  that  the  bill  under  ccnfideration  afFe&ed  the  lives 
of  the  fubjecls  :  and  fuch  precedents  were  dangerous: 
That  Sir  John  Fenwick  was  forthcoming,  in  order  to  be 
tried  by  the  ordinary  methods  of  juftice  :  That  he  was  ac 
tually  under  proccfs,  had  pleaded,  and  was  ready  to  ftand 
trial  :  That  if  there  was  fufficient  clear  evidence  againft 
him,  as  the  king's  fergeant  had  declared,  there  was  no 
reafon  for  his  being  deprived  of  the  benefit  of  fuch  a  trial 
as  was  the  birth-right  of  every  Britifh  fubjecl: ;  and  if 
there  was  a  deficiency  of  legal  evidence,  he  thought  this 
was  a  very  odd  reafon  for  the  bill.  He  took  notice  that 
even  the  regicides  had  the  benefit  of  fuch  a  trial :  That 
the  laft  acT:  for  regulating  trials  in  cafes  of  treafon  proved 
the  great  teriderncfs  of  the  laws  which  affected  the  life  of 
the  fubject  ;  and  he  exprefled  his  furprife  that  the  very 
parliament  which  had  parted  the  law,  fhould  enacSt  another 
for  putting  a  perfon  to  death  without  any  trial  at  all.  He 
admitted  that  there  had  been  many  bills  of  attainder,  but 
they  were  generally  levelled  at  outlaws  and  fugitives  ;  and 
fome  of  them  had  been  reverfed  in  the  fequel,  as  arbitrary 
and  unjuft.  He  urged,  that  this  bill  of  attainder  did  not 
alledge  or  lay,  that  Sir  John  Fenwick  was  guilty  of  the 
treafon  for  which  he  had  been  indicted;  a  circumftance 
which  prevented  him  from  producing  witnefies  to  that  and 
feveral  matters  upon  which  the  king's  counfel  had  expa 
tiated.  He  &id,  they  had  introduced  evidence  to  prove 


W  I  L  L  I  A  M.  235 

<;Jrcumflances  not  ailedged  in  the  bill,  and  defective  evi-  CHAP. 
dence  of  thofe  that  were :  That  Porter  was  not  examined  v- 
upon  oath  :  That  nothing  could  be  more  fevere  than  to 
pifs  fentence  of  death  upon  a  man,  corrupt  his  blood,  and 
confifcate  his  eftate,  upon  parole  evidence  ;  cfpecially  of 
fuch  a  wretch,  who  by  his  own  confeflion,  had  been  enga 
ged  in  a  crime  of  the  blackelt  nature,  not  a  convert  to  the 
dictates  of  confcience,  but  a  coward,  fhrinking  to  the  dan 
ger  by  which  he  had  been  environed,  and  even  now  drudg 
ing  for  a  pardon.  He  invalidated  the  evidence  of  Good 
man's  examination.  He  obferved,  that  the  indictment 
mentioned  a  confpiracy  to  call  in  a  foreign  power ;  but,  as 
this  confpiracy  had  not  been  put  in  practice,  fuch  an  a- 
greement  was  not  a  fufficient  overt-act  of  treafon,  accord 
ing  to  the  opinion  of  Hawles,  the  folicitor-general,  con 
cerned  a  book  of  remarks,  which  that  lawyer  had  publifh  - 
ed  on  the  cafes  of  Lord  Ruflel,  Colonel  Sidney,  and  others 
who  had  fuffered  death  in  the  reign  of  Charles  II.  This 
author  (faid  he)  takes  notice,  that  a  confpiracy  or  agree 
ment  to  levy  war,  is  not  treafon  without  actually  levying 
v/ar  ;  a  fcntiment  in  which  he  concurred  with  Lord  Coke, 
and  Lord  Chief  Juftice  Hales.  He  concluded  with  fay 
ing,  "  We  know  at  prefent  on  what  ground  we  ftand  ; 
"  by  the  ftatute  of  Edward  III.  we  know  what  treafon  is  ; 
"  by  the  two  ftatutes  of  Edward  VI.  and  the  late  act,  we 
"  know  what  is  proof  by  the  magna  charta  we  know  we 
u  are  to  be  tried  per  legem  terrce  &  per  judicium 
"  partum,  by  the  lav/  of  the  land  and  the  judgment  of  our 
"  peers;  but,  if  bills  of  attainder  come  into  fifhion,  we 
u  ihall  neither  know  what  is  treafon,  what  is  evidence,  nor 
"  how,  nor  where  we  are  to  be  tried." — He  was  feconded 
by  Sir  Bartholomew  Shower,  who  fpoke  with  equal  energy 
and  elocution ;  and  their  arguments  were  anfwered  by  the 
king's  counfel.  The  arguments  in  favour  of  the  bill,  im 
ported,  that  the  parliament  would  not  interpofa  except  in 
extraordinary  cafes  :  That  here  the  evidence  neceff,;ry  in 
inferior  courts  being  defective,  the  parliament,  which  was 
not  tied  down  by  legal  evidence,  had  a  right  to  exert  their 
extraordinary  power  in  punifhing  an  offender,  who  would 
othervvife  efcape  with  impunity  :  That  as  the  law  flood, 
he  was  but  a  forry  politician  that  could  not  ruin  the  go 
vernment,  and  yet  elude  the  ftatute  of  treafon  :  That  if  a 
plot,  after  being  difcovered,  fhould  not  be  thoroughly  pro- 
lecuted,  it  would  frrengthen  and  grow  upon  the  adminif- 
tration,  and  probably  at  length  fubvert  the  government: 
That  it  was  notorious  that  parties  were  forming  for  King 
James  ;  perfons  were  plotting  in  every  part  of  the  king 
dom,  and  an  open  invafion  was  threatened;  therefore,  this 


236  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  was  a  proper  time  for  the  parliament  to  exert  their  extra 
ordinary  power:  That  the  Englifh  differed  from  all  other 
^"V^  nations,  in  bringing  the  witneffes  and  the  prifoner  face  to 
1696.  face^  ancj  requiring  two  witnefies  in  cafes  of  treafon  ;  nor 
did  the  Englifh  law  itfelf  require  the  fame  proof  in  fome 
cafes,  -as  in  others  ;  for  one  witnefs  was  fufHcient  in  felony, 
as  well  as  for  the  treafon  of  coining  :  That  Fenwick  was 
notorioufly  guilty,  and  deferved  to  feel  the  refentment  of 
the  nation  :  That  he  would  have  been  brought  to  exem 
plary  punifhment  in  the  ordinary  courfe  of  jufHce,  had  he 
not  eluded  it,  by  corrupting  evidence,  and  withdrawing  a 
witnefs.  If  this  reafoning  be  juft,  the  houie  of  commons 
has  a  right  to  aft  in  diametrical  oppofition  to  the  laws  in 
being  ;  and  is  verted  with  a  defpotic  power  over  the  lives 
and  fortunes  of  their  conftituents,  for  whofe  protection  they 
are  conftituted.  Let  us,  therefore,  reflect  upon  the  pof- 
fibility  of  a  parliament  dabauched  by  the  arts  of  corruption, 
into  fervile  compliance  with  the  defigns  of  an  arbitrary 
prince,  and  tremble  for  the  confequence.  The  debate 
being  fmifhed,  the  prifoner  wa?,  at  the  defire  of  AdmiraT 
RufTe3,  queftioned  with  regard  to  the  imputations  he  had 
fixed  upon  that  gentleman  and  others,  from  hearfay; 
but  he  defired  to  be  excufed  on  account  of  the  rifque 
he  ran  while  under  a  double  profecution,  if  any  th.ng 
which  fhould  efcape  him  might  be  turned  to  his  pre  - 
juuice. 

Bill  of  at-  After  he  was  removed  from  the  bar,  Mr.  Vernon,  at 
fes^-inft1"  ^e  defire  of  the  houfe,  re-capitulated  the  arts  and  prac- 
him.0"  tices  of  Sir  John  Fenwick  and  his  friends,  to  procraftinate 
the  trial.  The  bill  was  read  a  fecond  time  ;  and  the 
fpeaker  afking,  if  the  queftion  fhould  be  put  for  its  being 
committed  ?  The  houfe  was  immediately  kindled  into  a 
new  flame  of  contention.  Hawles,  the  folicitor-general, 
affirmed,  that  the  houfe  in  the  prefent  cafe,  fhould  acl:  both 
as  judge  and  jury.  Mr.  Harcourt  faid,  he  knew  of  no 
{rial  for  treafon,  but  what  was  confirmed  by  magna  charta, 
by  >i  jury,  the  birth-right  and  darling  privilege  of  an  En- 
gliiliman,  or  per  legem  terrte^  which  includes  impeach 
ments  in  parliament  :  That  it  was  a  ftrange  trial  where 
the  perfon  accufed  had  a  chance  to  be  hanged,  but  none 
to  be  faved  :  That  he  never  he;ird  of  a  juryman  who  was 
not  on  his  oath,  nor  of  a  judge  who  had  not  power  to  ex 
amine  witneffos  upon  oath,  and  who  was  not  empowered 
to  five  the  innocent  as  well  as  to  condemn  the  guilty. 
Sir  Thomas  Lyttlcton  w.;S  of  opinion,  that  the  parliament 
ought  not  to  (land  upon  little  niceties  and  forms  of  other 
courts,  when  the  government  was  at  flake.  Mr.  Howe 
afTcrtedj  that  to  do  a  thing  of  this  nature,  becaufe  the 


WILLIAM.  237 

nt  had  power  to  clo  it,  was  a  frrangc  way  of  rea-  C  H  A  P- 
That  what  was  juftice  and  equity  at  Weitminfter-  v- 
hall,  was  juilice  and  equity,  every  where:  That  one  lx\.j  ^^V-—* 
prec  dent  in  parliament  w.is  of  worfe  confeqnence  than  an  lG96- 
Jiu.iurcd  in  Weftminfter  hall,  becaufj  perfomil  or  private 
injuries  did  noi:  fbreclofe  the  claims  of  original  right; 
whereas  the  parliament  could  ruin  the  nation  beyond  re 
demption,  becaufe  it  could  eftablifh  tyranny  by  law.  Sir 
Richard  Temple,  in  arguing  againft  the  bill,  obferved, 
that  the  power  of  parliament  is  to  make  any  law,  but  the 
ju.-ifui'fUon  of  parliament  is  to  govern  itfelf  by  the  law: 
To  mike  a  hw,  therefore,  againft  all  the  laws  of  England, 
was  the  ultimum  remedium  ct  pejjimuin,  never  to  b;  ufed 
but  in  cafe  of  abfolute  neceffity.  He  affirmed,  that,  by  this 
precedent,  the  houfe  overthrew  all  the  laws  of  England; 
firft,  in  condemning  a  man  upon  one  witnefc  ;  f  condly, 
in  palung  an  a£i:  without  any  trial.  The  commons  never 
did  nor  can  alTume  a  jurisdiction  of  trying  any  perfm  : 
They  may,  for  their  own  information,  hear  what  can  be 
offered;  but  it  is  not  a  trial  where  witncffes  are  not  upon 
oath.  All  bills  of  attainder  have  patted  againft  petfons 
that  were  dead  or  fled,  or  without  the  compafs  of  t'u:  law  : 
Some  have  bvien  brought  in  after  trials  in  Weftminftdr 
hall  ;  but  none  of  thofe  have  been  called  trials,  and  they 
were  generally  reverfed.  He  denied  that  the  parliament 
had  power  to  declare  any  thing  treafon  which  was  not 
treafon  before.  When  inferior  courts  were  dubious,  the 
cafe  might  be  brought  before  the  parliament,  to  judge 
whether  it  was  treafon  or  felony  :  But  then  they  muft 
judge  by  the  laws  in  being  ;  and  this  judgment  was  not  in 
the  parliament  by  bill,  but  only  in  the  houfe  of  lords. 
Lord  Digby,  Mr.  Harley,  and  Colonel  Granville,  (poke 
to  the  fame  purpofe.  But  their  arguments  and  remon- 
ilrances  had  no  effect  upon  the  majority,  by  whom  the 
prifoner  y.'as  devoted  to  deftruclion.  The  bill  was  com 
mitted,  palfed,  and  fent  up  to  the  houfe  of  lords,  where  it 
produced  the  longed  and  warmeft  debates  which  had  been 
known  iince  the  Reftoration.  Biftiop  Buruet  fignalized 
his  zeal  for  the  government,  by  a  long  fpeech  in  favour 
of  the  bill,  contnulicling  fome  of  the  fundamental  max 
ims  which  he  had  formerly  avowed  in  behalf  of  the  liber 
ties  of  the  people.  At  length  it  was  carried  by  a  majority 
of  feven  voices  ;  and  one  and  forty  lords,  including  eight 
prelates,  entered  a  protefr,  couched  in  the  firongv.'!! 
terms,  againft  the  decifion. 

When  the  bill  received  the  royal  afTent,  another  act  of 
the  like  nature  pafled  againft  Barclay,  Holme--,  •"!  nine 
other  confpirators  who  had  (kd  tVom  juftice,  in  cafe  they 


238  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

COOK  fhould  not  furrender  themfelves  on  or  before  the  2$th  day 
*•  A      of  March  next  enfuing.     Sir  John  Fenwick    folicited    the 
''•""V^   mediation  of  the  lords  in  his  behalf,  while  his  friends  im- 
l596-  _:.  plored    the   royal    mercy.     The  peers  gave  him  to  under- 
ftand,  that  the   fuccefs  of  his  fuit  would  depend  upon  the 
fulnefs  of  his  difcoveries.     He  would  have  previoufly  fti- 
pulated   for   a  pardon  ;  and  they  infilled  upon  his  depend 
ing  on  their  favour.     He  hefitated  forne  time  between  the 
fears  of  infamy   and  the  terrors  of  death,  which  laft  lie  at 
length   chofe  to  undergo,  rather  than  incur  the  difgraceful 
Sir  John      character  of  an  informer.     He  was  complimented  with  the 
Fenwick      ax,  in   confideration   of  his   rank  and    alliance   with  the 
behcaJcd.     houfe   of  Howard,  and  fuffered  on  Tower-hill  with  great 
compofure.    In  the  paper  which  he  delivered  to  the  fherifF, 
he  took  God  to  witnefs,  that  he  knew  not  of  the  intended 
invaflon,  until    it  was  the    commqn   fubjecl  ofdifcourfe; 
nor  was  he  engaged  in  any  fhape   for  the  fervice  of  King 
James.     He  thanked  thofe  noble  and  worthy  perfons  wh:) 
had  oppofed   his  attainder  in  parliament ;  protcftcd  before 
God,  that  the  information  he  gave  to  the  miniftry  he  had 
received  in  letters  and  meflages  from  France  ;  and  ohferv- 
ed,  that  he  might  have  expected  mercy  from  the  prince  of 
Orange,  as  he  had  been  inftrumental  in  faving  his  life,  by 
preventing  the  execution  of  a  defign  which  had  been  form 
ed   againft  it;  a  circumftance  which  in  all  probability  in 
duced  the  late  confpirators   to  conceal   their  purpofe  of  af-- 
failination  from  his  knowledge.     He  profeffed  his  loyalty 
to  King  James,  and  prayed  heaven  for  his  fpeedy  reltora- 
tion. 

While  Fenwick 's  affair  was  in  agitation,  the  earl  of 
Monmouth  had  fet  on  foot  fome  practices  againft  the  duke 
of  Shrewibury.  One  Matthew  Smith,  nephew  to  Sir 
William  Perkins,  had  been  entertained  as  a  fpy  by  this 
nobleman,  who  finding  his  intelligence  of  very  little  ufe 
or  importance,  difmified  him  as  a  troublefome  dependent. 
Then  he  had  recoutfe  to  the  earl  of  Monmouth,  into 
whom  he  infufed  unfavourable  fentiments  of  the  duke  ; 
infmuating,  that  he  had  made  great  difcoveries,  which, 
from  finiftor  motives,  were  fuppreffed.  Monmouth  com 
municated  thofe  impreffions  to  the  earl  of  Portland,  who 
enlifted  Smith  as  one  of  his  intelligencers.  Copies  of  the 
letters  he  had  fent  to  the  duke  of  Shrewfbury  were  deliv 
ered  to  Secretary  Trumball,  fealed  up  for  the  perufal  of 
his  mr.jefty  at  his  return  from  Flanders.  When  Fenwick 
mentioned  the  duke  of  Shrewfbury  in  his  difcoveries,  the 
carl  of  Monmouth  refolvcd  to  feize  the  opportunity  of 
ruining  that  nobleman.  Pie,  by  the  canal  of  the  duchefs 
of  Norfolk,  exhorted  Lady  Fenwick  to  prevail  upon  her 


W  I  L  L  I  A  M.  239 

hufband  toperfift  in  his  accufation,and  even  dictated  a  pa-  CHAP, 
per  of  directions.  Fenwick  rejected  the  propofal  with  dif-  v- 
dain,  as  a  fcandalous  contrivance;  and  Monmouth  was  ib  **^Y*^ 
incenfed  at  his  refufol,  that  when  the  bill  of  attainder  ap-  l6?"- 
peared  in  the  houfe  of  lords,  he  fpoke  in  favour  of  it  with 
peculiar  vehemence.  Lady  Fenwick,  provoked  at  this 
cruel  outrage,  prevailed  upon  her  nephew,  the  earl  of 
Carlifie,  to  move  the  houfe  that  Sir  John  might  be  exa 
mined  touching  any  advices  that  hr.d  been  lent  to  him 
with  relation  to  his  difcoveries.  Fenwick  being  interro 
gated  accordingly,  gave  an  account  of  all  the  particulars 
of  Monmouth's  fcheme,  which  was  calculated  to  ruin  the 
duke  of  Shrewfbury,  by  bringing  Smith's  letters  on  the 
carpet.  The  duchefs  of  Norfolk,  and  a  confidant,  were 
examined,  and  confirmed  the  detection.  The  houfe  called 
for  Smith's  letters,  which  were  produced  by  Sir  William 
Trumball.  The  earl  of  Monmouth  was  committed  to  the 
Tower,  and  difmifled  from  all  his  employments.  He  was 
releafed,  however,  at  the  end  of  the  feffion ;  and  the  court 
made  up  all  his  lofles  in  private,  left  he  fhould  be  tempt 
ed  to  join  the  oppofition. 

The  Whigs,  before  they  were  glutted  with  the  facrifice 
of  Fenwick,  had  determined  to  let  loofe   their  vengeance 
upon  Sir  George  Rooke,  who  was  a  leader  in  the  oppofite 
intereft.     Sir  Cloudcfley  Shovel  had  been  fent  with  a  fqua- 
clron  to  look  into  Breft,  where  according  to  the  intelligence 
which  the  government  had  received,  the  French  were  em 
ployed  in  preparing  for  a  defcent  upon  England ;  but  this 
information  was  falfe.   They  were  bufy  in  equipping  an  ar 
mament  for  the   Weft  Indies,  under    the  command  of  M. 
Pointis,  who  actually  failed  to  the  coaft  of  New  Spain,  and 
took  the  city  of  Carthagena.  Rooke  had  been  ordered  to  in 
tercept  the  Toulon  fquadron  in  its  way  to  Breft;  but  his  en 
deavours  mifcarried.     The  commons,  in  a  committee  of  the 
whole  houfe,  refolved  to  enquire  why  this  fleet  was  not  in 
tercepted  ?  Rooke  underwent  a  long  examination,  and  v/as 
obliged  to  produce  his  journal,  orders,  and  letters.     Shovel 
and  Mitchell  where  likewife  examined ;  but,  nothing  ap 
peared  to  the  prejudice  of  the  admiral,   the  houfe  thought 
proper  to  defift  from  their   profecution.     After  they    had 
determined  on  the  fate  of  Fenwick,  they  proceeded  to  en 
act  feveral  laws  for  regulating  the  domeftic    ceconomy  of  B(irBC< 
the  nation  :  Among  others,  they  pafied  an  act  for  the  more  Kennet. 
effectual  relief  of  creditors,  in  cafes  of  efcape,  and  for  pre-  oidmkon. 
venting  abufes  in  prifons  and   pretended  privileged  places,  •^j^"* 
Ever  fince  the  reformation,  certain  places  in  and  about  the  city  Ralph. 
of  London,  which  had  been  fanctuaries  during  the  prevalence  Lives  of  the 
of  the  Popifh  religion,  afforded  afylum  to  debtors,  and  were  Admirals- 


240  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOO  li  become  receptacles  of  defperate  perfon?,  who  prefumed   to 
fet  the  law  ar  defiance.     One  of  thefe  places,  called  White- 


Friars  w.is  filled  \vith  a  crev/  of  ruffian?,,  who  every  day 
1  ^7"  committed  ails  of  violence  and  outrage:  But  this  law  v/.-.s 
lo  vigouroufly  put  into  execution,  that  they  were  obliged  to 
abandon  the  diftrict,  which  was  loon  filled  with  more  cre 
ditable  inhabitants.  On  the  i6th  day  of  April,  the  kino- 
clofed  the  feflion  with  a  fhort  fpeech,  thanking  the  parlia 
ment  for  the  great  fupplics  they  had  f.>  cheerfully  granted, 
and  exprefTing  his  fatisfaclion  at  the  meafuresrhey  had  tak 
en  for  retrieving  the  public  credit.  Before  he  quitted  the 
kingdom,  he  ventured  to  produce  upon  the  fcene  the  carl  of 
Sunderland,  who  had  hitherto  prompted  his  council  behind 
the  curtain.  That  politician  was  now  fworn  of  the  privy- 
council,  and  gratified  with  the  office  of  lord  chamberlain, 
which  had  been  rcfigned  by  the  earl  of  Doi  fet,  a  nobleman 
of  elegant  tr.ler.ts,  ai.d  invir.ciHe  irciol'  r.ce  5  ftvcre  end 
poignant  in  his  writings  and  remarks  upon  mankind  in  ge- 
nerJ,  but  humane,  good-natured,  and  generous  to  exccfs, 
in  his  commerce  with  individuals. 

William  having  made  fome  promotions  *,  and  appointed 
a  regency,  embarked  on  the  twenty-fixth  day  of  April  for 
Holland,  that  he  might  be  at  hand  to  manage  the  negocia- 
tion  for  the  general  pe?ce.  By  this  time  the  preliminaries 
were  fettled  between  Callieres  the  French  minifter,  and 
Air.  Dykveldt  in  behalf  of  the  States  General  who  refolvcd 
in  confequence  of  the  conceffion  made  by  France,-  that,  in 
concert  with  their  allies,  the  meditation  of  Sweden  might 
be  excepted.  The  emperor  and  the  court  of  Spain,  how 
ever,  were  not  fctisfied  with  thofe  conceificns  ;  yet,  his  Im 
perial  majefty  declared  he  would  errbrace  the  proffered 
mediation,  provided  the  treaty  of  Weflphalia  fhould  be  re- 
eflablifhed;  and  provided  the  king  of  Sweden  would  en 
gage  to  join  his  troops  with  thofe  of  the  allies,  in  cafe 
France  fhould  break  through  this  ftipulation.  This  pro- 
pofal  being  delivered,  the  minirters  of  England  and  Hol 
land  at  Vienna,  prefented  a  joint  memoiial,  preffing  his 
Imperial  majtfty  to  accept  the  mediation  without  referve, 
and  name  a  place  at  which  the  congrefs  might  be  op:  ned. 
The  emperor  (.cmplied  wi^h  reluctance.  On  the  four 
teenth  day  of  February,  all  the  minifters  of  the  allies,  ex 
cept  the  arrbaflador  of  Spain,  agreed  to  the  propofal  ;  and 
next  day  fignificd  their  afient  in  form  toM.  Lillitnroot,  the 


\V  I  L  L  I  A  M.  241 

Sweuiih  plenipotentiary.  Spain  demanded,  as  a  prelirr.i-  CHAP 
nary,  that  France  would  agree  to  reftore  all  the  places  men-  .T". 
tioned  in  a  Ions;  lift,  which  the  minifrer  of  that  crown  pre-  V-*"Y^ 
Tented  to  the  aflembly.  The  emperor  propofed,  that  the  con- 
grefs  fhould  he  held  at  Aix-la-Chapelle,  o*  Franckfort,  or 
fome  other  town  in  Germany.  The  other  allies  were 
more  difpofed  to  nrgociate  in  Holland.  At  length,  the 
French  king  fuggefted,  that  no  place  would  be  more  pro 
per  than  a  palace  belonging  to  King  William,  called  New- 
nourghoufe,  fituated  between  the  Hague  and  Delft,  clofe  by 
the  village  of  Ryfwick  ;  snd  to  this  proportion  the  mini- 
Irers  agreed.  Thofe  of  England  were  the  earl  of  Pembroke,  a 
virtuous,  learned,  ?nd  popular  nobleman;  the  Lord  ViHiers> 
and  Sir  Jofeph  Williamfon  :  France  fent  Harlay  and  C ra 
cy  to  the  affifcance  of  Callieres.  Louis  was  not  only  tired 
of  the  war,  on  account  of  the  mifery  in  which  it  had  in 
volved  his  kingdom;  but  in  deftring  a  peace  hs  was  actua 
ted  by  another  motive.  The  king  of  Spain  had  been  for 
fome  time  in  a  very  ill  ftate  of  health,  and  the  French  mo 
narch  had  an  eye  to  the  fuccefllon.  This  aim  could  not 
be  accompliflied  while  the  confederacy  fubfifted;  therefore, 
he  eagerly  fought  a  peace,  that  he  might  at  once  turn  his 
whole  power  a^ainfl  Spain,  as  foon  as  Charles  fhould  expire. 
The  emperor  harboured  the  fame  defign  upon  the  Spanifh 
crown,  and  for  thatreafon  interefted  himfelf  in  the  continu 
ance  of  the  grand  alliance.  Befidcs  he  forefawthat  he  fhould  in 
a  little  time  be  able  to  act  againft  France  with  an  augmented 
force.  The  c?,ar  of  Mufcovy  had  engaged  to  find  employ 
ment  for  the  Turks  and  Tartars.  He  intended  to  raife 
the  elector  of  Saxony  to  the  throne  of  Poland;  and  he  had 
made  fome  progrefs  in  the  negociation  with  the  circles  of 
the  Rhine,  for  a  considerable  body  of  auxiliary  troops. 
The  Dutch  had  no  other  view  but  that  of  fecuring  a  bar 
rier  in  the  Netherlands.  King  William  infilled  upon  the 
French  king's  acknowledging  his  title  ;  and  the  Englifh  na 
tion  wifhed  for  nothing  fo  much  as  the  end  of  a  ruinous  war. 
On  the  i  oth  day  of  February,  Callieres,  in  the  name  of 
his  m after,  agreed  to  the  following  preliminaries  :  That  the 
treaties  of  Weftphalia  and  Nimeguen  fhould  be  the  bans 
of  this  negociation  :  That  Strafburg  fhould  be  reftored  to 
the  empire,  and  Luxembourg  to  the  Spaniards,  together 
xvith  Mons,  Chatleroy,  and  all  places  taken  by  the  French 
iii  Catalonia  fince  the  treaty  of  Nimeguen:  That  Dinant 
fhould  be  ceded  to  the  biihop  of  Liege,  and  all  re-unions 
Imce  the  treaty  of  Nimeguen  be  made  void  :  That  the  French 
king  fhould  make  reftitution  of  Lorraine;  and  upon  con- 
cluiion  of  the  peace,  acknowledge  the  prince  of  Orange  as 
king  of  Great  Britain,  without  condition  and  referve.  The 
VOL.  I.  2  H 


242  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  conferences  were  interrupted  by  the  death  of  Charles  XL 
king  of  Sweden,  who   was  fucceeded  by  his   fon  CharlesT 

**~Y*J  then  a  minor  ;  but  the  queen  and  five  fenators,  whom  the 
l697-      late  king  had  by  will  appointed   adminiftrators  of  the  go 
vernment,  refolved   to  purfue   the  mediation,  and    fent   a 
new  commiffion  to  Lillienroot  for  that    purpofe.     The 
ceremonials  being  regulated  with  the  confent  of  all  parties, 
'the  plenipotentiaries  of  the  emperor  delivered  their  mafter's 
demands  to  the  mediator,  on  the  22d  day  of  May,  and  fe- 
veral  German  minifters  gave    in    the   pretenfions   of  the 
refpeftive  princes  whom  they  reprefented. 

Mean  while,  the  French  king,  in  the  hope  of  procuring 
more  favourable  terms,  refolved  to  make  his  laft  effort 
againft  the  Spaniards  in  Catalonia,  and  in  the  Nether 
lands,  and  to  elevate  the  Prince  of  Conti  to  the  throne  of 
Poland  ;  an  event  which  would  have  greatly  improved  the 
intereft  of  France  in  Europe.  Louis  had  got  the  ftart  of 
the  confederates  in  Flanders,  and  fent  thither  a  very  nu 
merous  army,  commanded  by  Catinat,  Villeioy,  and 
BoufHers.  The  campaign  was  opened  with  the  liege  of 
Aeth,  which  was  no  fooner  inverted,  than  King  William, 
having  recovered  of  an  indifpofition,  took  the  field,  and 
had  an  interview  with  the  duke  of  Bavaria,  who  com 
manded  a  feparate  body.  He  did  not  think  proper  to  in 
terrupt  the  enemy  in  their  operations  before  Aeth,  which 
furrendered  in  a  few  days  after  the  trenches  were  opened  : 
but  contented  himfclf  with  taking  poffeflion  of  an  advan 
tageous  camp,  where  he  covered  Bruflels,  which  Villeroy 
and  Boufflers  had  determined  to  befiege.  In  Catalonia, 
the  duke  of  Vendome,  inverted  Barcelona,  in  which  there 
was  a  garrifon  of  ten  thoufand  regular  foldiers,  befides 
five  thoufand  burghers,  who  had  voluntarily  taken  arms 
on  this  occafion.  The  governor  of  the  place  was  the 
prince  of  Hefle  d' Armftadt,  who  had  ferved  in  Ireland, 
and  been  verted  with  the  command  of  the  Imperial  troops 
which  were  fent  into  Spain.  The  French  general  being 
reinforced  from  Provence  and  Languedoc,  carried  on  his 
approaches  with  furprifing  impetuofcty;  and  was  rcpulfed 
ia  feveral  attacks  by  the  valour  of  the  defendants.  At 
length,  the  enemy  furprifed  and  routed  the  viceroy  of  Ca 
talonia;  and  flufhed  with  this  victory,  ftormed  the  out 
works,  which  had  been  long  battered  with  their  cannon. 
The  difpute  was  very  bloody  and  obftinate ;  but  the  French, 
by  dint  of  numbers,  made  themfelves  mafters  of  the  co 
vered  way  and  two  baftions.  There  they  erected  batte 
ries  of  cannon  and  mortars,  and  fired  furioufly  on  the  town, 
which,  however,  the.  prince  of  Kefle  refolved  to  defend  to 
the  lail  extremity.  The  court  of  Madrid,  however,  un- 


WILLIAM.  243 

walling  to  fee  the  place  entirely  ruined,  as  in  all  probabi-  CHAP. 
lity  it  would  be  reftored  at   the  peace,  difpatched  an  order    ^J- 
to  the  prince  to  capitulate  ;  and  he  obtained  very  honour-    Vrf*V^> 
able  terms,  after  having  made  a  glorious  defence  for  nine 
weeks  ;  in  consideration  of  which  he  was  appointed  viceroy 
of  the  province.     France   was    no  fooner  in    pofieilion  of 
this  important  place,  than   the   Spaniards  became   as  ea 
ger  for  peace   as  they  had  been  before  averfe   to  a  nego- 
ciation. 

Their  impatience  was  not  a  little  inflamed  by  the  fuc- 
cefs  of  Pointis  in  America,  where  he  took  Carthagena, 
in  which  he  found  a  ''•ooty  amounting  to  eight  millions  of 
crowns.  Having  ruined  the  fortifications  of  the  place, 
and  received  advice,  that  an  Engliih  fquadron  under  Ad 
miral  Nevil  had  arrived  in  the  YVeft-Indies,  with  a  defign 
to  attack  him  in  his  return,  he  bore  away  for  the  ftraits  of 
Bahama.  On  the  22d  day  of  May  he  fell  in  with  the 
Englifh  fleet,  and  one  of  his  fly-boats  was  taken ;  but 
fuch  was  his  dexterity,  or  good  fortune,  that  he  efcaped, 
after  having  been  purfued  five  days,  during  which  the 
Englifh  and  Dutch  rear-admirals  fprang  their  fore-top- 
mafts,  and  received  other  damage,  fo  as  that  they  could 
not  proceed.  Then  Nevil  fteered  to  Carthagena,  which 
he  found  quite  abandoned  by  the  inhabitants,  who,  after 
the  departure  of  Pointis,  had  been  rifled  a  fecond  time  by 
the  buccaneers,  on  pretence  that  they  had  been  defrauded 
of  their  fliare  of  the  plunder.  This  was  really  the  eafe; 
they  had  in  a  great  meafure  contributed  to  the  fuccefs  of 
Pointis,  and  were  very  ill  rewarded.  In  a  few  days  the 
Engliih  admiral  difcovered  eight  fail  of  their  fhips,  two 
of  which  were  forced  on  fhore  and  deftroyed,  two  taken, 
and  the  reft  efcaped.  Then  he  directed  his  courfe  to  Ja 
maica,  and,  by  the  advice  of  the  governor,  Sir  William 
Beefton,  detached  Rear-Admiral  Meeze  with  fome  fhips 
and  forces  to  attack  Petit-Guavas,  which  he  accordingly 
furprifed,  burned,  and  reduced  to  afhes.  After  this  fmall 
expedition,  Nevil  proceeded  to  the  Havannah,  on  pur- 
pofe  to  take  the  galleons  under  his  convoy  for  Europe, 
according  to  the  inflru6lions  he  had  received  from  the 
king;  but  the  governor  of  the  place,  and  the  general  of 
the  plate-fleet,  fufpecSting  fuch  an  offer,  would  neither 
fuffer  him  to  enter  the  harbour,  nor  put  the  galleons  under 
his  protection.  He  now  failed  through  the  gulph  of  Flo 
rida  to  Virginia,  where  he  died  of  chagrin,  and  the  com 
mand  of  the  fleet  devolved  en  Captain  Dilkes,  who  ar 
rived  in  England  on  the  24th  day  of  October,  with  a  fhat- 
tered  fquadron,  half  manned,  to  the  unfpeakable  mortifi-- 
cition  of  the  people,  who  flattered  themfelves  with  th 


244  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  hopes  of  wealth  and  glory  from  this    expedition.     Pointis 
I.         fleering  to  the  banks  of  Newfoundland,  entered    the  bay 
Lx-yO  of  Conceptione,  at  a  time  when  a  ftout  Englifh  fquadron, 
1697.      commanded  by    Commodore  Norris,  lay  at  anchor  in  tlis 
bay  of  St  John's.     This  officer  being  informed  of  the  ar 
rival  of  a  French  fleet,  at  rirfl  concluded,  that  it  was  the 
fquadron  of  M.  Nefmond  come  to  attack    him,  and  exert 
ed  his  utmoft  endeavours  to   put  the  place  in  a  pofture  of 
defence  •,  but  afterwards,  understanding  that  it  was  Pointis 
returning  with  the  fpoil  of  Carthagena,  he  called  a  council 
of  war,  and   propofed  to  go   immediately   in    queft  of  the 
enemy.     He  was,  however,  over-ruled  by  a  majority,  who 
gave  it  as  their  opinion,   that   they    fhould   remain  where 
they   were,   without    running    unneceffary    hazards.     By 
virtue  of  this  fcandalous   determination,    Pointis   was  per 
mitted  to  proceed  on  his  voyage   to  Europe  ;    but  he  had 
not  yet  efcaped  every  danger.     On  the    1 4th   day  of  Au- 
guft  he  fell    in  with  a   fquadron,   under  the   command  of 
Captain  Harlow,  by  whom   he    was  bolcily   engaged    till 
night  parted  the  combatants.     He  was  purfued  next  day  ; 
but  his  (hips  failing   better  than  thofe  of  Harlow,  he  ac- 
complifhed  his  efcape,  and   on   the  morrow    entered   the 
harbour  of  Breft.     That  his  {hips,  which  were  foul,  fhould 
out-fail   the    Englifh  fquadron,    which   had   juft    put   to 
fea,  was  a  myftery  which  the  people  of  England  could  not 
explain.       They    complained    of    having    been   betrayed 
through    the   whole  courfe  of    the  Weft-Indian  expedi 
tion.     The  king  owned  he  did  not  underfland  marine  af 
fairs,  the  "entire  conduct  of  which  he  abandoned  to  Ruflel, 
who  became  proud,  arbitrary,  and  unpopular,  and  was  fup- 
pofed  to  be  betrayed   by  his    dependents.     Certain  it  is, 
the  fervice  wa.s  greatly   obftrudled  by   faction   among  the 
officers,  which  with  refpecl:  to  the  nation  had  all    the   ef- 
fec"ts  of  treachery  and  mifconducl. 

The  fuccels  of  the  French  in  Catalonia,  Flanders,  arid 
the  Weft-Indies,  was  balanced  by  their  difappointment  in 
Poland.  Louis,  encouraged  by  the  remonftrances  of  the 
Abbe  de  Polignac,  who  managed  the  affairs  of  France  in 
that  kingdom,  rcfolved  to  fupport  the  prince  of  Conti  as 
a  candidate  for  the  crown,  and  remitted  great  fums  of 
money,  which  were  distributed  among  the  Polifh  nobility. 
The  emperor  had  at  firft  declared  for  the  fon  of  the  late 
king  ;  but  finding  the  French  party  too  ftrong  for  this 
competitor,  he  entered  into  a  negociation  with  the  elec 
tor  of  Saxony,  who  agreed  to  change  his  religion,  to  dif- 
tribute  eight  millions  of  florins  among  the  Poles,  to  con 
firm  their  privileges,  and  advance  with  his  troops  to  the 
frontiers,  of  that  kingdom.  Having  performed  thefc  ar- 


W  I  L  L  I  A  M. 

tides,  he  declared  himfelf  a  candidate,    and    was    publicly  c  H^A  P 
efpoufcd  by  the  Imperialifts.     The  duke  of  Lorraine,  the 
prince  of  Baden,  and  Den  Livio  Odefchalchi,   nephew  to    (-*"Y<>*> 
Pope  Innocent,  were  likewife   competitors  ;  but   finding 
their  intereft  inefficient,  they  united   their  influence  with  Eleaorof 
that  of  the  elector,  who  was  proclaimed  king    of  Poland,  saxony  de- 
He  forthwith  took  the  oaths   required,  procured  an  attef-  cU-ed  king 
tation  from  the  Imperial  court  of  his   having  changed  his  ° 
religion,   and  marched  with  his  army   to  Cracow,   where 
he  was  crowned  with  the  ufual  folemnity.     Louis  perfifted 
in  maintaining  the  pretenfions  of  the  prince  of  Conti,  and 
equipped  a  fleet  at  Dunkirk  for  his    convoy    to  Dantzick 
in  his  way  to   Poland.     But  the  magiftrates  of  that  city, 
who  had  declared  for  the  new    king,    would  not  furler  his 
men  to  land,  though  they  offered   to  admit  himfelf  with  a 
fmall  retinue.     He  therefore,   went  on  fhore    at    Majien- 
burgh,  where  he   was    met  by   fome  chiefs   of  his   own 
party  ;  but  the  new  King  Auguftus    a£led    with  fuch  vi 
gilance,  that  he  found  it  impracticable   to   form   an  army  ; 
befiues,  he   fufpe&ed  the  fidelity  of  his  own  Polilli  Parti- 
fans;  he,  therefore,  refufed  to  part  with  the    treafure   he 
had  brought,  and  in   the  beginning  of  winter    returned  to 
Dunkirk. 

The  eftabliftiment  of  Auguftus  on  the  throne  of  Poland 
was  in  fome  meafure  owing  to  the  conduct  of  Peter  the 
czar  of  Mufcovy,  who  having  formed  great  defigns  againft 
the  Ottoman-Porte,  was  very  unwilling  to  fee  the  crown 
of  Poland  poffefled  by  a  partifan  of  France,  which  was  in 
alliance  with  the  grand  fignor.  He,  therefore,  interefted 
himfelf  warmly  in  the  difputc,  and  ordered  his  general  to 
affemble  an  army  on  the  frontiers  of  Lithuania,  which,  by 
over-awing  the  Poles  that  were  in  the  intereft  of  the 
prince  of  Conti,  confidently  influenced  the  election. 
This  extraordinary  legiflator,  who  was  a  ftrangc  compound 
of  heroifm  and  barbarity,  confcious  of  the  defects  in  his 
education,  and  of  the  grofs  ignorance  that  overfpread 
his  dominions,  refolved  to  extend  his  ideas,  and  improve  P5ter>  «ar 
his  judgment  by  travelling  ;  and  that  he  might  be  the  lefs  ^.^ ^vy 
reftricled  by  forms,  or  interrupted  by  officious  curiofity,  difguife  ' 
he  determined  to  travel  in  difguifc.  He  was  extremely 
ambitious  of  becoming  a  maritime  power,  and  in  particu 
lar  of  maintaining  a.  fleet"n  the  Black  Sea ;  and  his  im 
mediate  aim  was  to  learn  the  principles  of  fhip-buildin:r. 
He  appointed  an  embaffy  for  Holland,  to  regulate  fome 
points  of  commerce  with  the  dates-general.  Having  en- 
trufted  the  care  of  his  dominions  to  perfons  in  whom  he 
could  confide,  he  now  difrjuiied  hiir.felf,  and  travelled  as 


246  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK,  one  of  their   retinue.     He    firft    difclofed   himfelf  to  the 
.  elector    of  Brandenburgh   in    Prufiia,   and  afterwards  to 

'""Y""*  King  William,  with  whom  he  conferred  in  private  at 
Utrecht.  He  engaged  himfelf  as  a  common  labourer 
with  a  {hip-carpenter  in  Holland,  whom  he  ferved  for 
fome  months  with  wonderful  patience  and  afiiciuity. 
Ha  afterwards  vifited  England,  where  he  amufed  him 
felf  chiefly  with  the  fame  kind  of  occupation.  From 
thence  he  fet  out  for  Vienna,  where  receiving  advices 
from  his  dominions,  that  his  fifter  was  concerned  in 
managing  intrigues  againft  his  government,  he  returned 
fuddenly  to  Mofcow,  and  found,  the  machinations  of  the 
confpirators  were  already  baffled  by  the  vigilance  and  fi 
delity  of  the  foreigners  to  whom  he  had  left  the  care  of 
the  adminiftration.  His  favage  nature,  however,  broke 
out  upon  this  occafion  ;  he  ordered  fome  hundreds  to  be 
hanged  all  round  his  capital;  and  a  good  number  were  be 
headed,  he  himfelf  with  his  own.  hand  performing  the  of 
fice  of  executioner. 

The  ncgociations  at  Ryfwic  proceeded  very  flov/ly 
for  fome  time.  The  Imperial  minifters  demanded,  that 
France  fhould  make  reftitution  of  all  the  places  and  do 
minions  fhe  had  wrefted  from  the  empire  fmce  the  peace 
of  Munfter,  whether  by  force  of  arms  or  pretence  of  right. 
The  Spaniards  claimed  all  they  could  demand  by  virtue 
of  the  peace  of  Nimeguen  aad  the  treaty  of  the  Pyran- 
nees.  The  French  affirmed,  that  if  the  preliminaries 
offered  by  Callieres  were  accepted,  thefe  proportions 
could  not  be  taken  into  confideration.  The  Imperialifts 
perfifted  in  demanding  a  circumftantial  anfvver,  article  by 
article.  The  Spaniards  infifted  upon  the  fame  manner  of 
proceeding,  and  called  upon  the  mediator  and  Dutch  mi- 
nifters  to  fupport  their  pretenfions.  The  plenipotentia 
ries  of  France  declared,  they  would  not  admit  any  de 
mand  or  propofition,  contrary  to  the  preliminary  articles: 
But  were  willing  to  deliver  in  a  project  of  peace,  in  or 
der  to  (horten  the  negociation  ;  and  the  Spaniih  ambafla- 
dors  confented  to  this  expedient.  During  thefe  tranf- 
actions,  the  earl  of  Portland  held  a  conference  with  Mare- 
fchal  Boufflers,  near  Halle,  in  fight  of  the  two  oppofite 
armies,  which  was  continued  in  five  fucceffive  meeting?. 
On  the  2d  day  of  Auguft  tiK-yfctircd  together  to  a  houfe 
in  the  fuburbs  of  Hulle,  and  mutually  figned  a  paper, 
in  which  the  principal  articles  of  the  peace  between 
France  and  England  were  adjufted.  Next  day  King 
William  quitted  the  camp,  and  retired  to  his  houfe  at 
Loo,  confident  of  having  taken  fuch  meafures  for  a  pa- 


WILLIAM.  247 

cification  as  could  not  be  difappointed.  The  fubjeft  of  C  H  A  i>. 
this  field  negociation  is  faid  to  have  turned  upon  the 
interefts  of  King  James,  which  the  French  monarch  pro-  ^~Y^-J 
mifed  to  abandon  :  Others,  however,  fuppcfe,  that  the  l6S7- 
h'rft, foundation  of  the  partition  treaty  was  laid  in  this 
conference.  But,  in  all  probability,  William's  fole  aim  0 
was  to  put  an  end  to  an  expenfive  and  unfuccefsful  war, 
which  had  rendered  him  very  unpopular  in  his  own  domi 
nions,  and  to  obtain  from  the  court  of  France  an  ac 
knowledgment  of  his  title,  which  had  fince  the  queen's 
death  become  the  fubject  of  difpute.  He  perceived  the 
emperor's  backwardnefs  towards  a  pacification,  and  fore- 
favv  numberlefs  difficulties  in  difcuiTing  fuch  a  compli 
cation  of  interefts  by  the  common  method  of  treating  : 
He,  therefore,  chofe  fuch  a  ftep  as  he  thought  would 
alarm  the  jcaloufy  of  the  allies,  and  quicken  the  negocia 
tion  at  Ryiwick.  Before  the  congrefs  was  opened,  King 
James  had  publifhed  two  manifeftoes,  addrefied  to  the 
Catholic  and  Proteftant  princes  of  the  confederacy,  re- 
prefenting  his  wrongs,  and  craving  redrefs  ;  but  his  re- 
moaftrances  being  altogether  difregarded,  he  afterwards 
iffued  a  third  declaration,  folemnly  protefting  againft  all 
that  mi^ht  or  fhould  be  negociated,  regulated,  or  ftipu- 
lated  with  the  ufurper  of  his  realms,  as  being  void 
of  all  rightful  and  lawful  authority.  On  the  2Oth  day  of 
July  the  French  ambafTadors  produced  their  project 
of  a  general  peace,  declaring  at  the  fame  time,  that  fhould 
it  not  be  accepted  before  the  laft  day  of  Auguft,  France 
would  not  hold  herfelf  bound  for  the  conditions  (he  now 
offered  :  But  Caunitz,  the  emperor's  plenipotentiary, 
protefted  he  would  pay  no  regard  to  this  limitation.  On 
the  3<Dth  of  Auguft,  however,  he  delivered  to  the  media 
tor  an  ultimatum,  importing,  That  he  adhered  to  the 
treaties  of  Weftphalia  and  Nimeguen,  and  accepted  of 
Strafbourg  with  its  appurtenances  :  That  he  infifted  upon 
the  reftitution  of  Lorraine  to  the  prince  of  that  name  ; 
and  demanded,  That  the  church  and  chapter  of  Liege 
fhould  be  re-eftablifhed  in  the  polleflion  of  their  incon- 
teftible  rights.  Next  day  the  French  plenipotentiaries 
declared,  That  the  month  of  Auguft  being  now  expired, 
all  their  offers  were  vacated  :  That,  therefore,  the  King 
of  France  would  referve  Strafbourg,  and  unite  it,  with 
its  dependencies,  to  his  crown  for  ever  :  That  in  other 
rcfpech  he  would  adhere  to  the  project,  and  reftore  Bar 
celona  to  the  crown  of  Spain  ;  but  that  thefe  terms  muft 
be  accepted  in  twenty  days,  otherwife  he  fhould  think 
himfelf  at  liberty  to  recede.  The  minifters  of  the  elec 
tors  and  princes  of  the  empire  joined  in  a  written  le- 


248  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  monftrance  to  the  Spanifla  plenipotentiaries,   representing 
J-         the  inconveniencies    and    dangers  that   would    accrue   to 

^~y~*J  the  Germanic  body,  from  France's  being  in  pofleflion  of 
l697-  Luxembourg,  and  exhorting  them  in  the  ftrongeft  terms 
to  reject  all  offers  of  an  equivalent  for  that  province, 
t  They  likewife  prefented  another  to  the  ftates-eeneral, 
requiring  them  to  continue  the  war,  according  to  their 
engagements,  until  France  fliould  have  complied  with 
the  preliminaries.  No  regard,  however,  was  paid  to 
either  of  thefe  adelrefies.  Then  the  Imperial  ambafTadors 
demanded  the  good  offices  of  the  mediator,  on  certain 
articles  :  But  all  that  he  could  obtain  of  France  was,  that 
the  term  for  adj lifting  the  peace  between  her  and  the  em 
peror  fhould  be  prolonged  till  the  ift  day  of  November, 
and  in  the  mean  time  an  armiftice  be  punctually  obferved. 
Yet  even  thefe  conceflions  were  made,  on  condition  that 
the  treaty  with  England,  Spain,  and  Holland  fhould  be 
figncd  on  that  day,  even  though  the  emperor  and  empire 
fhould  not  concur. 

Accordingly,  on  the  2oth  day  of  September,  the  articles 
were  fubfcribed  by  the  Dutch,  Englifh,  Spanifli,  and 
French  arnbafiadors,  v/hile  the  Imperial  ministers  pro- 
teftedagainft  the  tranfaiStion,  obferving,  this  was  the  fecond 
time  that  a  feparate  peace  had  been  concluded  with  France  ; 
and  that  the  fr.at.es  of  the  empire,  who  had  been  impofed 
upon  through  their  own  credulity,  would  not  for  the  fu 
ture  be  fo  eafily  perfuaded  to  engage  in  confederacies.  In 
certain  preparatory  articles  fettled  between  England  and 
France,  King  William  promifed  to  pay  a  yearly  penfion  to 
Queen  Mary  D'Efte,  of  fifty  thoufand  pounds,  or  fuch 
Cum  as  fhould  be  eftablifhed  for  that  purpofe  by  a£t  of 
parliament.  The  treaty  itfclf  confifted  of  feventeen  ar- 
ticbs.  The  French  king  engaged,  That  he  would  not 
difturb  or  difquiet  the  king  of  Great  Britain  in  the  pof- 
feffion  of  his  realms  or  government ;  nor  aflift  his  enemies, 
nor  favour  confpiracies  againtt  his  nerfon.  This  obliga 
tion  was  reciprocal.  A  free  commerce  was  reftored. 
CommifTaries  were  appointed  to  meet  at  London,  and  fet 
tle  the  pretenfions  of  each  crown  to  Hudfon's-bay,  taken 
by  the  French  during  the  late  peace,  and  retaken  by  the 
Englifh  in  the  courle  of  the  war;  and  to  regulate  the  li 
mits  of  the  places  to  be  refcored,  as  well  as  the  exchanges 
to  be  made.  It  was  likewife  ftipulated,  That,  in  cafe  of 
a  rupture,  fix  months  fliould  be  allowed  to  the  fubjects  oi 
each  power  for  removing  their  effects  :  That  the  feparate- 
article  of  the  treaty  of  IN  imeguen,  relating  to  the  princi 
pality  of  Oran-ge,  ihould  be  entirely  executed;  and,  That 
-the  ratifications  fnould  be  exchanged  in  three  weeks  from 


W  I  L  L  I  A  M.  24,? 

ths  day  of  fi.o-nin?-.     The  treaty  between  France  and  Hoi-  c  H  A  P. 

•  IT 

land  imported  a  general  armiftice,  a  perpetual  amity,  a  mu 
tual  restitution,  a  reciprocal  renunciation  of  all  pretenfions  *~*"Y"'»«*> 
upon  each  other,  a  confirmation  of  the  peace  with  Savoy,      l(>97- 
a  re-ei-b.blifhment  of  the  treaty  concluded  between  France 
and  Brandenburgh,  in  the  year  one  thoufand  fix    hundred 
and   feventy-nine,  a   comprehenfion   of  Sweden,    and    all 
thofe  powers  that  fhould  be  named  before  the  ratification, 
or  in  fix  months   after  the  conclufion  of  the  treaty.     Be- 
fides,  the  Dutch  minifiers  concluded  a  treaty  of  commerce 
with    France,   which  was    immediately  put  in    execution. 
Spain  had  great  reafon  to  be  fatisfied  with  the  pacification, 
by  which  fhe  recovered  Gironne,    Rofes,  Barcelona,  Lux 
embourg,  Charleroy,  Mons,  Courtray,  and  all  the  towns, 
fortrefTes,  and  territories  taken  by  the  French  in  the   pro 
vince  of  Luxembourg,   Namur,    Brabant,    Flanders,  and 
Hainault,  except    eighty-two  towns   and  villages  claimed 
by  the  French :  This  difpute   was   left  to  the  decifion  of 
commiiTaries;  or,  in  cafe  they  fhould  not  agree,  to  the  de 
termination  of  the  ftates-gencval.     A  remonftrance  in  fa 
vour  of  the  French  Proteilant  refugees  in  England,  Hol 
land,   and  Germany,    was  delivered  by   the  earl  of  Pem 
broke   to  the   mediator,  in  the   name    of   the    Proteftant 
allies,  on  the  day  that  preceded  the  conclufion  of  the  treaty; 
but  the  French   plenipotentiaries  declared,   in  the  name  of 
their  mafter,   that  as  he  did  not  pretend  to  prefcribe  rules 
to  King  William  about  the  Englifh  fubjects  he   expected 
the  fame  liberty  with  refpecl:  to  his  own.     No  other  effort 
was  made   in  behalf  of  thofe    Confcientious  exiles  :  1  he 
treaties  were  ratified,  and  the  peace   proclaimed   at  Paris 
and  London. 

The  emperor  ftill  held  out,  and  perhaps  was  encouraged  A  general 
to  perfevere  in  his   obftinacy  by  the  fuccefs   of  his  arms  Pacifi«tion 

IT  i_  i  •  i  •  T-  r    o         concluded 

in  Hungary,  where  his  general,  prince  Eugene  of  ba-  at 
voy,  obtained  a  complete  victory  at  Zenta  over  the 
forces  of  the  grand  fignor,  who  commanded  his  army  in 
perfon.  In  this  battle,  which  was  fought  on  the  nth  day 
of  September,  the  grand  vifir,  the  aga  of  the  JaniiFarie.^ 
feven-and-twenty  bafhaws,  and  about  thirty  thoufand 
men,  were  killed  or  drowned  in  the  river  They/Ft :  Six 
thoufand  were  wounded  or  taken,  together  with  all  their 
artillery,  tents,  baggage,  provision,  and  ammunition,  the 
grand  iignor  himlelf  efcaping  with  difficulty:  A  victory 
the  more  glorious  and  acceptable,  as  the  Turks  had  a 
great  iuperiority  in  point  of  number,  and  as  the  Imperial- 
ifts  did  not  lofe  a  thoufand  men  during  the  whole  action. 
The  emperor,  perceiving  that  the  event  of  this  battle  had 
no  effect  in  retarding  the  treaty,  thought  proper  to  make 
VOL.  I.  2  I 


250  HISTORY  OF   ENGLAND. 

BOOK  ufe  of  the  armiftice,  and  continue  the  negotiation  after  the 
!•        forementioned  treaties  had  been    figned.     This   was  like- 

<^"Y""V*)   wife  the  cafe  with  the  princes  of  the  empire  ;  though  thofe 
l697-       of  the  Proteftant  perfuafion  complained,  that  their  intereft 
was  neglected.     In  one  of  the  articles  of  the  treaty,  it  was 
ftipulated,.That  in  the   places  to  be   reftored   by   France, 
the  Roman  Catholic  religion  fhould  continue  as  it  had  been 
re-eftablifhed.     The  ambafladors  of  the  Proteftant  princes 
joined  in  a  remonftrance,  demanding,   That  the  Lutheran 
religion  fhould  be   reftored    in  thofe   places  where  it  had 
formerly  prevailed  ;  but  this  demand  was  rejf-xfted,  as  being 
equally  difagreeable  to   France  and  the   emperor.     Then 
they  refufed  to  fign  the  treaty,  which  was    now   concluded 
between   France,   the  emperor,  and  the    Catholic   princes 
of  the  empire.     By   this    pacification,    Triers,  the  Pala 
tinate,   and  Lorraine,    were    reftored   to   their     refpe6rjve 
owners.     The  countries  of  Spanheim   and  Veldentz,  to 
gether  with  the  duchy  of  Deux   Ponts,  were  ceded   to  the 
king  of   Sweden.     Francis  Louis_£alatine  was  confirmed 
in  the  electorate. of  Cologn  ;   and    Cardinal   Furftemberg 
reftored  to  all  his   rights    and  benefices.     The  claims   of 
the  duchefs  of  Orleans  upon  the   Palatinate   were  referred 
to  the  arbitration  of  France  and  the  emperor  ;    and   in  the 
meantime  the  Elector  Palatine  agreed  to  fupply  her  high- 
nefs   with  an   annuity  of  one  hundred   thoufand   florins. 
The  minifters  of  the  "Proteftant  princes  published  a  formal 
declaration  againft  the  claufe  relating  to  religion,  and  af 
terwards  folemnly  protefted  againft  the   manner   in  which 
the   negociation  had  been  conducted.     Such   was  the  ifj'ue 
of  a  long  and  bloody  war,  which  had  drained  England  of 
her  wealth  and  people,   almoft   entirely    ruined   her  com 
merce,  debauched  her  morals,  by  encouraging  venality  and 
corruption,  and  entailed  upon  her  the  curfe  of  foreign  con 
nexions,  as  well  as   a  national  debt,   which  was   gradually 
increafed  to  an   intolerable  burthen.  x  After  all  the  blood 
and  treafure  which  had  been  expended,    William's   ambi 
tion  and  revenge  remained  unfatisfied.     Neverthelefs,    he 
r^pcd  die  folid   advantage  of  feeing  himfelf  firmly  efta- 
blifhed  on  the  Englifli  throne  j  and  the  confederacy,  though 
not  fuccefsful  in  every  inftance,   accomplished  their  great 
aim  of  putting  a  ftop  to  the  encroachments  of  the  French 
monarch.     They   mortified  his  vanity,   they  humbled  his 
pride  and  arrogance,  ,and  compelled  him  to  difgorge  the  ac- 
quifitions  which,  like  a  robber,  he  had  made  in  violation  of 
public  faith,  juftice,  and  humanity.     Had  the   allies   been 
true  to  one  another  ;    had  they  acted    from   genuine  zeal 
for  the  common  intcrcfts  of  mankind;  and  profecuted  with 
vigour  the. plan  which  was  originally   concerted,  Louis 


WILLIAM.  251 

would  in  a  few  campaigns  have  b?en  reduced  to  the  moft  CHAP. 
abjeil  irate  of  difgrace,  defpondence,  and   fubmiflion  ;  for         v- 
he  was  deftitute  of  true  courage  and  magnanimity.     King 
William    having  fmiihed   this    important   tranfadlion,  re- 
turned  to   England  about   the  middle  of  November,  and 
was   received  in   London,  amidft  the  acclamations  of  the 
people,  who  now  again  hailed  him  as  their  deliverer  from  a 
war,  by  the  continuance  of  which  they  muft    have   been 
infallibly   beggared. 


C    252   ] 


BOOK     II. 


FROM    THE  TREATY   OF  RYSWIC  TO  THE  ACCESSION  OF 
GEORGE    I. 


CHAPTER    I. 

Proceedings   of  Parliament Standing    Army    reduced 

• The     Ring     dlfowns^    and    refo/ves    to    rum    the 

Scotch,   African   and     Indian   Company Is    obliged 

to  fend  away  his    Dutch   Guards The  Scots  fettle 

at  Daricn,   but  are  obliged  to  abandon   it A  lev  ere 

o  » 

bill  againft   Paplfts Violent    ferment    in    Scotland 

Death  of  the  Duke  of  Gloucefter Of  the  King 

of  Spain -SucceJJion  to  the  Britijh  Crown  fettled 

Several  memhers  -of  the  old  mini/try  Impeached Af 
fairs  on  the    Continent Death  of  King  James . 

Bill  of  abjuration    pajfed- Death  and  character  of 

Kin      William, 


BOOK  ^^T^^N   the  king  opened  the   feffion  of  parliament 

\  \     on  the  3d  day  of  December,  he  told  them  the  war 

*^~\f~*J-  was  brought   to   the  end  they   all  propofed,   namely,   an 

97-      honourable   peace.     He  gave  them    to  underftand    there 

was  a  confiderable  debt  on  account  of  the  fleet  and  army  : 

Pan:amen-     rr,1  ,.     ,  111  •    •  i 

taiypro-       *  nat  the  revenues  or   the    crown    had    been  anticipated: 

ee-^i-ngs.       He  exprefTed  his  hope,  that  they   would    provide   for  him 

during  his  life,  in  fuch  a  manner  as  would  conduce  to  Hf- 


W  I  L  L  1  A  M.  253 

own  honour,  and  that  of  the  government.  He  recom-  C  H  A  P. 
mended  the  maintenance  of  a  confiderable  navy;  and  L 
gave  it  as  his  opinion,  that,  for  the  prefent,  England  could  ^^V^**^ 
not  be  frfe  without  a  {landing  army.  Fie  promifed  to  l697- 
rectify  fuch  corruptions  and  abufes  as  might  have  crept 
into  any  part  of  the  administration  during  the  war ;  and 
effectually  to  difcourage  prophanenefs  and  immorality. 
Finally,  he  aiTured  them,  that  as  he  had  refcued  their  re 
ligion,  laws,  and  liberties,  when  they  were  in  the  extrenuft 
danger,  fo  he  Ihould  place  the  glory  of  his  reign  in  pre- 
ferving  and  leaving  them  entire  to  lateft  pofterity.  To 
this  jpeech  the  commons  replied  in  an  addrefs,  by  a 
compliment  of  congratulation  upon  the  peace,  and  an  af- 
^urance,  that  they  would  be  ever  ready  to  a/lift  and  fup- 
port  his  majefty,  who  had  confirmed  them  in  the  quiet  pof- 
feilion  of  their  rights  and  liberties,  and  by  putting  an  end 
to  the  war  fully  completed  the  work  of  their  deliverance. 
Notwithftanding;  thtfe  appearances  of  good  humour,  the 
majority  of  the  houfe,  and  indeed  of  the  whole  nation, 
were  equally  alarmed  and  exafperated  at  a  project  for 
maintaining  a  {landing  army,  which  was  countenanced  at 
court,  and  even  recommended  by  the  king,  in  his  fpecch 
to  the  parliament.  William's  genius  was  altogether  mi^ 
litary.  He  could  not  bear  the  thoughts  of  being  a  king 
without  power.  He  could  not  without  reluctance  difmifs 
thofe  officers  who  had  given  fo  many  proofs  of  their 
courage  and  fidelity.  He  did  not  think  himfelf  fafe  upon 
the  naked  throne,  in  a  kingdom  that  fwarmed  with  mal 
contents,  who  had  fo  often  confpired  againft  his  perfon  and 
government.  He  dreaded  the  ambition  and  known  per 
fidy  of  the  French  king,  who  ftill  retained  a  powerful  ar 
my.  He  forefaw,  that  a  reduction  of  the  forces  would 
lefTen  his  importance  b*th  at  home  and  abroad;  diminiflj 
the  dependence  upon  his  government  j  and  difperfe  thofe 
foreigners  in  whofc  attachment  he  chiefly  confided.  He 
communicated  his  fentimcnts  on  this  fubjecl:  to  his  confi 
dent,  the  earl  of  Sumlerland,  who  knew  by  experience  the 
averfion  of  the  people  to  a  {landing  army  ;  ncvcrthelefr, 
encouraged  him  with  hope  of  fuccefs,  on  the  fuppofition 
that  the  commons  would  fee  the  difference  between  an 
army  raifed  by  the  king's  private  authority,  and  a  body 
of  veteran  troops  maintained  by  confent  of  parliament  for 
the  fecurity  of  the  kingdom.  This  was  a  diflinction  to 
which  the  people  paid  no  regard.  All  the  jealoufy  of  for 
mer  parliaments  fcenied  to  be  roufed  by  the  bare  prcpo- 
fal ;  and  this  was  inflamed  by  a  national  prejudice  againft 
the  refugees,  in  whofe  favour  the  king  had  betrayed  re 
peated  mnvks  of  partial  in^u!  Tencc.  They  were  fubmif- 


254  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  five,  tractable,  and  wholly  dependent  upon  his  will  and 
generality.  The  Jacobites  failed  not  to  cherifn  the  feeds 

(~~y~*->  of  dlflatisfa&iorij  and  reproach  the  Whigs  who  counte- 
Jt597-  ranced  this  meafure.  They  branded  that  party  with 
spoflacy  from  their  former  principles.  They  observed, 
that  the  very  perfons  who  in  the  late  reigns  endeavoured 
to  abridge  the  prerogative,  and  deprive  the  king  of  that 
ihare  of  power  which  was  abfolutely  neceffary  to  actuate 
the  machine  of  government,  were  now  become  advocates 
for  maintaining  a  (landing  army  in  time  of  peace;  nay, 
raid  impudently  avowed,  that  their  complaifance  to  the 
court  in  this  particular  was  owing  to  their  defire  of  ex 
cluding  from  all  {hare  in  the  adminiftration  a  faction  dif- 
affected  to  his  majefty,  which'  might  miflead  him  into 
more  pernicious  meafures.  The  majority  of  thofe  who 
really  entertained  Revolution  principles  oppofed  the 
court,  from  apprchenfions  that  a  {landing  army,  once 
eflablifhed,  would  take  root,  and  grow  into  an  habitual 
maxim  of  government :  That,  fhou'ld  the  people  be  dif- 
armed,  and  the  fword  left  in  the  hands  of  mercenaries, 
the  liberties  of  the  nation  muft  be  entirely  at  the  mercy 
of  him  by  whom  thofe  mercenaries  fliould  be  command- 
,  ed.  They  might  over-awe  elections,  dictate  to  parlia 
ments,  and  eftablifh  a  tyranny,  before  the  people  could 
take  any  meafures  for  their  own  protection.  They  could 
not  help  thinking  it  was  poflible  to  form  a  militia,  that, 
•with  the  concurrence  of  a  fleet,  might  effectually  protect 
the  kingdom  from  the  dangers  of  an  invaiion.  They 
firmly  believed,  that  a  militia  might  be  regularly  trained 
to  arms,  fo  as  to  acquire  the  dexterity  of  profeffed  fol- 
diers  ;  and  they  did  not  doubt  they  would  furpafs  thofe 
hirelings  in  courage,  confidering  that  they  wouid  be  ani 
mated  by  every  concurring  motive  of  intereft,  fentiment 
and  affection.  Nay,  they  argued,  that  Britain,  furround- 
ed  as  it  was  by  a  boifterous  fea,  fecured  by  floating  bul 
warks,  abounding  with  (rout  and  hardy  inhabitants,  did 
not  deferve  to  be  free,  if  her  fons  could  not  prote6t  their 
liberties  without  the  aiTiftance  of  mercenaries,  who  were 
indeed  the  only  flaves  of  the  kingdom.  Yet,  among  the 
genuine  friends  of  their  country,  tome  individuals  cfpouf- 
cd  the  oppofite  maxims.  Theyobferved,  that  the  military 
fyftem  of  every  government  in  Europe  was  now  altered  : 
That  war  was  become  a  trade,  and  difcipline  a  fcience  not 
to  be  learned  but  by  thofe  who  made  it  their  fole  pro- 
fefTion  :  That,  therefore,  while  France  kept  up  a  large 
(landing  army  of  veterans,  ready  to  embark  on  the  oppo 
fite  coail,  it  would  be  abfolutely  neceffary,  for  the  fafety 
of  the  nation,  to  maintain  a  fmall  (landing  force,  which 


W  I  L  L  I  A  M.  255. 

would  be  voted  in  parliament  from  year  to  year.  They  c  u  A  P. 
might  have  fuggefted  another  expedient,  which  in  a  few 
years  would  have  produced  a  militia  of  difciplined  men.  (*" 
Had  the  foldiers  of  this  fmall  {landing  army  been  inlitled 
for  a  term  of  years,  at  the  expiration  of  which  they  might 
have  claimed  their  difcharge,  volunteers  would  have  of 
fered  themfelves  from  all  parts  of  the  kingdom,  even 
from  the  deiire  of  learning  the  ufe  and  excrcife  of  arms, 
the  ambition  of  being;  concerned  in  fcenes  of  actual  fer- 
vice,  and  the  chagrin  of  little  ^/appointments  or  tempo 
rary  difgufts,  which  yet  would  not  have  impelled  them  to 
inlift  as  foldiers  on  the  common  terms  of  perpetual  fla- 
very.  In  coiifequence  of  fuch  a  fucceffion,  the  whole 
kingdom  would  foon  have  been  flocked  with  members  of 
a  dilciplined  militia,  equal,  if  not  fuperior  to  any  army  of 
profefied  foldiers.  But  this  fcheme  would  have  defeated 
the  purpofe  of  the  government,  which  was  more  afraid 
of  domeftic  foes  than  of  foreign  enemies  ;  and  indufiri- 
oufly  avoided  every  plan  of  this  nature,  which  could 
contribute  to  render  the  malcontents  of  the  nation  more 
formidable. 

Before  we  proceed  to  the  tranfaclions  of  parliament  in 
this  feffion,  it  may  not  be  amifs  to  fketch  the  outlines  of 
the  miniftry,  as  it  flood  at  this  juncture.  The  kind's  af- 
fe&ion  for  the  earl  of  Portland  had  begun  to  abate,  in 
proportion  as  his  eftcem  for  Sunderland  increafed,  toge 
ther  wich  his  consideration  for  Mrs.  Villiers,  who  had 
been  ciiftinguiJhed  by  fome  particular  marks  of  his  majef- 
ty's  favour.  Thefe  two  favourites  are  faid  to  have  fu im 
planted  Portland,  whofe  place  in  the  king's  bofom  was 
now  filled  by  VanKeppel,  a  gentleman  of  Guclderland, 
who  had  firft  ferved  his  majefty  as  a  pa^e,  and  afterwards 
acted  as  a  private  fccretary.  The  earl  of  Portland  growing 
troublcfome,  from  his  jealoufy  of  his  rival,  the  king  re - 
folved  to  fend  him  into  honourable  exile,  in  quality  of  an 
ambaHauor  extraordinary  to  the  court  of  France;  and 
Trumball,  his  friend  and  creature,  was  diGriiied  from  the 
office  of  fccretary,  v/hich  the  king  conferred  upon  Ver- 
rion,  a  plodding  man  of  bufineft,  who  had  a£led  as  under 
Secretary  to  the  duke  of  Shrewfbury.  This  nobleman  ri 
valled  the  tarl  of  Sunderland  in  his  credit  at  the  council 
board;  and  was  fuppprted  by  Somers,  lord-chancellor  of 
England,  by  Ruflel,  now  earl  of  Oi  ford,  hrfl  lord  of  the 
admiralty,  and  Montagu,  chancellor  of  the  exd:-_qiurr. 
Somers  was  an  upright  judge,  a  plauuble  itateih;?.n, 
a  conilsTniT.ate  courtier,  arrablc,  mild,  and  iiifinuatin:^. 
Orford  appears  to  have  been  rough,  turbulent,  factious, 
and  (hallow.  Montagu  ha.d  diitinguiihed  hirrfclf  t-ariy  by 


256  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  his  poetical  genius ;  but  he  foon  converted  his  attention 
to  the  cultivation  of  more  folid  talents.  He  rendered  hi m- 
felf  remarkable  for  his  eloquence,  difcernment,  and 
knowledge  of  the  EnglifH  conftitution.  To  a  delicate 
tafte,  he  united  an  eager  appetite  for  political  fludies. 
The  firft  catered  for  the  enjoyments  of  fancy;  the  other 
was  fubfervient  to  his  ambition.  He,  at  the  fame  time, 
was  the  difUn2;ui{hed  encouragcr  of  the  liberal  arts,  and 
the  profefled  patron  of  projectors.  In  his  private  deport 
ment  he  was  liberal,  eafy,  and  entertaining;  as  a  ftatcf- 
man,  bold,  dogmatical,  and  afpiring. 

Number  of        The   terrors   ofaftanding  army  had  produced  fuch  an 

ftanding  univerfal  ferment  in  the  nation,  that  the  dependents  of 
the  court  in  the  houfe  of  commons  durft  not  openly  op - 

thoufand.  pofe  the  reduction  of  the  forces  ;  but  they  fhifted  the  bat 
tery,  and  employed  all  their  addrefs  in  perfuading  the 
houfe  to  agree,  that  a  very  fnrall  number  fhould  be  re 
tained.  When  the  commons  voted,  that  all  the  forces 
raifed  fmce  the  year  one  thoufand  fix  hundred  and  eighty 
fhould  be  difbanded,  the  courtiers  defired  the  vote  might 
be  recommitted,  on  pretence  that  it  reftrained  the  king  to 
the  eld  Tory  regiments,  on  whofe  fidelity  he  could  not 
rely.  This  motion,  however,  was  over-ruled  by  a  confi- 
tlerable  majority.  Then  they  propofed  an  amendment, 
which  was  rejected,  and  afterwards  moved,  that  the  fum 
of  five  hundred  thoufand  pounds  per  annum  fhould  be 
granted  for  the  maintenance  of  guards  and  garrifoHS. 
This  provifion  would  have  maintained  a  very  considerable 
number;  but  they  were  again  clifappointed,  and  fain  to 
embrace  a  competition  with  the  other  party,  by  which 
three  hundred  and  fifty  thoufand  pounds  were  allotted  for 
the  maintenance  of  ten  thoufand  men ;  and  they  after 
wards  obtained  an  addition  of  three  thoufand  marines. 
The  king  was  extremely  mortified  at  thefe  refolutions  of 
the  commons  ;  and  even  declared  to  his  particular  friends, 
that  he  would  never  have  intermeddled  with  the  affairs  of 
the  nation,  had  he  forefeen  they  would  make  fuch  returns 
of  ingratitude  and  diftruft.  His  difpleafure  was  aggravat 
ed  by  the  refentment  exprefled  againft  Sunderland,  who 
was  fuppofed  to  have  advifed  the  unpopular  meafure  of 
retaining  a  fhnding  army.  This  nobleman,  dreading  the 
vengeance  of  the  commons,  refolved  to  avert  the  fury  of 
the  impending  ftorm,  by  refigning  his  office,  and  retiring 
from  court,  contrary  to  the  intreaties  of  his  friends,  and 
the  earneft  defire  of  his  majefty. 

The  houfe  of  commons,  in  order  to  fweeten  the  unpa 
latable  cup  they  had  prefented  to  the  king,  voted  the  fum 
of  feven  hundred  thoufand  pound*  per  annum  for  the  tup- 


WILLIAM.  257 

port  of  the  civil  lift-,  diftindt  from  all  other  fervices.  CHAP. 
Then  they  pafTed  an  act  prohibiting  the  currency  of  fil- 
vered  hamrnered  coin,  including  a  claiife  for  making  out  ^"Y"^ 
new  exchequer  bills,  in  lieu  of  thofe  which  were  or 
mi^ht  be  filled  up  with  indorfements  ;  they  framed  ano 
ther  to  open  the  correfpondence  with  France,  under  vari 
ety  of  ^rovifos  ;  a  third  for  continuing  the  imprifonrnent 
of  certain  perfons  who  had  been  concerned  in  the  late 
confpiracy  ;  a  fourth  granting  further  time  for  adminif- 
terino;  oaths  with  refpect  to  tallies  and  orders  in  the  ex 
chequer  and  bank  of  England.  Thefe  bills  having  receiv 
ed  the  royal  affent,  they  refolved  to  grant  a  fupply, 
which,  together  with  the  funds  already  fettled  for  that 
purpofe,  fhould  be  fufficient  to  anfwer  and  cancel  all  ex 
chequer  bills,  to  the  amount  of  two  millions  fcven  hun 
dred  thoufand  pounds.  Another  fupply  was  voted  for  the 
payment  and  reduction  of  the  army,  including  half-pay  to 
fuch  cornmiffion  officers  as  were  natural -born  fubjects  of 
England.  They  granted  one  million  four  hundred  thou 
fand  pounds,  to  make  good  deficiencies.  They  refolved, 
that  the  fum  of  two  millions  three  hundred  and  forty- 
eight  thoufand  one  hundred  and  two  pounds,  was  necefiary 
to  pay  off  arrears,  fubiiftence,  contingencies,  general  of 
ficers,  guards,  and  garrifons,  of  which  fum  eight  hun 
dred  and  fifty-five  thoufand  five  hundred  and  two  pounds, 
remained  in  the  hands  ef  the  paymafter.  Then  they  took 
into  confideration  the  fubficlies  due  to  foreign  powers,  and 
the  fums  owing  to  contractors  for  bread  and  forage. 
Examining  further  the  debts  of  the  nation,  they  found  the 
general  debt  of  the  navy  amounted  to  one  million  three 
hundred  and  ninety-two  thoufand  feven  hundred  and 
forty-two  pounds.  That  of  the  ordnance  was  equal  to 
two  hundred  and  four  thoufand  one  hundred*  and  fifty- 
feven  pounds.  The  tranfport  debt  contracted  for  the  re 
duction  of  Ireland,  and  other  fervices,  did  not  fall  fhort 
of  four  hundred  and  fixty-fix  thoufand  four  hundred  and 
ninety-three  pounds  ;  and  they  owed  nine-arid- forty 
thoufand  nine  hundred  and  twenty-nine  pounds,  for  quar 
tering  and  clothing  the  army,  which  had  been  raifed  by 
one  a£t  of  parliament  in  the  year  1677,  and  difbanded  by 
another  in  the  year  1679.  As  this  enormous  load  of  debt 
could  not  be  discharged  at  once,  the  commons  pafTed 
a  number  of  votes  for  raifing  fums  of  money,  by  which  it 
was  confiderably  lightened;  and  fettled  the  funds  for  thcib 
purpof.-s  by  the  continuation  of  the  land-tax  and  other 
impoutions.  With  refpect  to  the  civil  lift,  it  was  raifed 
by  a  new  iubfidy  of  tonnage  and  poundage,  the  heredita 
ry  and  temporarv  excife,  a  weekly  portion  frem  the  reve- 
I.  2  K  ' 


758  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

Ii  o  C  K   nu-    cf  thc   poft-office,  the  firft-fruits  and   tenths  of  the 
clergy,  the    fines  in    the  alienation  office,  and  port-fines, 
""y""*      the  revenue  of  the  wine  licenfe,  money  arifing  by  fherifFs, 
'^'       proffer?,  and  compofitions    in   the   exchequer,    and    fei- 
zurc?,  the  income  of  the  duchy  of  Cornwall,  the  rents  of 
r.ll  other  crown-lands  in  England  or  Wales,  and  the  duty 
of  four    and  a  half  per  cent,  upon  fpecie  from  Barbadoes 
2nd    the   Leeward  Iflands.     The  bill  imported,  That  the 
overplus  arifing  from  thefe  funds  fhould  be  accounted  for 
to  parliament.      Six  hundred  thoufand  pound?  of  this  mo 
ney    was    allotted   for  the  purpofes  of  the  civil  lift  :   The 
reft    was  granted  for  the  jointure  of  fifty  thoufand  pounds 
per  annum,  to  be  paid  to  Queen  Mary  of  Efte,  according 
to   the   ftipulation    at    Ryfwick  ;  and  to  maintain  a  court 
for   the   duke   of  Gloucefter,  fon  of  the  princefs  Anne  of 
Denmark,  now    in    the    ninth  year   of  his  a^e ;  But  the 
jointure  was  never  paid  ;  nor  would  the  king  allow  above 
fifteen  thoufand  pounds  per  annum  for  the  ufe  of  the  duke 
of  Gloucefter,  to   whom  Burnet  bifhop  of  Salifbury  was 
appointed  preceptor. 

The  commons  having  difcufTed  the  ways  and  means  for 
raifing  the  fupplies  of  the  enfuing  year,  which  rofe  almoft  to 
five  millions,  took  cognizance  of  fome  fraudulent    indorfe- 
ments  of  exchequer  bills,  a   fpecies  of  forgery  which  had 
been  practifedby  a  confederacy,  confifting  of  Charles  Dun- 
comb,  receiver-general  of  excife  ;    Bartholomew    Burton, 
xvho  poflefled  a  place  in  that  branch  of  the  revenue  ;    John 
Knight,  treafurer  of  the   cuftoms  ;   and  Reginald  Marriot, 
a  deputy-teller  of  the  exchequer.     This  laft   became   evi 
dence  ••>  and  the  proof  turning  out  very  ftrong  and  full,  the 
houfe   refolved    to   make    examples   of    the    delinquents. 
Burnet.         Duncomb  and  Knight,  both  members  of  parliament,  were 
Ke"n5*  a.    expelled,  and  committed  to  the  Tower  :    Burton  was    fent 
Burchet.    S  to  Newgate  ;  and  bills  of  pains  and  penalties  were  ordered 
Lives  of  the  to  be  brought  againft  them.     The  firft,  levelled  at  Dun- 
Admirals,     cojut^  paffed  the  lower  houfe,  though  not   without  great 
Ra"ph.'        oppofition  ;  but  was  rejected  in  the   houfe  of  lords  by   the 
Voltaire.      majority  of  one  voice.  Duncomb  who  was  extremely  rich,  is 
faid  to  have  paid  dear  for  his  efcape.     The   other  two  bills 
met  with  the  fame  fate.     The  peers  difcharged  Duncomb 
from  his  confinement ;    but  he  was    recommitted   by    the 
commons,  and  remained  in   cuftody  till  the  end  of  the  fef- 
fion.     While  the  commons   were   employed  on    ways  and 
means,  fome  of  the  members  in   the  oppofiticn  propcfed, 
that  one-fourth  part  of  the   money  arifing  from   improper 
grants  of  the  crown  fhould  be  aprcpriated  to  the  fervice   of 
the  public  :   But  this  was  a  very  unpalatable  expedient,  as 
it  affeded  not  only  the  Whigs  of  King  William's  reign, 


W  I  L  L  I  A  M.  259 

but  alfo  the  Tories  who  had  been  gratified  by  Charles   II.  C  H  A  P. 
and  his  brother.     A  great   number  of  petitions  were  pre-  • 

fenced  aaviinfl:  this  meafure,  and  fo  many  difficulties  raifcd,  ^^7" 
that  botT  parties  agreed  to  hy  it  afide.  In  the  couife  of 
this  enquiry,  they  difcovered  that  one  Railton  held  a  grant 
in  truir  for  Mr.  Montagu,  chancellor  of  the  exchequer. 
A  motion  was  immediately  made,  that  he  fhould  withdraw; 
but  pafl^d  in  the  negative  by  a  great  majority.  Far  from 
prof  .cuting  this  minifter,  the  houfe  voted  it  was  their  opi 
nion,  that  Mr.  Montagu,  for  his  good  fer vices  to  the  go 
vernment,  did  defrrve  his  majefty's  favour. 

This  extraordinary  vote  was  afure  prefage  of  fuccefs  in  A  new  Eail 
the  execution  of  the  fcheme  which  Montague  had  concert-  lndia  Com- 
ed  againft  the  Eaft-India  company.  They  had  been  ^"uJiT 
founded  about  advancing  a  fum  of  money  for  the  public  fer- 
vice,  by  way  of  loan,  in  consideration  of  a  parliamentary 
fettlement ;  and  they  ofFered  to  raife  feven  hundred  thou- 
fand  pounds  on  that  condition  :  But,  before  they  formed 
this  relolucion,  another  body  of  merchants,  under  the  au- 
fpic:;s  of  Montague,  ofFered  to  lend  two  millions  at  eight 
per  cent,  provided  they  might  be  gratified  with  an  exclu- 
five  privilege  of  trading  to  the  Eait -Indies.  This  propo- 
fal  was  very  well  received  by  the  majority  in  the  houfe  of 
commons.  A  bill  for  this  purpofe  was  brought  in,  with 
additional  claufes  of  regulation.  A  petition  was  prefented 
by  the  old  compan/,  reprefenting  their  rights  and  claims 
under  fo  many  royal  charters;  the  regard  due  to  the  pro 
perty  of  above  a  thoufuid  families  interefted  in  the  flock; 
us  alfo  to  the  company's  property  in  India,  amounting  to 
forty-four  thoufand  pounds  of  yearly  revenue.  They  al- 
ledged  they  had  expended  a  million  in  fortifications:  That 
during  the  war,  they  had  loft  twelve  great  fliips,  worth  fif 
teen  hundred  thoufand  pounds:  That,  fince  the  laft  fub- 
fcription,  they  had  contributed  two  hundred  and  ninety-five 
thoufand  pounds  to  the  cufroms,  with  above  eighty-five 
thoufand  pounds  in  taxes :  That  they  had  furnifhed  fix 
thoufand  barrels  of  gunpowder  on  a  very  preffing  occa- 
fion ;  and  eighty  thoufand  pounds  for  the  circulation  of 
exchequer  bills,  at  a  very  critical  juncture,  by  dcfire  of  the 
lords  of  the  treafury,  who  owned  that  their  compliance  was 
a  very  important  fervice  to  the  government.  No  regard 
being  paid  to  their  remonftrance,  they  undertook  to  raife 
the  loan  of  two  millions,  and  immediately  fubfcrihed  two 
hundred  thoufand  pounds  as  the  firfl  paynun':.  The  two 
propofals  being  compared  and  confidered  by  the  houfe,  th.2 
majority  declared  for  the  bill,  which  was  paffed,  and  fcnt 
up  to  the  houfe  of  lords.  There  the  eld  company  deliver 
ed  another  petition,  r.iid  was  heard  by  counfcl  ;  neverthe- 


26o  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  Iefs5  fne  km  ma(]e  its  way,  though,  not  without  oppofition, 
*  and  a  formal  proteftation  by  onc-and-tvventy  lords,  who 
thought  it  was  a  hardfliip  upon  the  prefent  company,  and 
doubted  whether  the  feparate  trade  allowed  in  the  bill, 
concurrent  with  a  joint  ftock,  might  not  prove  fuch  an  in- 
confiftency  as  would  difcourage  the  fubfcription.  This 
act,  by  which  the  old  company  was  diflblved,  in  a  great 
meafure  blalted  the  reputation  of  the  Whigs,  which  had 
for  fome  time  been  on  the  decline  with  the  people.  They 
had  ftood  up  as  advocates  for  a  {landing  army :  They  now 
unjuftly  fuperfeded  the  Eaft-India  company  :  They  were 
accufed  of  having  robbed  the  public  by  embezzling  the 
national  treafure,  and  amaffing  wealth  by  ufurious  con 
tracts,  at  the  expence  of  their  fellow-fubjects,  groaning 
under  themoft  oppreffive  burdens.  Certain  it  is,  they  were 
at  this  period,  the  moft  mercenary  and  corrupt  undertakers, 
that  ever  had  been  employed  by  any  king  or  administra 
tion  fmce  the  firft  efti.blifhment  of  the  Englifh  monarchy. 
The  commons  now  transferred  their  attention  to  certain 
objects  in  which  the  people  of  Ireland  were  interefled.  Co 
lonel  Mitchelborne,  who  had  been  joint  governor  of  Lon 
donderry  with  Dr.  Walker,  during  the  fiege  of  that  place, 
petitioned  the  houfe  in  behalf  of  himfelf,  his  officers,  and 
foldiers,  to  whom  a  confiderabie  ium  of  money  was  due  for 
iubfiftence  ;  and  the  city  itfelf  implored  the  mediation  of 
the  commons  with  his  majeity,  that  its  fervice  and  fuffer- 
ings  might  be  taken  into  confideration.  The  houfe  having 
examined  the  allegations  contained  in  both  petitions,  pre- 
fented  an  addrefs  to  the  king,  recommending  the  citizens 
of  Londonderry  to  his  majefty's  favour,  that  they  might  no 
longer  remain  a  ruinous  fpectacle  to  all,  a  fcorn  to  their 
enemies,  and  a  difcouragement  to  well -affected  fubjects ; 
They  likewife  declared,  that  the  governor  and  garrifon  did 
deferve  fome  fpecial  marks  of  royal  favour,  for  a  lafting 
monument  to  pofterity.  To  this  addrefs  the  king  replied, 
That  he  would  confider  them,  according  to  the  defire  of 
the  commons.  William  Molineux,  a  gentleman  of  Dub 
lin,  having  publifhed  a  book  to  prove  that  the  kingdom  .of 
Ireland  was  independent  of  the  parliament  of  England, 
the  houfe  appointed  a  committee  to  enquire  into  the  caufe 
and  nature  of  this  performance.  An  addrefs  was  voted  to 
the  king,  defiririg  he  would  give  directions  for  the  difcove- 
ry  and  punifhment  of  the  author.  Upon  the  report  of  the 
committee,  the  commons  in  a  body  prelentcd  an  addrefs  to 
his  majefty,  reprefenting  the  dangerous  attempts  which  had 
been  lately  made  by  fome  of  his  fu'»jeils  in  Ireland,  to 
fhake  oft  their  fubjeclion  and  dependence  upon  ^England  ; 
attempts  which  appear jd  not  only  from  the  bold  and  per- 


W  I  L  L  I  A  M.  261 

ni clous  alTertions  contained  in  a  book  lately  publimed,  but  c  H  A  P. 
more  fully  and  authentically  by  fome  votes  and  proceedings 
of  the  commons  in  Ireland.  Thefe  had,  during  their  laft  ^--y-O 
feffion,  tranfmitted  an  act  for  the  better  fecurity  of  his  ma-  1698. 
jefty's  perfoa  and  government,  whereby  an  Engltfti  act  of 
parliament  was  pretended  to  be  re-enacted,  with  altera 
tions  obligatory  on  the  courts  of  juftice  and  the  great  feal 
of  England.  The  Englifh  commons,  therefore,  befought 
his  majefty  to  give  effectual  orders  for  preventing  any 
fuch  encroachments  for  the  future,  and  the  pernicious  con- 
fcquences  of  what  was  paft,  by  punifhing  thofe  who  had 
been  guilty  thereof :  That  he  would  take  care  to  fee  the 
laws  which  direct  and  retrain  the  parliament  of  Ireland 
punctually  obferved,  and  difcourage  every  thing  which 
might  have  a  tendency  to  leflen  the  dependence  of  Ireland 
upon  England.  This  remonftrance  was  gracioufly  receiv 
ed,  and  the  kingpromifed  to  comply  with  their  requeft. 

The  jealoufy  which  the  commons  entertained  of  the  go 
vernment  in  Ireland  animated  them  to  take  other  meafures 
that  ascertained  the  fubjection  of  that  kingdom.  Under- 
ftanding  that  the  Irifh  had  eftabliihed  divers  woollen  ma 
nufactures,  they,  in  another  addrefs,  intreated  his  majefty 
to  take  meafures  for  difcouraging  the  woollen  manufac 
tures  in  Ireland,  as  they  interfered  with  thofe  of  England, 
and  promote  the  linen  manufacture,  which  would  be  pro 
fitable  to  both  nation?.  At  the  fame  time,  receiving  in 
formation  that  the  French  had  feduced  fome  En^lifh  ma 
nufacturers,  and  fet  up  a  great  work  for  cloth-making  in 
Piccardy,  they  brought  in  a  bill  for  explaining  and  better 
executing  former  acts  for  preventing  the  exportation  of 
wool,  fullers  earth,  and  fcouring  clay ;  and  this  was  im 
mediately  pafled  into  a  law.  A  petition  being  prefentcd 
to  the  houfe,  by  the  Luftring  Company,  againft  certain 
merchants,  who  had  fmuggled  alamodes  and  luftrings 
from  France,  even  during  the  war,  the  committee  of 
trade  was  directed  to  enquire  into  allegations;  and  all  the 
fecrets  of  this  traffic  were  detected.  Upon  the  report,  the 
houfe  refolved,  that  the  manufacture  of  alantod^s  and 
luftrings,  fet  up  in  England,  had  been  beneficial  to  the 
kingdom :  That  there  had  been  a  deftru€live  M.V!  illegal 
trade  carried  on  during;  the  war  for  importing  thefe  com 
modities,  by  which  the  king  had  bee'n  defrauded  of  his 
cuftoms,  and  the  Englifh  m  arm  failures  ^reatly  difcoura^- 
ed  :  That,  by  thefmuggling  veflels  ei  in  this  trade, 

intelligence  had  been  carried  into  France  uurtne;  the  war, 
and  the  enemies  of  the  government  conveyed  from  jaftic0. 
Stephen  Seignoret,  Rhene  Baudoin,  T^hn  Goudet,  Ni 
cholas  Santini,  Peter  de  Flearfe,  John  :.  -hn  Da- 


262  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  maitre,  and  David  Barreau,  were  impeached  at  the  bar 
of  the  houfe  of  lords;  and  pleading  guilty,  the  lords  irr.- 

^~Y~*~'  pofed  fines  upon  them,  according  to  their  refpective  ci,- 
cumftances.  They  were  in  the  mean  time  committed  to 
Newgate,  until  thofe  fines  fhould  be  paid  :  and  the  com 
mons  acldrenVd  the  king,  that  the  money  might  be  appro 
priated  to  the  maintenance  of  Greenwich  hofpital.  The 
houfe  having  taken  cognizince  of  this  affair,  and  made 
fome  new  regulations  in  the  profccution  of  the  African 
trade,  prefented  a  folemn  addrefs  to  the  king,  reprefent- 
ing  the  general  degeneracy  and  corruption  of  the  age,  and 
befeeching  his  majefty  to  command  all  his  judges,  juilices, 
and  magiftrates,  to  put  the  laws  in  execution  againft  pro- 
fanenefs  and  immorality.  The  king  profefled  himfelf  ex 
tremely  well  pleafed  with  this  remonftrance,  prom i fed  to 
give  immediate  directions  for  a  reformation,  and  expreiTed 
his  defire  that  fome  more  effectual  proviiion  might  be 
made  for  fupprefling  impious  books,  containing  doctrines 
againft  the  Trinity :  doctrines  which  abounded  at  this 
period,  and  took  their  origin  from  the  licenfe  and  profli 
gacy  of  the  times. 

In  the  midft  of  fuch  immorality,  Dr.  Thomas  Bray, 
an  active  divine,  formed  a  plan  for  propagating  the  gof- 
pel  in  foreign  countries.  Miffionaries,  catechifms,  litur 
gies,  and  other  books  for  the  instruction  of  ignorant 
people,  were  fent  to  the  Englifh  colonies  in  America. 
This  laudable  defia;n  was  fupported  by  voluntary  contri 
bution  ;  and  the  bill  having  been  brought  into  the  houfe  of 
commons,  for  the  better  difcovery  of  eftates  given  to  fu- 
perftitious  ufes,  Dr.  Bray,  prefented  a  petition,  praying, 
that  fome  part  of  thefe  eftates  might  be  fat  apart  for  the 
propagation  of  the  reformed  religion  in  Maryland,  Virgi 
nia,  and  the  Leeward  iilands.  About  this  period,  a  fod- 
ety  for  the  reformation  of  manners  was  formed  under  the 
kind's  countenance  and  encouragement.  Confiderable 
collections  were  made  for  maintaining  clergymen  to  read 
prayers  at  certain  hours  in  places  of  public  worihip,  and 
adminifcer  the  facrament  every  Sunday.  The  members  of 
tliis  fociety  rtfolved  to  inform  the  magiftrates  of  all  vice 
and  immorality  that  fhould  fall  under  their  cognizance  ; 
and  with  what  part  of  the  fines  allowed  by  lav/  to  the  in 
former,  conftitute  a  fund  of  charity.  The  bufinefs  of  the 
fefTion  being  terminated,  the  king,  on  the  third  day  of 
July,  prorogued  the  parliament,  after  having  thanked 
them,  in  a  fliort  fpeech,  for  the  many  teiKmoniss  of  their 


W  I  L  L  I  A  M.  263 

affection  he  had   received  ;  and  in  two  days  after  the  pro-  CHAP, 
rogation  it  was  diffolved  *. 

In  the  month  of  January,  the  earl  of  Portland  had  fet  {*~y~*J 
out  on  his  embafly  to  France,  where  he  was  received  with  l6:^ 
very  particular  marks  of  diftin6r.ion.  He  made  a  public 
entry  into  Paris  with  fuch  magnificence  as  is  faid  to  have 
aftoniflied  the  French  nation.  He  interceded  for  the  Pro- 
teftants  in  that  kingdom,  againft  whom  the  perfecution 
had  been  renewed  with  redoubled  violence  :  He  propofed 
that  King  James  fhould  be  removed  to  Avignon,  in  which 
cafe  his  mafler  would  fupply  him  with  an  honourable  pen- 
fion  ;  but,  his  r  em  onft  ranees  on  both  fubjects  proved  in- 
effeclual.  Louis,  however,  in  a  private  conference  with 
him  at  Marli,  is  fuppofcd  to  have  communicated  his  pro 
ject  of  the  partition-treaty.  The  earl  of  Portland,  at  his 
return  to  England,  finding  himfelf  totally  eclipfed  in  the 
king's  favour,  by  Keppell,  now  created  earl  of  Albe- 
marle,  refigned  his  employments  in  difguft  ;  nor  could 
the  king's  felicitations  prevail  upon  him  to  refume  any 
office  in  the  houfehold  ;  though  he  promifed  to  ferve  his 
majcity  in  any  other  fliape,  and  was  Icon  employed  to  ne- 
gociate  the  treaty  of  partition.  If  this  nobleman  mifcarri- 
cd  in  the  purpofes  of  his  laft  embafiy  at  the  court  of  Ver- 
faiiles,  the  agents  of  France  were  equally  unfuccefsful  in 
their  endeavours  to  retrieve  their  commerce  with  Eng 
land,  which  the  war  had  interrupted.  Their  commiffary, 
tent  over  to  London  with  powers  to  regulate  the  trade  be 
tween  the  two  nations,  met  with  infuperable  difficulties. 
The  parliament  had  burdened  the  French  commodities 
with  heavy  duties,  which  v/ere  already  appropriated  to 
different  ufes;  and  the  channel  of  trade  was  in  many  re- 
fpe£ls  entirely  altered.  The  Enjjlifli  merchants  fupplied 
the  nation  with  wines  from  Italy,  Spain,  and  Portugal  ; 
with  linen  from  Holland  and  Silefia ;  and  manufactures  of 
paper,  hats,  Huffs,  and  filks,  had  been  let  up  and  fuccelT- 
fully  carried  on  in  England,  by  the  French  refugees. 

By  this  time  a  ferment  had  been  raifed   in  Scotland,  by  The  king 
the  oppofition   and  difcouragements   their   new  company  dlfowns  ci^ 
had    fuftained.     They  had    employed  agents  in  England,  ^Jfj^ 
Holland,  and  Hamburgh,  to   receive  fubfcriptions.     The  pany. 
adventurers  in  England,  were  intimidated  by  the  meafures 
which  had  been   taken  in  parliament  againft   the  Scottifh 
company.      The   Dutch    Eait-India    company   took    the 
alarm,  and  exerted  all  their  intereft  to  prevent  their  coun- 

*  On  the  5th  day  of  January,  a  fire  breaking  out  at  Whitehall,  thrcnga 
the  carelefinefs  ot  a  laundrefs,  the  whole  body  of  thjplacu,  together  wich  tht 
new  gallery,  council-chamber,  and  feveral  adjoining  apartments,  was  entire- 
coiifan-.edj  but  the  banqusting-houfs  was  not .affeiled. 


264  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  trymen  from  fubfcribing  ;  and  the  king  permitted  his  rcfi- 
dent  at  Harr.burgh  to  prefent  a  memorial  againft  the  Scot- 
.tifh  com  par.y  to  the  fenate  of  that  city.  The  parliament 
of  Scotland  being  aflembled  by  the  earl  of  Marchmont  as 
king's  commiffioner,  the  company  prefented  it  with  a  re- 
monftrance,  containing  a  detail  of" their  grievances,  arifing 
from  the  conduct  of  the  Englifh  houfe  of  commons,  as 
well  as  from  the  memorial  prefented  by  the  king's  minifter 
at  Hamburgh,  in  which  he  actually  difowned  the  a6l  of 
parliament  and  letters  patent  which  had  pafied  in  their  fa 
vour,  and  threatened  the  inhabitants  of  that  city  with  his 
majefty's  refentment,  in  cafe  they  ihould  join  the  Scots 
in  their  undertaking.  They  reprefented,  that  fuch  inftan- 
ces  of  interposition  had  put  a  flop  to  the  fubfcriptions  in 
England  and  Hamburgh,  hurt  the  credit  of  the  company, 
difcouraged  the  adventurers,  and  threatened  the  entire 
ruin  of  a  defign  in  which  all  the  moft  confiderable  families 
of  the  nation  were  deeply  engaged.  The  parliament  hav 
ing  taken  their  cafe  into  confederation,  fent  an  addrefs  to 
his  majefty,  reprefenting  the  hardfhips  to  which  the  com 
pany  had  been  expofed,  explaining  how  far  the  nation  in 
general  was  concerned  in  the  defign,  and  in  treating  that  he 
would  take  fuch  meafures  as  might  effectually  vindicate 
the  undoubted  rights  and  privileges  of  the  company.  This 
addrefs  was  feconded  by  a  petition  from  the  company  itfelf, 
praying  that  his  majefty  would  give  fome  intimation  to 
the  fenate  of  Hamburgh,  permitting  the  inhabitants  of 
that  city  to  renew  the  fubfcriptions  they  had  withdrawn  : 
That,  as  a  gracious  mark  of  his  royal  favour  to  the  com 
pany,  he  would  heftow  upon  them  two  fmall  frigates,  then 
lying  ufelefs  in  the  harbour  of  Burnt-Ifland  ;  and  that,  in 
confideration  of  the  obftru&ions  they  had  encountered,  he 
would  continue  their  privileges  and  i  mmunities  for  fuch 
longer  time  as  fhould  feem  reafonable  to  his  majefty. 
Though  the  commiffioner  was  wholly  devoted  to  the  king, 
who  had  actually  refolved  to  ruin  his  company,  he  could 
not  appeafe  the  refentment  of  the  nation  ;  and  the  heats  in 
parliament  became  fo  violent,  that  he  was  obliged  to  ad 
journ  it  to  the  fifth  day  of  November.  In  this  interval, 
the  directors  of  the  company,  underftanding  from  their 
agent  at  Hamburgh,  that  the  addrefs  of  the  parliament 
and  their  own  petition,  had  produced  no  effecr.  in  their  fa 
vour;  they  wrote  a  letter  of  complaint  to  the  Lord  Sea- 
field,  fecretary  offtate,  obferving,  that  they  had  received 
repeated  affurances  of  the  king's  having  given  orders  to 
his  refident  at  Hamburgh  touching  their  memorial -,  and 
intreating  the  interpofition  of  his  lordfhip,  that  juftice 
might  be  done  to  the  company.  The  fecretary,  in  his 


WILLIAM.  265 

anf\ver$  promlfed  to  take  the  firft  convenient  opportunity  CHAP. 

of  reprefenting  the  affair  to  his    majefty;  but  he  faid  this 

could  not  be  immediately  expected,  as  the  king  was  much   ^-^Y"^ 

engaged    in  the  affairs  of  the  Englifh  parliament-     This 

declaration    the   directors    conftdered,  as    it  really  was,  a 

mere  eva  fion,  which  helped  to  alienate  the  minds  of  that 

people  from  the  king's  perfon  and  government. 

King  William,  at  this  time,  refblved  in  his  own  mind 
a  project  of  far  greater  confequence  to  the  intereft  of  Eu 
rope  ;  namely,  that  of  fettling  the  fucceflion  to  the  throne 
of  Spain,  which  in   a  little  time  would  be  vacated  by  the 
death  of  Charles  II.  whofe  conftitution   was  already  ex- 
handed.     He  had  been  lately  reduced   to  extremity,  and 
his  fituation  was  no  fooner  known  in   France,  than  Louis 
detached  a  fquadron  towards  Cadiz,  with  orders  to  inter 
cept  the  plate-fleet,  in  cafe  the  king   of  Spain  fhould  die 
before  its   arrival.     William  fent   another  fleet  to  protect 
the  galleons;  but  it  arrived    too  late  for  that  fervice,  and 
the  nation  loudly   exclaimed   againft  the  tardinefs  of  the 
equipment.     His  Catholic  majefty  recovered  from  his  dif- 
order,  contrary  to  the  expectation  of  his  people,  but  con 
tinued  in  fuch   an  enfeebled  and  precarious  ftate  of  health, 
that  a  relapfe   was  every   moment   apprehended.     In  the  Sets  out  for 
latter  end  of  July,  King  William  embarked  for    Holland,  Holland< 
on  pretence  of  enjoying  the   recefs   from   bufmefs,  which 
was  neceiTary  to    his    conftitution.     He  was    glad   of  an 
opportunity  to  withdraw  himfclf  for   fome  time,    from  a 
kingdom  in  which  he  had  been  expofed  to  fuch  oppofition 
and  chagrin.     But   the  real   motive  of  his  voyage,  was  a 
defign  of  treating  with  the  French    king,  remote  from  the 
obfervation  of  thofe  who  might  have  penetrated   into  the 
nature  of  his  negociation.     He  had  appointed  a  regency  to 
govern  the    kingdom   in    his   abfence,  and   as  one  of  the 
number  nominated  the  earl  of  Marlborough,  who  had  re 
gained  his  favour,  and  been  conftituted   governor   to   the 
duke   of  Gloucefter.      At  his  majefty's  departure,  fealed 
orders  were  left  with  the  miniftry,  directing,  that  fixteen 
thoufand  men  fhould  be  retained  in  the  fervice,  notwitb- 
ftanding  the  vote  of  the  commons,  by  which  the  ftanding 
army  was  limited  to  ten  thoufand.     He  alled^ed,  that  the 
apprehenfion  of  troubles  which  might  arife  at  the  death  of 
Iving  Charles   induced  him   to  tranfo;refs   his   limitation; 
and  he  hoped  that  the  new   parliament  would  be  more  fa 
vourable.     His  enemies,  however,  made  a  frcfh  handle  of 
this  ilep,  to  depreciate  his  charadter   in    the  eyes  of  the 
people. 

Having   affifted  at  the  afTembly   cf  the  dates-general,  Confers 
and  given  audience  to  divers  ambafladors   at  the   Ha<me,  with  th» 

VOL.  I.  a  L 


266  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOO  K  he  repaired  to  his  houfe  at  Loo,  attended  by  the  earls  of 
Effcx,  Portland,  and  Selkirk.  There  he  was  vifitcd  by 
"  Count  Tallard,  the  French  minifter,  who  had  inftruc- 
tlons  to  negociate  the  treaty  concerning  the  Spanifh  fuc- 
ceffion.  The  earl  of  Portland,  by  his  majefty's  order, 
had  communicated  to  Secretary  Vernon,  the  principal 
conditions  which  the  French  king  propofed :  He  hirr.fllf 
wrote  a  letter  to  Lord  Chancellor  Somers,  defiring  his 
advice  with  regard  to  the  propofition?,  and  full  powers 
under  the  great  feal,  with  blanks  to  be  filled  up  occafion- 
ally,  that  he  might  immediately  bcein  the  treaty  with 
Count  Tallard.  At  the  fame  time,  he  fh  icily  enjoined 
iecrecy.  The  purport  of  Portland's  letter  was  imparted 
to  the  duke  of  Shrewfbury  and  Mr.  Montague,  who  con- 
fulted  with  the  chancellor  and  Vernon  upon  the  fubje#  ; 
and  the  chancellor  wrote  an  anfwer  to  the  kino:  as  the  iffue 
of  their  joint  deliberation  ;  but,  befoie  it  reached  his  ma- 
jefty,  the  firft  treaty  of  partition  was  figned  by  the  earl  of 
Portland  and  Sir  Jofeph  Williamfon.  The  contracting 
powers  agreed,  That,  in  cafe  the  king  of  Spain  fhculd 
die  without  iffue,  the  kingdom  of  Naples  and  Sicily,  with 
the  places  depending  on  the  Spanifh.  monarchy,  and  fitu- 
ated  on  the  coaft  of  Tufcany,  or  the  adjacent  iflands,  the 
marquifate  of  Final,  the  province  of  Guipufco?.;  all  places 
on  the  French  fide  of  the  Pyrennees,  or  the'other  moun 
tains  of  Navarre,  Alva,  or  Bifcay,  on  the  other  fide  of 
the  province  of  Guipufcoa,  with  all  the  fhips,  vefiels,  and 
-ftores,  fhould  devolve  upon  the  dauphin,  in  confideration 
of  his  right  to  the  crown  of  Spain,  which,  with  all  its 
other  dependencies,  fhould  defcend  to  the  electoral  prince 
of  Bavaria,  under  the  guardianfhip  of  his  father:  That 
the  duchy  of  Milan  fhould  be  fettled  on  the  emperor's 
fecond  fon,  the  Archduke  Charles :  That  this  treaty  fhould 
be  communicated  to  the  emperor  and  the  elector  of  Bava 
ria,  by  the  king  of  England  and  the  ftates-general :  That 
if  either  fhould  refufe  to  agree  to  this  partition,  his  pro 
portion  fhould  remain  in  fequeftration,  until  the  difpute 
could  be  accommodated:  That  in  cafe  the  electoral  prince 
of  Bavaria,  fhould  die  before  his  father,  then  the  elector 
and  his  other  heirs  fhould  fueceed  him  in  thofe  domi 
nions;  and,  fhould  the  archduke  reject  the  duchy  of  Mi 
lan,  they  agreed  that  it  fhould  be  fequeftered,  and  govern 
ed  by  the  prince  of  Vaudemont.  It  may  be  neceffary  to 
obferve,  that  Philip  IV.  father  to  the  prefent  king  of 
Spain,  had  fettled  his  crown  by  will  on  the  emperor's 
children:  That  the  dauphin  was  fon  to  Maria  Therefa, 
daughter  of  the  fame  monarch,  whofe  right  to  the  fuccef- 
fion  Louis  had  renounced  in  the  moll  folemn  manner :  A& 


W  I  L  L  I  A  M.  267 

for  the  electoral  prince  of  Bavaria,  he  was  grandfon  to  a  C  H  A  P. 
daughter  of  Spain.  This  treaty  of  partition  was  one  of  the 
moft  i  opudent  fchemes  of  encroachment  that  tyranny  and 
injustice  ever  planned.  Louis,  who  had  made  a  practice 
of  facrificing  all  ties  of  honour  and  good  faith  to  the  inte- 
reft  of  his  pride,  vanity,  and  ambicion,  forefaw  that  he 
fliould  never  be  able  to  accomplish  his  defigns  upon  the 
crown  of  Spain,  while  William  was  left  at  liberty  to  form 
another  confederacy  againft  them.  H?,  therefore,  refolved 
to  amufe  him  w::h  a  treaty,  in  which  he  fhould  feem  to 
aft  as  umpire  in  the  concerns  of  Europe.  He  knew  that 
William  was  too  .vuch  of  a  politician  to  be  redacted  by 
notions  of  private  juttice  ;  and  that  he  would  make  no 
fcruple  to  infri::;jje  the  laws  of  particular  countries,  or 
even  the  rights  of  a  fingle  nation,  when  the  balance  of 
power  was  ai  .la'<e.  He  judged  right  in  this  particular. 
The  king  of  Eug!a,:J  lent  a  willing  ear  to  his  propofals, 
and  engaged  in  a  pi  :.i  for  difmemberinti;  a  kingdom,  in 
dcipite  of  ii\-:  native-,  and  in  violation  of  every  law  hu- 
mar  or  d; . 

While  the  French  king  cajoled  William  with  this  ne- 
gociation,  the  Marquis  d'Harcourt,  his  ambaflador  to 
Spain,  was  engaged  in  a  game  of  a  different  nature  at 
Madrid;  The  queen  of  Spain,  fufpecling  the  defigns  of 
France,  exerted  ail  her  intereft  in  behalf  of  the  king  of  the 
Romans,  to  whom  (he  was  nearly  related.  She  new 
modelled  the  council,  beftowed  the  government  of  Milan, 
on  Prince  Vaudemont,  and  eftabliihed  the  prince  of  He  fie 
d'Armftadt,  as  viceroy  of  Catalonia.  Notwithftandingall 
her  efforts,  (he  could  not  prevent  the  French  minifter 
from  acquiring  fome  influence  in  the  Spanifh  councils. 
He  was  inftrufted  to  procure  the  fucceffion  of  the  crown 
for  one  of  the  dauphin's  fon?,  or  at  leaft  to  hinder  it  from 
devolving  upon  the  emperor's  children.  With  a  view 
to  give  weight  to  his  negociations,  the  French  king  or 
dered  an  army  of  fixty  thoufand  men  to  advance  towards 
the  frontiers  of  Catalonia  and  Navarre,  while  a  great  num 
ber  of  ihips  and  gallies  cruifed  along  the  coaft,  and  enter 
ed  the  harbours  of  Spain.  Harcourt  immediately  began 
to  form  his  party:  He  reprefented,  that  Philip  IV.  had 
no  power  to  difpofe  of  his  crown,  againft  the  laws  of  na 
ture  and  the  conilitution  of  the  realm:  That,  by  the  or 
der  of  fucceffion,  the  crown  ought  to  defcend  to  the  chil 
dren  of  his  daughter,  in  preference  to  more  diftant  rela 
tions:  That,  if  the  Spaniards  would  declare  in  favour  of 
the  dauphin's  fecond  fon,  the  duke  of  Aniou,  they  might 
train  him  up  in  the  manners  and  cuftoms  of  their  countrv. 
When  he  found  them  averfe  to  this  propofal,  he  aflured 


268  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  them  his  mafter  would  approve  of  the  electoral  prince  of 
Bavaria,  rather  than  confent  to  the  fucceflion's   devolving 
upon   a   fon  of  the  emperor.     Nay,    he  hinted,    that    if 
they  would    choofe   a   fovereign  among    themfelves,  they 
might  depend   upon  the    protection  of  his  moft   Chriftian 
majefty,  who  had  no  other  view  than   that  of  preventing 
the  houfe  of  Auftria  from  becoming:  too  formidable  to  the 
liberties  of  Europe.     The  queen  of  Spain  having  difcover- 
ed  the  intrigues  of  this  minifter,  conveyed  the  king  to  To 
ledo,  on  pretence  that  the   air  of  Madrid  was    prejudicial 
to  his  health.     Harcourt  immediately  took  the  alarm.     He 
fuppofed    her    intention   was   to   prevail   upon    her   huf- 
band,  in  his  folitude,  to  confirm  the  laft  will  of  his  father  ; 
and  his  doubts  were  all  removed,  when  he  underftood  that 
the  Count  de  Harrach,  the  Imperial  ambaflador,  .had  pri 
vately  repaired  to  Toledo.     He   forthwith  took  the  fame 
road,  pretending  to  have  received    a   memorial   from  his 
mafter,  with  a  pofitive  order  to  deliver  it  into   the  king's 
own  hand.     He  was   given   to  underftand,  that  the  ma 
nagement  of  foreign  affairs    had  been  left    to  the  care  of 
Cardinal   Corduba  at  Madrid,  and  that  the  king's  health 
would  not   permit  him  to  attend   to  bufmefs.     The    pur 
port  of  the   memorial  was,  an  offer    of  French  forces  to 
aflift  in  raifing  the  fiege  of  Ceuta  in   Barbs ry,  which  the 
Moors  had  lately  undertaken ;  but   this  offer  was  civilly 
declined.     Harcourt,  not   yet  difJcou raged,  redoubled  his 
efforts  at  Madrid,  and   found   means  to  engage   Cardinal 
Portocarrero   in  the  interefts  of  his  mafter.     In  the  mean 
time  Louis  concluded  an  alliance  with  Sweden,  under  the 
pretext  of  preferving  and  fecuring  the  common  peace,  by 
fuch  means  as  ftiould  be  judged   moft  proper  and  conveni 
ent.     During    thefe  tranfaclions,  King  William  was  not 
wanting  in  his  endeavours  to  terminate  the  war  of  Hun 
gary,  which  had   raged   fifteen  years  without  intermiffion. 
About  the  middle  of  Auguft,  Lord  Paget,  and  Mr.  Col 
liers,  ambafTadors  from    England  and  Holland,  arrived  in 
the  Turkilh  camp  ne^.r  Belgrade  ;  and  a  congrefs  being 
opened  under  their  mediation,  the  peace  of  Carlowitz,  was 
figned  on  the  26th  day  of  January.     By   this  treaty,  the 
emperor  remained  in    pofTeiTion    of  all  his  conquefts  ;  Ca- 
minieck  was  reftored  to  the  Poles  ;  all  the  Morea,  with 
feveral  fortreffes  in  Dalmatia,  were  ceded   to   the   Vene 
tians;  and  the  czar  of  Mufcovy  retained  Azoph  during  a 
truce  of  two  years  ;  fo  that  the  Turks,  by  this   pacifica 
tion,  loft  great  part  of  their  European  dominions.     The 
cardinal  primate  of  Poland,  who   had  ftrcnuoufly  adhered 
to  the  prince  of  Conti,  was    prevailed   upon  to  acknow 
ledge  Auguflus;  and  the   commotions  in  Lithuania  be- 


WILLIAM.  269 

ing  appeafed,  peace  was  eftabliflied   through   all    Chrif-  CHAP. 
ten  don  i.  .  . 

In  the  beginning  of  December  the  king  arrived  in 
England,  where  a  new  parliament  had  been  chofen,  and 
prorogued  on  account  of  his  maicfty's  abfence,  which  was  Rct"rns  ^ 

i    °       i    i  -ii  n.    '  u         England. 

prolonged  by  contrary  winds  and  tempeituous  weather. 
His  miriiflry  had  been  at  very  little  pains  to  influence  the 
elections,  which  generally  fell  upon  men  of  revolution 
principles,  thougli  they  do  not  feern  to  have  been  much 
devoted  to  the  perfon  of  their  foverekni  ;  yeC  their  choice 
of  Sir  Thomas  Lictleton  for  fpeaker,  teemed  to  prefage 
a  feflion  favourable  to  the  miniftry.  The  two  houfes 
being  convened  on  the  6ch  day  of  December,  the  king, 
in  his  fpeech,  obferved,  that  the  fafety,  honour,  and  hap- 
pinefs  of  the  kingdom,  would  in  a  great  meafure  depend 
upon  the  ftrength  which  they  fliould  think  proper  to 
maintain  by  fea  and  land.  Ke  defired  they  would  rr.a!ce 
fome  further  progrefs  in  difcharging  the  national  debt ; 
contrive  effectual  expedients  for  employing  the  poor ; 
pafs  good  bills  for  the  advancement  of  trade,  and  the  dif- 
couragement  of  profanity  ;  and  acl:  with  unanimity  and 
difpatch.  The  commons  of  this  new  parliament,  were  ib 
irritated  at  the  king's  prefuming  to  maintain  a  greater 
number  of  troops  than  their  predeceflbrs  had  voted,  that 
they  refolved  he  (hould  feel  the  weight  of  their  difplea- 
fure.  They  omitted  the  common  compliment  of  an  ad- 
drefs  ;  they  refolved  that  all  the  forces  of  England.,  in 
Englifh  pay,  exceeding  feven  thov'fand  men,  fhould  be 
forthwith  difbanded  ;  as  alfo  thofe  in  Ireland,  exceeding 
twelve  thoufand  ;  and  that  thofe  retained  fhould  be  his 
majefty's  natural-born  fubje&s.  A  bill  was  brought  in  is  obliged 
on  thefe  refolutions,  and  profecuted  with  peculiar  eager-  to  ^nd  a- 
nefs,  to  the  unfpeakable  mortification  of  King  William,  j^ch"* 
who  was  not  only  extremely  fenfible  of  the  affront,  but  guards. 
alfo  particularly  chagrined  to  fee  himfelf  difabled  from 
maintaining  his  Dutch  guards,  and  the  regiments  of 
French  refugees,  to  which  he  was  uncommonly  attached. 
Before  the  meeting  of  the  parliament,  the  miniftry  gave 
him  to  underftand,  that  they  fhould  be  able  to  procure 
u  vote  for  ten  or  twelve  thoufand ;  but  they  would  not 
undertake  for  a  greater  number.  He  profefled  himfelf 
diffatisfied  with  the  propofal,  obferving^  that  they  might 
as  well  difband  the  whole,  as  leave  fo  few.  The  minifies 
would  not  run  the  rifque  of  lofing  all  their  credit,  by  pro- 
pofmg  a  greater  number  ;  and,  having  received  no  direc 
tions  on  this  fubjecT:,  fat  filent  when  it  wr.s  debated  in  the 
houfe  of  commons. 


270  HISTORY  O?  ENGLAND. 

BOOK        Sucv,  was  the  indignation  of  William,   kindled  by  this 
,  .   conduct  of  his  miniitry  and  his  parliament,  that  he  threat- 

"\"Y/^  ened  to  abandon  the  government ;  and  had  actually  pen- 
Threatens  n  "  a  fpeech  to  be  pronounced  to  both  houfes  on  that  oc- 
tu  abandon  cafion  ;  but  he  was  diverted  from  this  purpofe  by  his  mi- 
the  govern-  n[{\ry  and  confidents,  and  refolved  to  pafs  the  bill  by 
which  he  had  been  fo  much  offjiuk-d.  Accordingly,  when 
it  was  ready  for  the  royal  aflent,  he  went  to  thr  houfe  of 
peers,  where  having  fent  for  the  commons,  he  told  them, 
that,  although  he  might  think  himfelf  unkindly  ufed,  in 
being  deprived  of  his  guards,  which  had  conftantly  attend 
ed  him  in  all  his  actions ;  yet,  as  he  believed  nothing 
could  be  more  fatal  to  the  nation  than  any  diftruft  or  jea- 
loufy  between  him  and  his  parliament,  he  was  come  to 
pafs  the  bill,  according  to  their  defire.  At  the  fame  time, 
for  his  own  juftification,  and  in  dilcharge  of  the  truit  re- 
pcfed  in  him,  he  declared,  that  in  his  own  judgment  the 
nation  was  left  too  much  expofed  ;  and  that  it  was  in 
cumbent  upon  them  to  provide  fuch  a  ftrength  as  mi^ht 
be  neceffary  for  the  fafety  of  the  kingdom.  They  thanked 
him,  in  an  addrefs,  for  this  undeniable  proof  of  his  readi- 
m-fs  to  comply  with  the  defires  of  his  parliament.  They 
afFured  him,  he  fhould  never  have  reafon  to  think  the 
commons  were  undutiful  or  unkind  ;  for  they  would,  on 
all  occafions,  ftand  by,  and  aflift  him  in  the  prefervation 
of  his  facred  perfon,  and  in  the  fupport  of  his  govern 
ment,  againft  all  his  enemies  v/hatfoever.  The  lords  pre- 
fented  an  addrefs  to  the  fame  effect ;  and  the  king  afTured 
both  houfes,  he  entertained  no  doubts  of  their  loyalty  and 
affection.  He  forthwith  ifl'ued  orders  for  reducing  the  ar 
my  to  the  number  of  feven  thoufand  men,  to  be  maintain 
ed  in  England  under  the  name  of  guards  and  garrifons  ; 
and,  hoping  the  hearts  of  the  commons  were  now  mollifi 
ed,  he  made  another  effort  in  favour  of  his  Dutch  guards, 
whom  he  could  not  difmifs  without  the  moft  fenfible  re 
gret.  Lord  Ranelagh  was  fent  with  a  written  meffage  to 
the  commons,  giving  them  to  underftand,  that  the  necef 
fary  preparations  were  made  for  tranfporting  the  guards 
who  came  with  him  into  England,  and  that  they  Ihould 
embark  immediately,  unlefs,  out  of  confideration  to  him, 
tHe  houfe  fhould  be  difpoled  to  find  a  way  for  continuing 
them  longer  in  the  fervice  ;  a  favour  which  his  majefty 
would  take  very  kindly.  The  commons,  inftead  of  com 
plying  with  his  inclination,  prefented  an  addrefs,  in 
which  they  profeffed  unfpeakable  grief,  that  he  fhould 
propofe  any  thing  to  which  they  could  not  confent  with 
due  regard  to  the  conflitution,  which  he  had  come  over  to 
rcftore,  and  fo  often  hazarded  his  royal  perfon  to  preferve. 


WILLIAM.  271 

They  reminded  him  of  the  declaration,  in  which  he  had  CHAP- 
promifed  that  all  the  foreign  forces  fhould  be  fent  out  of 
the  kingdom.  They  obferved,  that  nothing  conduced 
more  to  the  happinefs  and  welfare  of  the  nation,  than  an 
entire  confidence  between  the  kins:  and  people,  which 
could  no  way  be  fo  firmly  efbblifhed  as  by  entrufting  his 
facred  perfon  with  his  own  fubjecls,  who  had  fo  eminent 
ly  iignalized  themfelves  during  the  late  long  and  expen- 
live  war.  They  received  a  foothing  anfwer  to  this  ad- 
drefs,  but  remained  firm  to  their  purpofe,  in  which  the 
king  was  fain  to  acquiefce  ;  and  the  Dutch  guards  were 
tranfported  to  Holland.  At  a  time  when  they  declared 
themfelves  fo  well  pleafecl  with  their  deliverer,  fuch  an 
oppofition,  in  an  affair  of  very  little  confequence,  favour 
ed  more  of  clownifli  obftinacy  than  of  patriotifm.  In  the 
midft  of  all  their  profeffions  of  regard,  they  entertained 
a  national  prejudice  againft  himfclf,  and  all  the  foreigners 
in  his  fervice.  Even  in  the  houfe  of  commons  his  perfon 
was  treated  with  great  difrefpecl  in  virulent  infmuations. 
They  fuo;gefted,  that  he  neither  loved  nor  trufted  the 
Engliih  nation;  that  he  treated  the  natives  with  the  moft 
difagreeable  referve  ;  and  chofe  his  confidents  from  the 
number  of  ftrangers  that  furrounded  him  ;  that,  after 
every  feffion  of  parliament,  he  retired  from  the  kingdom, 
to  enjoy  an  indolent  and  inglorious  privacy  with  a  few  fa 
vourites.  Thefe  fuggeftious  were  certainly  true.  He 
was  extremely  difgufted  with  the  Englifn,  whom  he  con- 
fidered  as  malicious,  ignorant,  and  ungrateful,  and  he 
took  no  pains  to  difguife  his  fentiments. 

The  commons  having  effected  a  diflblution  of  the  army, 
voted  fifteen  thoufand  feamen,  and  a  proportionable  fleet 
for  the  fecurity  of  the  kingdom  ;  they  granted  one  million 
four  hundred  and  eighty- four  thoufand  fifteen  pounds,  for 
the  fervices  of  the  year,  to  be  raifed  by  a  tax  of  three  ihil- 
lings  in  the  pound  upon  lands,  perfonal  eftates,  pen/ions, 
and  offices.  A  great  number  of  priefts  and  Roman  Ca 
tholics,  who  had  been  frightened  away  by  the  revolution, 
were  now  encouraged  by  the  treaty  of  Ryfwick  to  return, 
and  appeared  in  all  public  places  of  London  and  Weft- 
minfter,  with  remarkable  effrontery.  The  enemies  of  the 
government  whiipered  about,  that  the  treaty  contained  a 
fecret  article  in  favour  of  thofe  who  profefTed  that  religion ; 
and  fome  did  not  even  fcruple  to  infmuate,  that  William 
was  a  Papift  in  his  heart.  The  commons,  alarmed  at  the 
number  and  infolence  of  thofe  re]igionifts,defired  the  kin^-, 

•  f  "*-* 

in  an  addrefs,  to  remove  by  proclamation  all  Papifis  and 
Nonjurors,  from  the  city  London  and  parts  adjacent,  and 
put  the  laws  in  execution  againft  them,  that  the  wicked  de- 


272  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  figns  they  were  always   hatching  might  be  effectually  dif- 
appointed.     The  king  gratified   them  in  their  requeft  of  a 
^""V"*^  proclamation,  which   was  not  much  regarded  :    But   a  re- 
l693-      markable  law  was  enacted  againft  Papitts  in  the  courfe  of 
the  enfuing  feffion.     The  old   Eaft  India  company,  about 
this  period,    petitioned  the  lower  beufe,  to  make  iorne  pro- 
vifion  that  their  corporation  might  fubfift  for  the  refidue  of 
the  term   of  twenty-one  years  granted   by  his    majefty's 
charter  :   That  the  payment  of  the  five  pounds    per  cent. 
by  the    late  act  for  fettling  the  trade  to    the   Eaft  Indies, 
might  be  fettled  and  adjufted  in  fuch  a  manner,  as  not  to 
remain  a  burthen  on  the  petitioners  ;  and  that  fuch  further 
confiderations  might  be  had  for  their  relief,  and   for   the 
prefervation  of  the  Eaft  India  trade,  as  fhould  be  thought 
reafonable,     A  bill  was  brought   in  upon    the   fubjecT:  of 
this  petition  ;    but  rejected  at  the   fccond  reading.     Dif- 
contents  had  rifen  to  fuch  a  height,  that  fome  members  be 
gan  to  aflbrt,  they  were  not  bound   to  maintain  the  votes 
Burner.        and  credit  of  the  former  parliament;  and  upon  this  maxim, 
Kennei.        would  have  contributed  their  intereft  towards  a  repeal  of 
Lamberty.    ^  ^  mac[e  jn  faVour  of  the  new  company  :    But  fuch  a 

Statecrafts  r  .  r  .  r  J  ... 

Tindal.        Icheme   was  or  too   dangerous  conlequ^nce  to  the  public 

Ralph.         credit,  to  be  carried  into  execution. 

That  fpirit  of  peeviihnefs  which  could  not  be  gratified 
with  this  facrifice,  produced  an  enquiry  into  the  manage 
ment  of  naval  affairs,  which  was  aimed  at  the  earl  of  Or- 
ford,  a  nobleman  whofe  power  gave  umbrage,  and  whofe 
wealth  excited  envy.  He  officiated  both  as  treafurer  of 
the  navy,  and  lord-commiffioner  of  the  admiralty,  and 
feemed  to  have  forgot  the  fphere  from  which  he  had  rifen 
1699.  to  title  and  office.  The  commons  drew  up  an  addrefs, 
complaining  of  fome  unimportant  articles  of  mifmanage- 
ment  in  the  conduct  of  the  navy  ;  and  the  earl  was  wife  e- 
nough  to  avoid  further  profecution,  by  refigning  his  em 
ployments.  On  the  4th  day  of  May  the  king  clofed  the 
feffion,  with  a  fhort  fpeech  hinting  diflatisfa&ion  at  their 
having  neglected  to  confider  fome  points  which  he  had  re 
commended  to  their  attention ;  and  the  parliament  was  pro 
rogued  to  the  lit  of  June  *.  In  a  little  time  after  this 

*  About  the  latter  end  of  March  the  earl  of  Warwick  and  Lord  Mohun 
were  tried  by  their  peers  in  Wt-ftminfter-hall,  for  the  murder  or  captain  Rich 
ard  Coote,  wlio  hud  been  killed  in  a  mid-night  combat,  of  three  on  each 
lide  War.\ic  was  found  guilty  of  manfiaugiHer,  a;;d  Mohun  acquitted. 

Vilhrscarl  of  Jerfy,  who  ha.i  been  frnt  ambarta  ior  to  France,  was  appoint 
ed  fccretary  of  flats,  in  the  room  of  the  duke  ci  Shrewfbury.  This  nobleman, 
was  created  lord-churnbeilain  :  T he  earl  of  Manchefter  was  fcnt  aflobaiiador 
extraordinary  to  franct;  :  The  earl  of  Pembroke  was  declared  lord-prehu'itir. 
of  the  cju:!_il  j  aui  Lord  Vilcuunt  Lonidale  keeper  ot  i).t  privy-fsal. 


W  I  L  L  I  A  M.  273 

prorogation,  his  majefly  appointed  a  regency*;  and  on  the  CHAP, 
ad  day  of  June  embarked  for  Holland. 

In  Ireland  nothing  of  moment  was  tranfacted.  The  **"V*»^ 
parliament  of  that  kingdom  paff-'d  an  act  for  railing  one  l699- 
hundred  and  twenty  thoufand  pounds  on  lands,  tenements, 
and  hereditaments,  to  defray  the  expence  of  maintaining 
twelve  thoufand  men  who  had  been  voted  by  the  commons 
of  England:  Then  the  aflembly  was  prorogued.  A  new 
comir.iilioa  afterwards  arrived  at  Dublin,  conftituting  the 
duke  of  Bolton,  the  earl  of  Berkley  and  Galway,  lords-juf- 
ticcs  of  Ireland.  The  clamour  in  Scotland  increafed  a- 
gainft  the  minifrry,  who  haddifowned  their  company,  and  in 
a  great  meafure  defeated  the  defign  from  which  they  had  pro- 
mifod  themfelves  fuch  heaps  of  treafure.  Notwithstanding 
the  difcouragements  to  which  their  company  had  been  ex- 
poled,  they  fitted  out  two  of  four  large  {hips  which  had 
been  built  at  Hamburg  for  their  fervice.  Thefe  were  la 
den  with  a  cargo  for  traffic,  with  fome  artillery  and  military 
ftores  ;  and  the  adventurers  embarking,  to  the  number  of 
twelve  hundred,  they  failed  from  the  frith  of  Edinburgh, 
with  fome  tenders,  on  the  iyth  day  of  July  in  the  preceding 
year.  At  Madeira  they  took  in  a  fupply  of  wine,  and  then 
fleered  to  Crab-ifland  in  the  neighbourhood  of  St.  Tho 
mas,  lying  between  Santa  Cruz  and  Porto  Rico.  Their 
defign  was  to  take  pofeffion  of  this  litile  ifland  ;  but,  when 
they  entered  the  road,  they  faw  a  large  tent  pitched  upon 
the  flrand,  and  the  Danifh  colours  flying.  Finding  them-  Scottidi 
felves  anticipated  in  this  quarter,  they  directed  their  courfe  company 
to  the  coaft  of  Darien,  where  they  treated  with  the  natives  make  a  let" 
for  the  efiabiifnment  of  their  colony,  and  taking  pofeffion  Darien! 
of  the  ground,  to  which  they  jjave  the  name  of  Caledonia, 
began  to  execute  their  plan  of  erecting  a  town  under  the 
appellation  of  new  Edinburgh,  by  the  direction  of  their 
Council,  confifting  of  paterfon  the  projedtor,  and  fix  other 
directors.  They  had  no  fooner  completed  their  fettlement, 
than  they  wrote  a  letter  to  the  kin?,  containing  a  detail  of 
their  proceedings.  They  pretended  they  had  received  un 
doubted  intelligence,  that  the  French  intended  to  make  a 
fettlement  on  thatcoalt;  and  that  their  colony  would  be 
the  means  of  preventing  the  evil  confequences  which  might 
arife  to  his  majefty's  kingdom  and  dominions  from  the  ex 
ecution  of  fuch  a  fcheme.  They  acknowledged  his  good- 
riefs  in  granting  thofe  privileges  by  which  their  company 
w;:s  cftubliihsd  :  They  implored  the  continuance  of  his 

VOL.  I.  2  IVI 

*  Confifting  of  the  lord -chancellor,  the  lord-prefiient,  the  Iprd-privyfeal, 
the  lovd-lteward  of  the  houfchoid,  the  tail  of  Bridge-water,  firlt  comrr.iilion- 
tr  of  the  admiralty,  the  earl  of  Mat^borough,  thci  ':«rl  of  Jerfsy,  and  Mt. 

Montagur. 


274  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  royal  favour  and  protection,  as  they  had  pu n&ual I y  adhered" 
to  the  conditions  of  the  act  of  parliament  and  the   patent 

(^C*J   they  had  obtained. 

By  this  time,  however,  the  king  was  refolved  to  crufh 
them  effectually.  He  underftood  that  the  greater  part  of 
their  provifions  had  been  confumed  before  they  fet  fail 
from  Scotland,  and  forefaw  that  they  muft  be  reduced  to  a 
ftarving  condition,  if  not  fupplied  from  the  Englifh  colo 
nies.  That  they  might  be  debarred  of  all  fuch  afliftance, 
he  fent  orders  to  the  governors  of  Jamaica,  and  the  other 
Englifh  fettlements  in  America,  to  iflue  proclamations, 
prohibiting,  under  the  fevereft  penalties,  all  his  majefty's 
fubjecls  from  holding  any  correfpondence  with  the  Scottifh 
colony,  oraffifting  it,  in  any  faape,  with  arms,  ammunition, 
or  provifion,  on  pretence  that  they  had  not  communicated 
their  defign  to  his  majefty,  but  had  peopled  Darien,  in  vio 
lation  of  the  peace  fubfiiling  between  him  and  his  allies. 
Their  colony  was,  doubtlefs,  a  very  dangerous  encroach 
ment  upon  the  Spaniards,  as  it  would  have  commanded  the 
paflage  between  Porto  Bello  and  Panama,  and  divided  the 
Spanifh  empire  in  America.  The  French  king  complain 
ed  of  the  invafion,  and  offered  to  fupply  the  court  of  Ma 
drid  with  a  fleet  to  diilodge,  the  interlopers.  Colonna 
Marquis  de  Can  ales,  the  Spanifh  ambaffador  at  the  court 
of  London,  prefented  a  memorial  to  King  William,  re- 
monftrating  againft  the  fettlement  of  this  colony,  as  a  mark 
ofdifregard,  and  a  breach  of  the  alliance  between  the  two 
crowns  ;  and  declaring,  that  his  mafter  would  take  proper 
meafures  againft  fuch  hostilities.  The  Scots  affirmed,  that 
the  natives  of  Darien,  were  a  free  people,  whom  the  Spani 
ards  had  in  vain  attempted  to  fubdue :  That,  therefore,  they 
had  an  original  and  incontrovertible  right  to  difpofe  of 
their  own  lands,  part  of  which  the  company  had  purchafed 
for  a  valuable  confederation.  But  there  was  another  caufe 
more  powerful  than  the  remonftrances  of  the  Spanifli  court, 
to  which  this  colony  fell  afacrifice;  and  that  was,  the  jea- 
loufy  of  the  Englifh  traders  and  planters.  Darien  was  laid 
to  be  a  country  abounding  with  gold,  which  would  in  a  lit 
tle  time  enrich  the  adventurers.  The  Scots  were  known 
to  be  an  enterprifmg  and  pertinacious  people ;  and  their 
harbour  near  golden-ifland  was  already  declared  a  free 
port.  The  Englifh  apprehended  that  their  planters  would 
be  allured  into  this  new  colony,  by  the  double  profpecl:  of 
finding  gold,  and  plundering  the  Spaniards  :  That  the  buc 
caneers,  in  particular,  would  choofe  it  as  their  chief  refi- 
dence  :  That  the  plantations  of  England  would  be  defert  - 
cd  :  That  Darien  would  become  another  Algiers;  and  that 
the  fettlement  would  produce  a  rupture  with  Spain,  in  con- 


W  I  L  L  I  A  M.  275 

fequence  of  which  the  Englifh  effects  in  that  kingdom  CHAP, 
would  be  confifcated.  The  Dutch,  too,  are  faid  to  have 
been  jealous  of  a  company,  which  in  time  might  have 
proved  their  competitors  in  the  illicit  commerce  to  the 
Spanifh  main;  and  to  have  hardened  the  king's  heart  a- 
gainft  the  new  fetders,  whom  he  abandoned  to  their  fate, 
notwithstanding  the  repeated  petitions  and  remonftrances 
of  their  conftituents.  Famine  compelled  the  firft  adventu 
rers  to  quit  the  caaft  :  A  fecond  recrutcof  men  and  provi- 
fions  was  fent  thither  from  Scotland :  But  one  of  their  (hips, 
laden  with  provifion,  being  burned  by  accident,  they  like- 
wife  deferted  the  place :  Another  reinforcement  arrived, 
and  being  better  provided  than  the  two  former,  might  hare 
maintained  their  footing;  but  they  were  foon  divided  into 
factions  that  rendered  all  their  fchemes  abortive.  The 
Spaniards  advanced  againft  them  ;  when,  finding  them- 
felves  incnpable  of  withftanding  the  enemy,  they  folicited 
a  capitulation,  by  virtue  of  which  they  were  permitted  to  Eut  are  «t>- 
rctire.  Thus  vanished  all  the  golden  dreams  of  the  Scot-  llcA  to  a- 
tifh  nation,  which  had  engaged  in  this  defign  with  incredi 
ble  eagernefs,  and  even  embarked  a  greater  fum  of  money 
than  ever  they  had  advanced  upon  any  other  occaflon. 
They  were  now  not  only  difappointed  in  their  expectations 
of  wealth  and  affluence;  but  a  great  number  of  families 
was  abfolutely  ruined  by  the  mifcarriage  of  the  defign, 
which  they  imputed  folely  to  the  conduct  of  king  William. 
The  whole  kingdom  of  Scotland  feemed  tojoin  in  the  cla 
mour  that  was  railed  againft  their  fovereign.  They  taxed 
him  with  double-dealing,  inhumanity,  and  bafe  ingratitude, 
to  a  people  who  had  lavifhed  their  treafure  and  beft  blood 
in  fupport  of  his  government,  and  in  the  gratification  of 
his  ambition  ;  and  had  their  power  been  equal  to  their  ani- 
mofity,  in  all  probability  a  rebellion  would  have  enfued. 

William,  mean  while,  enjoyed  himfelf  at  Loo,  where  he 
was  vifited  by  the  duke  of  Zell,  with  whom  he  had  long 
cultivated  an  intimacy  of  friend  «hi  p.  During  his  refi- 
dence  in  this  place,  the  earl  of  Portland  and  the  grand  pcn- 
fionary  of  Holland  frequently  conferred  with  the  French 
ambaflador,  Count  Tallard,  upon  the  fubjec~t  of  the  Span 
ifh  fuccefnon.  Thefirfc  plan  of  the  partition  being  defeat 
ed  by  the  death  of  the  young  prince  of  Bavaria,  they 
found  it  necefiary  to  concert  another,  and  began  a  private 
negociaticn  for  that  purpofe.  The  court  of  Spain,  spprif- 
cd  of  their  intention,  fent  a  written  reinonfrrance  to  Mr. 
Stanhope,  the  Englifh  rrinifler  at  Madrid,  exprefling  their 
refentment  at  this  unprecedented  method  of  proceeding, 
and  defiring  that  a  ftop  might  be  put  to  thofe.  intrigues, 
feeing  tne  Ling  of  Spain  would  of  himfelf  take  the  necef- 


276  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  fary  fteps  for  preferring  the  public  tranquillity,  in   cafe  he 
IL        fhould  die  without  heirs  of  his  body.     A  reprefentation  of 

^^V**^  the  fame  kind  was  made  to  the  minifters  of  France  and 
l699-  Holland:  The  marquis  de  Canales,  the  Spanifri  ambaffador 
at  London,  delivered  a  memorial  to  the  lords-juftice?, 
couched  in  the  moft  virulent  terms,  againft  this  Iran  fac 
tion,  and  even  appealing  from  the  king  to  the  parliament. 
This  Spaniard  was  pleafed  with  an  opportunity  to  intuit 
King  William,  who  hated  his  perfon,  and  had  forbid  him 
the  court,  on  account  of  his  appearing  covered  in  his  ma- 
jefty's  prefence.  The  regency  had  no  fooner  communicat 
ed  this  paper  to  the  king,  than  he  ordered  the  arnbaflador  to 
quit  the  kingdom  in  eighteen  days,  and  to  remain  within 
his  owniioufe  till  the  time  of  his  departure.  He  was  like- 
wife  given  to  underftand,  that  no  writing  would  be  receiv 
ed  from  him  or  any  of  his  domeftics.  M.  Stanhope  was 
directed  to  complain  at  Madrid  of  the  affront  offered  to 
his  mafter,  which  he  ftiled  an  infolent  and  faucy  attempt  to 
ftir  up  fedition  in  the  kingdom,  by  appealing  to  the  people 
and  parliament  of  England  agninft  hismajefty.  The  court 
of  Spain  juftified  what  their  minifter  had  done,  and  in  their 
turn  ordered  Mr.  Stanhope  to  leave  their  dominions.  Don 
Bernardo  de  Quiros,  the  Spanifh  ambaffador  in  Holland, 
prepared  a  memorial  on  the  fame  fubjecl:,  to  the  States-ge 
neral  ;  which,  however,  they  refufed  to  accept.  Thefe  re- 
monftrances  did  not  interrupt,  the  negociation,  in  which 
Louis  was  fo  eager,  that  he  complained  of  William,  as  if 
he  had  not  employed  his  whole  influence  in  prevailing  up 
on  the  Dutch  to  fignify  their  acceffion  to  the  articles  a- 
greed  upon  by  France  and  England  ;  but  his  Britannic 
inajeily  found  means  to  remove  this  jealoufy. 

About  the  middle  of  October,  William  returned  to 
England,  and  conferred  upon  the  duke  of  Shrewfbury  the 
office  of  chamberlain,  vacant  fince  the  resignation  of  Sun- 
derland.  Mr.  Montague,  at  the  fame  period,  refigned 
his  feat  at  the  treafury  board,  together  with  the  chanccl- 
Jorfhip  of  the  exchequer,  either  forefeeing  uncommon 
difficulty  in  managing  the  houfe  of  commons,  after  they  had 
been  difmifTcd  in  ill  humour,  or  dreading  the  trttereft  of 
his  enemies,  who  might  procure  a  vote  that  his  two  pla 
ces  were  inconfiftent.  The  king  opened  the  feffion  ot 
parliament,  on  the  i6th  day  of  November,  with  a  long 
fpeech,  advifing  a  further  provifton  for  the  fafety  of  the 
kingdom  by  fca  and  land,  as  well  as  the  repairs  of  (hips 
and  fortifications  ;  exhorting  the  commons  to  make  good 
the  deficiencies  of  the  funds,  difcharge  the  debts  ot  the 
nation,  and  provide  the  ncceffary  fupplies.  He  recom- 
force  ood  bill  for  the  more  efFcfhjul  prevejuing 


W  I  L  L  I  A  M.  277 

and  puniftiing  unlawful  and  clandeftine  trading;  r.nd  ex-  c  H  A  l'- 
prefied  a  deft  re,  that  fome  method  mould  be  taken  for  ^^^j 
employing  the  poor,  which  were  become  a  burden  to  the 
kingdom.  I~b  afiured  them,  his  refolutions  were  to  coun 
tenance  virtue,  and  difcourage  vice  ;  and  that  he  would 
decline  no  difficulties  and  dangers,  where  the  welfare  and 
profperity  of  the  nation  might  be  concerned.  He  conclud 
ed  with  thefe  words  :  "  Since,  then,  our  aims  are  only 
"  for  the  general  good,  let  us  a£t  with  confidence  in  one 
*'  another  ;  which  will  not  fail,  with  God's  bleffing,  to 
u  make  me  a  happy  king,  and  you  a  great  and  flourishing 
u  people." — The  commons  were  now  become  wanton  in 
their  difguit.  Though  they  had  received  no  real  provo 
cation,  they  rcfolved  to  mortify  him  with  their  proceed 
ings.  They  affc£ted  to  put  odious  interpretations  on  the 
very  harmlefs  expreffion  of,  "  Let  us  aft  with  confidence 
in  one  another."  Inftead  of  an  addrefs  of  thanks,  accor 
ding  to  the  ufual  cuftom,  they  prefented  a  fallen  remon- 
ftrance,  complaining,  that  a  jealoufy  and  difguit  had  been 
raifed  of  their  duty  and  affection;  and  defining  he  would 
fhov/  marks  of  his  high  difpleafure  towards  all  perfons 
who  had  prefumed  to  mifreprefent  their  proceedings  to  his 
majefty.  He  declared,  in  his  anfwer,  that  no  perfon  had 
ever  dated  to  mifreprefent  their  proceedings  ;  and,  that  if 
any  fhould  prefume  to  impofe  upon  him  by  fuch  calum 
nies,  he  would  treat  them  as  his  worft  enemies. 

The  houfe  was  not  in  a  humour  to  be  appeafed  with 
Toothing  promifes  and  proteftations  :  They  determined  to 
diitrefs  him,  by  profecuting  his  minifters.  During  the 
war,  the  colonies  of  North-America  had  grown  rich  by 
piracy.  One  Kidd,  the  mafter  of  a  (loop,  undertook  to 
fupprefs  the  pirates,  provided  the  government  would  fur- 
nifh  him  with  a  fhip  of  thirty  guns,  well  manned.  The 
board  of  admiralty  declaring  that  fuch  a  number  of  Teamen 
could  not  be  fpared  from  the  public  fervice,  Kid  was 
equipped  by  the  private  Tubfcription  of  the  lord  chancel 
lor,  the  duke  of  Shrewfbury,  the  earls  of  Romney,  Or- 
ford,  and  Bellamont,  Sir  Edward  Harrifon,  and  Colonel 
Livingftone  of  New-York.  The  king  promiTed  to  con 
tribute  one  half  of  the  expence,  and  referved  to  himfelf 
one  tenth  of  the  profits;  but  he  never  advanced  the  mo 
ney.  Kidd  being  thus  equipped,  and  provided  with 
a  commifTion  to  a£t  againft  the  French,  as  well  as  to 
make  war  on  certain  pirates  therein  mentioned  by  narne, 
fjt  fail  from  Plymouth;  but,  inftead  of cruifing  on ',h« 
coaft  of  America,  he  directed  his  coarfc  o  the  E.'.illn- 
dies,  where  he  himfelf  turned  pirate,  and  took  a  rich  fhip 
belonging  to  the  Moors.  Having  divided  his  booty  with 


278  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

HOOK  his  crew,  ninety  of  whom  left  him,  in  order  to  join  other 
i^\j  adventurers,  he  burned  his  own  fhip,  and  failed  with  bis 
*"/"*•  prize  to  the  Weft  Indies.  There  he  purchafed  a  floop,  in 
which  he  ftcered  for  North  America,  leaving  part  of  his 
men  in  the  prize,  to  remain  in  one  of  the  Leeward 
Iflands,  until  they  fhould  receive  further  inftruclions. 
Arriving  on  the  coaft  of  New-York,  he  fent  one  Emmet 
to  make  peace  with  the  earl  of  Bellamont,  the  governor 
of  that  province,  who  inveigled  him  into  a  negociation, 
in  the  ccurfe  of  which  he  was  apprehended.  Then  his 
lordihip  fent  an  account  of  his  proceedings  to  the  fecreta- 
ry  cf  ftate,  defiring  that  he  would  fend  for  the  prifoncrs 
to  England,  as  there  was  no  law  in  that  colony  for  pun- 
ifhing  piiiicy  with  death,  and  the  majority  of  the  people 
favoured  that  practice.  The  admiralty,  by  order  of  the 
lords -juftices,  difpatched  the  fhip  Rochefter  to  bring 
home  the  prifoners  and  their  effcxSls  :  but,  after  having 
been  tolled  for  fome  time  with  tempeftuous  weather,  this 
veflel  was  obliged  to  return  to  Plymouth  in  a  {battered 
condition.  This  incident  furnifhed  the  malcontents  with 
a  colour  to  paint  the  miniftry  as  the  authors  and  abettors 
of  a  piratical  expedition,  which  they  wanted  to  fcreen 
from  the  cognizance  of  the  public.  The  old  Eaft  India 
company  had  complained  to  the  regency,  of  the  capture 
made  by  Kidd  in  the  Eaft  Indies,  apprehending,  as  the 
veflel  belonged  to  the  Moors,  they  fhould  be  expofcd  to 
the  refentment  of  the  Mogul.  In  the  beginning  of  De 
cember,  this  fubjecl:  being  brought  abruptly  into  the 
houfe  of  commons,  a  motion  was  made,  That  the  letters 
patent  granted  to  the  earl  of  Bellamont  and  others,  of  pi 
rates  goods,  were  difhonourable  to  tbe  king,  againft  the 
laws  of  nations,  contrary  to  the  laws  and  ftatutes  of  the 
land,  invafive  of  property,  and  deftru£Hve  cf  trade  and 
commerce.  A  warm  debate  enfued,  in  the  courfe  of 
which,  feme  members  declaimed  with  great  bitterncfs 
againft  the  chancellor  and  the  duke  of  Shrewfbury,  as 
partners  in  a  piratical  icheme;  but  thefe  imputations 
were  refuted,  and  the  motion  was  rejected  by  a  great  rra- 
jority.  Nut  but  they  might  have  juftly  ftigmatized  the 
expedition  as  a  hide  mean  adventure,  in.which  thpfe  no 
blemen  had  embarked  with  a  view  to  their  own  private 
advantage. 

While  this  affair  was  in  agitation  among  the  common?, 
the  attention  of  the  upper  houfe  w;:s  employed  upon  the 
cafe  of  Dr.  Watfon,  bifhop  of  St.  David's.  This  prelate 
was  fuppofed  to  have  paid  a  valuable  confideration  for  his 
hilhoprick  ;  and  after  his  elevation,  had  fold  the  prefer 
ments  in  his  gift,  with  a  view  cf  being  reimburkd.  He 


WILLIAM.  279 

v/as  accufed  of  fimony  ;  and,  after  a  folemn  hearing  before  CHAP. 
the  Archbifhop  of  Canterbury  and  fix  fuffragans,  convict  - 
ed  and  deprived.  Then  he  pleaded  his  privilege  ;  fo 
that  the  affair  was  brought  into  the  houfe  of  lords,  who 
refufed  to  own  him  as  a  peer  after  he  had  ceafcd  to  be  a 
bifhop.  Thus  di {appointed,  he  had  recourfe  to  the  court 
of  delegates,  by  whom  the  archbimop's  fentence  wis  con 
firmed. — 'The  next  effort  that  the  commons  made,  with  a 
view  of  mortifying  King  William,  was  to  raife  a  clamour 
againft  Dr.  Burnet,  bifhop  of  Sarum.  He  was  reprefent- 
ed  in  the  houfe  as  a  very  unfit  preceptor  for  the  duke  of 
Glouceftcr,  both  as  a  Scottifh  man,  and  author  of  that 
paftoral  letter  which  had  been  burned  by  order  of  the  par 
liament,  for  afferting  that  William  had  a  right  to  the 
crown  from  conqueft.  A  motion  was  made  for  addreffing 
his  majefty,  that  this  prelate  might  be  difmifled  from  his 
employment,  but  reje&ed  by  a  great  majority.  Burnet  had 
acted  with  uncommon  integrity  in  accepting  the  truft. 
He  had  declined  the  office,  which  he  v/as  in  a  manner 
forced  to  accept.  He  had  offered  to  refign  his  bifhoprick, 
thinking  the  employment  of  a  tutor  would  interfere  with 
the  duty  of  a  paftor.  He  infifted  upon  the  duke's  refidence 
all  the  fummer  at  Wlndfor,  which  is  in  the  diocefe  of  Sa 
rum  ;  and  added  to  his  private  charities  the  whole  income 
of  his  new  office. 

The  circumftance  on  which  the  anti-courtiers  built 
their  chief  hope  of  diftrefling  or  difgracing  the  government, 
was  the  enquiry  into  the  Iri/h  forfeiture?,  which  the  king 
had  diftributed  among  his  own  dependents.  The  commif- 
fioners  appointed  by  parliament  to  examine  thefe  particu 
lars,  were  Annefley,  Trenchard,  Hamilton,  Langford,  the 
earl  of  Drogheda,  Sir  Francis  Brewfter,  and  Sir  Richard 
Leving.  The  firft  four  were  actuated  by  all  the  virulence 
of  faction :  The  other  three  were  fecretly  guided  by  mi- 
nifterial  influence.  They  began  their  enquiry  in  Ireland, 
and  proceeded  with  fuch  feverity  as  feemed  to  flow  rather 
from  refentment  to  the  court,  than  from  a  love  of  jufuce 
and  abhorrence  of  corruption.  They  in  particular  foruti- 
nized  a  grant  of  an  eftate  which  the  king  had  made  to 
Mrs.  Villiers,  now  countefs  of  Orkney,  fo  as  to  expofe  his 
majefty's  partiality  for  that  favourite,  and  fubject  him  to 
an  additional  load  of  popular  odium.  In  the  courfc  of 
their  examination,  the  earl  of  Drogheda,  Leving,  arid 
Brewfter,  oppofed  the  reft  of  the  cornmiflioners  in  divers 
articles  of  the  report,  which  they  refufed  to  fign,  and  fent 
over  a  memorial  to  the  houfe  Of  commons,  explaining  their 
r^afons  for  diflenting  from  their  colleagues.  By  this  time, 


HISTORY  OF   ENGLAND. 

BOOK  however,  they  were  confidered  as  hirelings  of  the  court, 
^™  and  no  regard  was  paid  to  their  representations.  The 
*~*f**  others  delivered  their  report,  declaring  that  a  million  and 
"'  a  half  of  money  might  be  raifed  from  the  fale  of  confifcated 
cfrates ;  and  a  bill  was  brought  in  for  applying  them  to  the 
ufe  of  the  public.  A  motion  being  made  to  referve  a 
third  part  for  the  king's  difpofal,  it  was  over-ruled  ;  then 
the  commons  paffed  an  extraordinary  vote,  importing, 
that  they  would  not  receive  any  petition  from  any  perfon 
whatfoever  concerning  the  grants  ;  and  that  they  would 
confider  the  great  fervices  performed  by  the  commifJionerff 
appointed  to  enquire  into  the  forfeited  eftates.  7'hey  re 
folved,  that  the  four  commhlioners  who  had  figned  the 
report  had  acquitted  themfelves  with  underftanding,  cou 
rage,  and  integrity;  and  that  Sir  Richard  Leving,  as  au 
thor  of  grountllefs  and  fcandalous  afoerfions  caft  upon  his 
four  colleagues, (hould  be  committed  prifcncr  to  the  Tow 
er,  They  afterwards  came  to  the  following  refolution, 
which  was  prefented  to  the  king  in  form  of  an  addrefs  : 
That  the  procuring  and  pafling  thofe  grants  had  occa- 
fioned  great  debts  upon  the  nation,  and  heavy  taxes  on 
the  people,  and  highly  reflected  upon  the  king's  honour; 
and  that  the  officers  and  inftruments  concerned  in  the 
fame  had  highly  failed  in  the  performance  of  their  truft  and 
duty.  The  king  nnfwered,  That  he  was  not  only  led  by 
inclination,  but  thought  himfelf  obliged  in  juflice  to  re 
ward  thofe  who  had  fcrved  well  in  the  reduction  of  Ire 
land  out  of  the  eftates  forfeited  to  him  by  the  rebellion  in 
that  kingdom.  He  obferved,  that  as  the  long  war  had  left 
the  nation  much  in  debt,  their  taking  jufl  and  effectual 
ways  for  leflening  that  debt,  and  fupporting  public  credit, 
was  what,  in  his  opinion,  would  beft  contribute  to  the  ho 
nour,  intereft,  and  fafety  of  the  kingdom.  This  anfwer 
kindled  a  flame  of  indignation  in  the  houfe.  They  forth 
with  refolved,  that  the  advifer  of  it  had  ufed  his  utmoft  en 
deavours  to  create  a  mifunderftanding  and  jealoufy  between 
the  king  and  his  people. 

They  prepared,  finimcd,  and  paffed  a  bill  of  refumption. 
They  ordered  the  report  of  the  commiilioiicr?,  together 
with  the  king's  promife  and  fpceches,  and  the  former  re- 
folutions  of  the  houfe  touching  the  forfeited  ellates  in 
Ireland,  to  be  printed  and  publifhed  for  their  juftification  \ 
and  they  refolved,  that  the  procuring  or  paffing  exorbitant 
grants  by  any  member,  now  of  the  privy-council,  or  by 
any  other  that  had  been  a  privy-courfcllor,  in  this  or  any 
former  reign,  to  his  ufe  or  benefit,  was  a  high  crime  and 
mifJemeanoui.  That  juflice  might  be  done  to  purchafers 
and  avoitors  in  the  acl  of  refurhption,  thirteen  truftees 


W  I  L  L  I  A  M.  281 

were  authorifed  and  empowered  to  hear  and  dercrrvne  all  C  H  A  P 
claims  relating  tothofe  eflates,  to  fell  them  to  the  belt  pur- 
c'^fers  ;  and  the  money  arifing  from  the  fale  was  appro- 
priated  to  pay  the  arrears  of  the  army.  It  parted  under 
the  title  of  a  bill  for  granting  ati  aid  to  his  msjefry,  by  the 
fj.le  of  forfeited  and  other  eftates  and  interefts  in  Ireland  ; 
and  that  it  might' undergo  no  alteration  in  the  houfe  of 
lords,  it  was  consolidated  with  the  money  bill  for  the  fer- 
vices  of  the  year.  In  the  houfe  of  lords  it  produced  warm 
debates  ;  and  fome  alterations  were  made,  which  the  com 
mons  unanimoufly  rejected.  They  itemed  to  be  now 
more  than  ever  exafperated  againft  the  minidry,  and  or 
dered  a  lift  of  the  privy-council  to  be  laid  before  the  houfe. 
The  lords  demanded  conferences,  which  ferved  only  to 
exafperate  the  t*vo  houfes  againft  each  other  ;  for  the  peers 
infilled  upon  their  amendments,  and  the  commons  were  . 
fo  provoked  at  their  interfering  in  a  money-bill,  that  they 
determined  to  give  a  loofe  to  their  refentment.  They  or 
dered  all  the  doors  of  their  houfe  to  be  fhut,  that  no  mem 
bers  {hould  go  forth.  Then  they  took  into  consideration 
the  report  of  the  Irifti  forfeitures,  with  the  lift  of  the 
privy-counfellors  ;  and  a  que.vr.ion  was  moved,  that  an  ad- 
drefs  fhould  be  made  to  his  majefty,  to  remove  John 
Lord  Somers,  chancellor  of  England,  from  his  prefence 
and  councils  for  even  Thi^,  however,  was  carried  i;i 
the  negative  by  a  great  majority.  The  king  was  extreme 
ly  chagrined  at  the  bill,  which  he  confidered  as  an  invauon 
of  his  prerogative,  an  infult  on  his  perfon,  and  an  injury 
to  his  friends  and  fervants ;  and  he  at  firft  refolved  to 
hazard  all  the  confequences  of  refufing  to  pafs  it  into  a  Ei)irne*- 
law  :  But  he  was  diverted  from. his  p'urpofe  by  the  remon-  colewSn 
ftrances  of  thofe  in  whom  he  chiefly  confided.  He  could  State  Tracts 
not,  however,  dificmble  his  refentment.  He  became  ful-  Camber;  T. 
len,  peevifh,  ind  morale;  and  his  enemies  did  net  fall  to  Raich 
make  ufe  of  this  additional  ill-humour,  as  a  proof  of  his 
averflon  to  the  Englim  peopb.  Though  the  motion 
,  againil  the  chancellor  had  miscarried,  the  commons  re 
folved  to  addrefs  his  rnajefty,  that  no  perfon  who  was  not 
a  native  of  his  dominions,  except  his  Royal  Highnefs, 
Prince  George  of  Denmark,  Ihould  be  admitted  into  hio 
majefty's  councils  in  England  or  Ireland.  This  refolu- 
tion  was  levelled  againft  the  ear.'.i  of  Portland,  Albemarle, 
and  Galway  :  But,  before  the  addrefs  could  be  prefentadj 
the  king  went  to  the  houfa  of  Peer?,  and  having  patted  the 
bill  which  had  produced  fuch  a  ferment,  with  fome  others, 
commanded  the  earl  of  Bridge-water,  fpeaker  of  the 
houfe,  in  the  r.bfence  of  the  chancellor,  who  was  indlf- 
VOL.  I.  2  N 


282  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

B  o  o  K.  pofed,  ».•>  prorogue  the  parliament  to  the  twenty-third  day 
of  May. 

In  the  courfe  of  this  feffion,  the  commons  having  pro- 
fccuted  their  enquiry  into  the  conduct  of  KidJ,  brought 
in  a  bill  for  the  more  effectual  f  uppreffing  of  piracy,  which 
patted  into  a  law:  Underftanding  afterwards,  that  Kidtl 
was  brought  over  to  England,  they  prefented  an  addrefs 
to  the  king,  deSiring  that  he  might  not  be  tried,  difchargcd, 
or  pardoned,  till  the  next  faSKon  of  parliament;  and  his 
majefty  complied  with  their  rcqueft.  Boiling  ftill  with 
indignation  againft  the  lord  chancellor,  who  had  turned 
many  difafFccted  perfons  out  of  the  comminion  of  t!i2 
peace,  the  houfe  ordered  a  bill  to  be  prepared  for  qualify 
ing  juftices  of  the  peace  ;  and  appointed  a  committee  to 
i  lipect  the  commiflions.  This  reporting,  that  many  dif- 
f enters  and  men  of  fmall  fortunes,  depending  on  the  court, 
were  put  into  thofe  places,  the  commons  declared,  in  an 
addrefs,  That  it  would  much  conduce  to  the  fervice  of 
his  majefty,  and  the  good  of  this  kingdom,  that  gentlemen 
of  quality  and  good  c-ftates  Should  be  reftored,  and  put  in 
to  the  commiflions  of  the  peace  and  lieutenancy  ;  and  that 
men  of  fmall  eft-ates  be  neither  continued,  nor  put  into  the 
faid  commiflions.  The  king  aSTured  them  he  was  of  the 
fame  opinion:  And  that  he  would  give  directions  accord 
ingly.  They  were  fo  mollified  by  this  inftance  of  his  con- 
defcenfion,  that  they  thanked  him  in  a  body  for  his  gra 
cious  anfwer.  They  pafTed  a  bill  to  exculpate  fuch  as  had 
neglected  to  fign  the  aSfociation,  either  through  miftake,  or 
want  of  opportunity.  Having  received  a  petition  from  the 
Lancashire  clergy,  complaining  of  the  infolence  and  at 
tempts  of  Popifh  priefts,  they  appointed  a  committee  to 
Severe  bill  enquire  how  far  the  laws  againft  Popifh  refugees  had  been 
'ainft  Pa-  Put  'm  execution  ;  and  upon  the  report  a  bill  was  brought 
pifts.  in,  complying  with  the  prayer  of  the  petition.  It  decreed 

a  further  reward  to  fuch  perfons  as  Should  difcover  and 
convict  Popifli  priefts  and  Jefuits  ;  and  perpetual  impri- 
fonment  for  thofe  convicted  on  the  oath  of  one  or  more 
witneSTes.  It  enacted,  That  no  perfon  born  af^er  the 
twenty-fifth  day  of  March  next  enfuing,  being  a  Papift, 
Should  be  capable  of  inheriting  any  title  of  honour  cr 
eftate  within  the  kingdom  of  England,  dominion  of  Wales, 
or  town  of  Berwick  upon  Tweed ;  and  that  no  PapiSt 
Should  be  capable  of  purchafing  any  lands,  tenements,  or 
heriditaments,  either  in  his  own  name,  or  in  the  name  of 
any  other  perfon  in  truft  for  him.  Several  alterations  were 
made  in  this  firft  draft,  before  it  was  finiflu-d  and  fent  up 
to  the  lords,  fome  of  whom  propofed  amendments  :  Thefe 
however,  were  not  adopted ;  and  the  bill  obtained  the 


V/  I  L  L  I  A  M. 

royal  afTent,  contrary  to  the  expectation  of  thofe  who  pro-  C  H  A  1'. 
fecuted  the  meafure,  on  the  fuppofition  that  the  king  was 
a  favourer  of  Paphls.     After  all,  the  bill  was  deficient   in 
nece/Tary  claufes  to  enforce  execution  ;  fo  that  the  law  was 
very  little  regarded  in  the  fequel. 

The  court  fuftained  another  infult  from  the  old  Eaft 
India  Company,  who  petitioned  the  houfe  that  they  might 
be  continued  by  parliamentary  authority  during  the  re- 
maining  part  of  the  time  prefcribed  in  their  charter.  They,  e^- 
at  the  fame  time,  published  a  ftate  of  their  qafe,  in  which 
they  expatiated  upon  the  equity  of  their  claims,  and  mag 
nified  the  injuries  they  had  undergone.  The  new  com 
pany  drew  up  an  anfwer  to  this  remonftrance,  expofmg 
the  corrupt  practices  of  their  adverfaries.  But  the  influ 
ence  of  their  great  patron,  Mr.  Montague,  was  now  va- 
nifhed:  The  Tuppiy  was  not  yet  difcuffed,  and  the  minif- 
try  would  not  venture  to  provoke  the  commons,  who 
feemed  propitious  to  the  old  company,  and  actually  pa  fled 
a  bill  in  their  favour.  This,  meeting  with  no  oppofition 
in  the  upper  houfe,  was  enacted  into  a  law,  renewing  their 
eilablifhment:  So  thr.t  now  there  were  two  rival  compa 
nies  of  merchants  trading  to  the  Eaft  Indies.  The  com 
mons,  not  yet  fatisfted  with  the  vexations  to  which  they 
had  expofed  their  fovereign,  paflcd  a  bill  to  appoint  com- 
miffioners  for  taking  and  examining  the  public  accounts. 
Another  law  was  made,  to  prohibit  the  ufe  of  India  filks 
and  fluffs,  which  interfered  with  the  Englifh  manufactures: 
A  third,  to  take  oil"  the  duties  on  the  exportation  of  wool 
len  manufactures,  corn,  grain,  meal,  bread,  and  bifcuit  : 
And  a  fourth,  in  which  provifion  was  made  for  punifh- 
ing  governors,  or  commanders  in  chief,  of  plantations 
and  colonies,  in  cafe  they  mould  commit  any  crimes  or 
acts  of  injuftice  and  oppreffion  in  the  exercifj  of  their 
adminiftration. 

The  people  of  Scotland  ftill  continued  in  violent   agi-  Violent  fer- 
tation.     They   publifhed  a  pamphlet,  containing  a   detail  ""'en's '" 

r    ,     .          .       }  ,  .    .     .   r     .  L  /-  /•     -i      i  Scotland. 

or  their  grievances,  which  they  in  a  great  meaiure  aicnbcd 
to  his  rnajefty.  A  complaint  being  preferred  to  the  houfe 
of  commons  againfc  this  performance,  it  was  voted  a  falfe, 
fcandalous,  and  traiterous  libel,  and  ordered  to  be  burned 
by  the  hands  of  the  common  hangman.  The  commons  ad- 
(Ireffed  his  majefty,  to  illue  his  royal  proclamation  for  ap 
prehending  the  author,  printer,  and  publifner  of  the  faid 
libel ;  and  he  complied  with  their  requeft.  The  Scottifh 
company  had  fent  up  an  addrefs  to  the  king,  in  behalf  of 
fame  adventurers  who  were  wrongfully  detained  prifoners 
in  Carthagena  :  But  Lord  Bafil  Hamilton,  who  undertook 
the  charge  of  this  petition,  was  refufed  admittance  to  his 


286  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  perfon  againft  whom  their  anger  was  chiefly  directed,  was 
the  Lord  Chancellor  Somcrs,  the  mcft  a&ive  leader  of  the 


Whig-party.  They  demanded  his  difmiffion,  and  the 
king  exhorted  him  to  refign  his  office:  But  he  refufing 
to  take  any  ftep  that  might  indicate  a  fear  of  his  enemies, 
or  a  confcioufncfs  of  guilt,  the  king  fent  a  peremptory  or 
der  for  the  feals  by  the  Lord  Jerfey,  to  whom  Somers  de 
livered  them  without  hefitation.  They  were  fucceflivcly 
offered  to  Lord-Chief- Juftice  Holt,  and  Trevor,  the  at 
torney-general,  who  declined  accepting  fuch  a  precarious 
office.  Meanwhile,  the  king  granted  a  temporary  com- 
miiTion  to  three  judges  to  fit  in  the  court  of  chancery;  and 
at  length  bcftowed  the  feals  with  the  title  of  lord-keeper, 
on  Nathan  Wright,  one  of  the  ferjeants  at  law,  a  man  but 
indifferently  qualified  for  the  office  to  which  he  was  now 
preferred.  Though  William  feemed  altogether  attached 
to  the  Tories,  and  inclined  to  a  new  parliament,  no  per- 
fon  appeared  to  take  the  lead  in  the  affairs  cf  government  \ 
and,  indeed,  for  fome  time  the  adminiflration  feemed  to 
be  under  no  particular  direction. 

During;  the  tranfactions  of  the  laft  feffion,  the  ne<rocia- 

•  . 

tion  for  a  fecond  partition-treaty  tad  been  carried  on  in 
London  by  the  French  minifter,  Tallard,  in  conjunction 
with  the  carls  of  Portland  and  Jerfey,  and  was  foon  brought 
to  perfection.  On  the  2ift  day  of  February  the  treaty 
was  figned  in  London;  and  on  the  25th  of  the  next  month 
it  was  fubfcribed  at  the  Hague  by  Briord,  the  French  en 
voy,  and  the  plenipotentiaries  cf  the  ftates-gcneral.  By 
this  convention  the  treaty  of  Lyfwic  was  confirmed.  The 
contracting  parties  agreed,  that,  in  cafe  of  his  Catholic 
majcfty's  dying  without  iffue,  the  dauphin  fhould  poffefs, 
for  bimfelf  and  his  heirs,  the  kingdoms  cf  Naples  and  Si 
cily,  the  i Hands  of  St.  Stephano,  Porto,  Hercole,  Orbi- 
tello,  Ttlamonc,  Porto  Longone,  Piombino,  the  city  and 
marquifate  of  Final,  the  province  of  Guipufcoa,  the 
duchies  of  Lorraine  and  Bar,  in  exchange  for  which  laft, 
the  duke  cf  Lorraine,  fhould  enjoy  the  duchy  of  Milan  : 
but  that  the  county  of  Biche  fhould  remain  in  fovereignty 
to  the  Prince  of  Vaudemont :  That  the  Archduke  Charles 
fhould  inherit  the  kingdom  of  Spain  and  all  its  dependen 
cies  in  and  out  of  Europe  ;  but,  in  cafe  of  his  dying  with 
out  iifue,  it  fhould  devolve  to  fome  other  child  of  the  em 
peror,  excepting  him  who  might  fucceed  as  emperor  or 
kino;  of  the  Eumans:  That  this  monarchy  fhould  never 
defccnd  to  a  kin^  of  France  or  dauphin;  and  that  three 
rr.cn ths  fhould  be  allowed  to  the  emperor,  to  confider  whe 
ther  or  not  he  would  accede  to  this  treaty.  Whether  the 
French  kin?  was  really  {ir.c^re  in  his  profeffiofls  ;-.t  this 


W  I  L  L  I  A  M.  287 

juncture,  or  propofed  this  treaty  with  a  view  to  make  a  c  H  A  P. 
clandeftine  ufe  of  it  at  the    court   of  Spain  for    more   in- 
tcrefted  purpofes,  it   is  not  eafy   to  determine:   At    full,    ^-y^ 
however,  it  was    concealed  from  the  notice  of  the  public,      X700- 
as  if  the  parties  had  refolved  to  take    no   ftep    in  confe- 
quence  of  it,  during  the  life  of  his  Catholic  majefty. 

In  the  beginning  of  July  the  king  embarked  for  Hol 
land,  after  having  appointed  a  regency  to  govern  the 
kingdom  in  his  abfence.  On  the  2()th  day  of  the  fame  Death  of 
month,  the  young  duke  of  Gloucefter,  the  only  remain-  Jjjj^f* 
ing  child  offeventeen  which  the  Princefs  Anne  had  born,  ct.fter. 
died  of  a  malignant,  fever,  in  the  nth  year  of  his  age. 
His  death  was  much  lamented  by  the  greater  part  of  the 
Engllfh  nation,  not  only  on  account  of  his  prorr.ifing  ta 
lents  and  gentle  behaviour,  but  alfo,  as  it  left  the  fuccef- 
iion  undetermined,  and  might  create  difputes  of  fatal  con- 
fequence  to  the  nation.  The  Jacobites  openly  exulted  in 
an  event  which  they  imagined  would  remove  the  chief  bat- 
to  the  intereft  of  the  prince  of  Wales  :  But  the  Protef- 
tants  generally  turned  their  eyes  upon  the  Princefs  Sophia, 
eleiStrels  dowager,  cf  Hanover,  and  grand-daughter  of 
James  I.  It  was  with  a  view  to  concert  th^  erhiblifh- 
ment  of  her  fucceffion,  that  the  court  of  Brunfwic,  now 
returned  the  vifit  of  King  William.  The  prefent  ftate 
of  affairs  in  England,  however,  afforded  a  very  uncom 
fortable  profpect.  The  people  were  generally  alienated 
from  the  perfon  and  government  of  the  reigning  king, 
upon  whom  they  feem  to  have  forfeited.  The  vigour  of 
their  minds  was  deftroyed  by  luxury  and  {loth:  The  fc- 
verity  of  their  morals  was  relaxed  by  a  long  habit  of  ve 
nality  and  corruption.  The  king's  health  began  to  de 
cline,  and  even  his  faculties  decayed  apace.  No  perfon 
was  appointed  to  afccnd  the  throne  when  it  (hould  become 
vacant.  The  Jacobite  faction  alone  was  eager,  vigilant, 
enterprizing,  and  elate.  They  difpatched  Mr.  Graham, 
brother  of  Lord  Prefton,  to  the  court  of  St.  Germain's 
immediately  after  the  death  of  the  duke  of  Gloucefter  : 
They  began  to  beftir  themfelves  all  over  the  kingdom. 
A  report  was  fpreud  that  the  Princefs  Anne  had  private 
ly  fent  a  meflage  to  her  father-,  and  Britain  was  once 
more  threatened  with  civil  war,  confu/ion,  anarchy,  and 
rain. 

In  the  mean  time,  Kin^  William,  w?.s  not  inactive. 
The  king's  of  Denmark,  and  Poland,  with  the  elector  of 
Brandenburgh,  had  formed  a  league  to  crufu  the  young 
king  of  Sweden,  by  invading  his  dominions  on  dirFerent 
fides.  The  Poles  actually  entered  Livonia,  and  under 
took  the  fiee  of  Rio'a  :  The  kifi  of  Denmark  havin 


283  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  demolished  fome  forts  in  Holftein,  t!ie  duke  of  which  wa^ 
I-         connected    with    Sweden,    inverted    Tonninghen.       The 
^**y~*J   Swedifli  minifter  in   England  demanded  that  affiftance  of 
1790.      William  which  had  been  ftipulated  in  a  late  renewal  of  the 
ancient  treaty  between  England  and  Sweden.     The  ftates 
f  ft"em  to  °f  Holland  were  foliated  to  the  fame   purpofe.      Accord- 
thc  affift-     ingly,  a  fleet  of  thirty  fail,  Englifh  and   Dutch,  was  fent 
ance  of        to  the  Baltic,  under  the  command  of  Sir  George   Rooke, 
XII  of        who  joined  the  Swedifli  fquadrcft^  and  bombarded  Copen- 
Sweden.       hagen,  to   which   the  Daniili   fleet   had  retired.     At  the 
fame  time,  the   duke  of  Lunenbourg,  with   the   Swedifli 
-    forces  which  happened  to  be  at  Bremen,  patted   the  Elbe, 
and  marched    to    the  aflivrance  of  the  duke  of   Holitein. 
The  Danes    immediately    abandoned   the   fiege    of  Ton 
ninghen  ;  and  a  body  of  Saxons,  who  had  made  an  irrup 
tion   into  the  territories  of  the  duke  of  Brunfwick,  were 
obliged  to  retreat  in  disorder.     By  the   mediation  of  Wil 
liam,  a  neoociation  was  begun  fora  treaty  between  Swe 
den  and   Denmark,  which,  in  order   to  quicken,  Charles 
the  youus;  king  of  Sweden  made  a  defcent  upon  the  ifle  of 
Zealand:     This  was  executed  with  great  fucccfs.    Charles 
was  the  fit  ft  man  who  landed ;  and  here  he  exhibited  fuch 
marks    of   courage   and    conduct,    far    above  his    years, 
as     equally    aftonilhed     and    intimidated     his     adverfa- 
ries.      Then  he  determined    to  befiesre  Cop  ^  hagen  ;  a  re- 
folution  that  flruck  fuch  terror   into  the  Danes,  that  they 
proceeded   with   redoubled    diligence  in  the  treaty,  which 
was  brought  to  a  conclufion,  between  Denmark,  Sweden, 
and    Holftein,  about  the   middle   of  Auguft.     Then   the 
Swedes  retired  to  Schonen,  and  the  fquadrons  of  the  ma 
ritime  powers  returned  from  the  Baltic. 

When  the  new  partition  treaty  was  communicated  by 
the  miniflers  of  the  contracting  parties  to  the  other  powers 
of  Europe,  it  generally  met  with  a  very  unfavourable 
conftruciioi:.  Saxony  and  the  northern  crowns  were  flill 
embroiled  with  their  own  quarrel?,  confequently  coukl 
not  give  much  attention  to  fuch  a  remote  tranfaclion. 
The  princes  of  Germany  appeared  cautious  and  dilatory 
in  their  anfwers,  unwilling  to  be  concerned  in  any  plan 
that  might  excite  the  refentment  of  the  houfe  of  Aurtria. 
The  elector  of  Brandenburgh,  in  particular,  had  fet  his 
heart  upon  the  rcgu!  dignity,  which  he  hoped  to  obtain 
from  the  favour  and  authority  of  the  emperor.  The  Ita 
lian  ftates  were  averfe  to  the  partition  treaty,  from  their 
apprehenfion  of  feeing  France  in  poiFeffion  of  Naples,  and 
other  diitricls  of  their  country.  The  duke  of  Savoy  af 
fected  a  myuerious  neutrality,  in  hopes  of  being  able  to 
barter  his  confent  for  fome  confiderable  advantage.  The 
Swifs  cantons  declined  acceding  as  guarantee?.  The  em- 


W  I  L  L  I  A  M.  289 

peror  exprefTed  his  aftonifhment  that  any  difpofition  CHAP, 
fhould  be  made  of  the  Spanilh  monarchy  without  the  con- 
fent  of  the  prefent  pofTelTbr,  and  the  ftates  of  the  kingdom. 
He  obferved,  that  neitherjuftiee  nor  decorum  could  war- 
rant  the  contrasting  powers  to  compel  him,  who  was  the 
rightful  heir,  to  accept  a  part  of  his  inheritance  within 
three  months,  under  penalty  of  forfeiting  even  that  fhare 
to  a  third  perfon  not  yet  named ;  and  he  declared,  that  he 
could  take  no  final  refolution,  until  he  fhould  know  the 
fcntiments  of  his  Catholic  majefry,  on  an  affair  in  which 
their  mutual  intereft  w?.s  fo  nearly  concerned.  Leopold 
was  actually  engaged  in  a  negociation  with  the  king  of 
Spain,  who  figned  a  will  in  favour  of  his  fecond  fon 
Charles;  yet  he  took  no  meafures  to  fupport  the  difpofi 
tion,  either  by  fending  the  archduke  with  a  fufficient  force 
into  Spain,  or  by  detaching  troops  into  Italy. 

The  people  of  Spain  were  exafperated  at  the  infolence 
of  the  three  foreign  powers  who  pretended  to  parcel  out 
their  dominions.  Their  pride  took  the  alarm,  at  the  pro- 
fpecr.  of  their  monarchy's  being  difmembered  ;  and  the 
grandees  repined  at  the  thought  of  lofmg  fo  many  lucra 
tive  governments,  which  they  now  enjoyed.  The  king's 
life  became  every  day  more  and  more  precarious,  from 
frequent  returns  of  his  diforder.  The  miniftry  was 
weak  and  divided,  the  nobility  factious,  and  the  people 
difcontented.  The  hearts  of  the  nation  had  been  alienat 
ed  from  the  houfe  of  Aullria,  by  the  infolent  carriage  and 
rapacious  difpofition  of  the  Queen  Mariana.  The  French 
had  gained  over  to  their  interefts  the  Cardinal  Portocarre- 
ro,  the  Marquis  de  Monterey,  with  many  other  noble 
men  and  perfons  of  diftinftion.  Thefe,  perceiving  the 
fentiments  of  the  people,  employed  their  emiflaries  to 
raife  a  general  cry,  that  France  alone  could  maintain  the 
fuccefTion  entire:  That  tie  houfe  of  Auftria  was  feeble 
and  exhaufted,  and  any  prince  of  that  line  miHt  owe  his 
chief  fupport  to  deteftable  heretics.  Portocarrero  tamper 
ed  with  the  weaknefs  of  his  fovereign.  He  repeated  and 
exaggerated  all  thefe  fuggeftions  :  He  advifed  him  to  con- 
fult  Pope  Innocent  Xtl.  on  this  momentous  point  of  re 
gulating  the  fucceffion.  That  Pontiff,  who  was  a  crea 
ture  of  France,  having  taken  the  advice  of  a  college  of 
cardinals,  determined,  that  the  renunciation  of  Maria 
Therefa  was  invalid  and  null,  as  being  founded  upon 
compulfion,  and  contrary  to  the  fundamental  laws  of  the 
Spanifli  monarchy.  He,  therefore,  exhorted  King  Charles 
to  contribute  to  the  propagation  of  the  faith,  and  the  re- 
pofe  of  Chriftendom,  by  making  a  new  will  in  favour  of 
a  <j;randfon  of  the  French  monarch.  This  admonition  was. 
"Vox..  I.  2O 


2S3  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  demolished  fome   forts  in  Holftein,  t'.ie  duke  of  which  was 
i-        connected   with    Sweden,    inverted    Tonninghen.       The 
<W**Y^W|   Swedifh  minifter  in   England  demanded  that  afliftance  of 
1790.      William  which  had  been  {Vipulated  in  a  late  renewal  of  tho 
ancient  treaty  between  England  and  Sweden.     The  ftates 
fl4"fem  to  of  Holland  were  foliated  to  the  fame  purpofe.      Accord- 
the  affift-      ingly,  a  fleet  of  thirty  fail,  Engliih  and   Dutch,  was  fent 
ance  of        to  the  Baltic,  under  the  command  of  Sir  George   Rooke, 
xn^of        who  joined  the  Swedifli  fquadro^  and  bombarded  Copen- 
Swe'den.       hagen,  to   which   the  Daniih   fleet   had  retired.     At  the 
fame  time,  the   duke  of  Lunenbourg,  with   the   Swedifli 
-    forces  which  happened  to  be  at  Bremen,  pa  (Ted   the  Elbe, 
and  marched    to    the  affiftance  of  the  duke  of   Holftein. 
The  Danes    immediately    abandoned    the   fiege    of  Ton 
ninghen  ;  and  a  body  of  Saxons,  who  had  made  an  irrup 
tion  into  the  territories  of  the  duke  of  Brunfwick,  were 
obliged  to  retreat  in  diforder.     By  the   mediation  of  Wil 
liam,  a  ne°;ociation  wzs  begun  fora  treaty  between  Swe 
den  and   Denmark,  which,  in  order   to  quicken,  Charles 
the  youug  king  of  Sweden  made  a  defcent  upon  the  ifle  of 
Zealand'.     This  was  executed  with  great  fuccefs.    Charles 
was  the  fir  ft  man  who  landed  ;  and  here  he  exhibited  fuch 
marks    of   courage   and    conduct,    far    above  his    years, 
as     equally    aft  on  i  (bed     and    intimidated     his     adverfa- 
ries.      Then  he  determined    to  befiese  Cop  £  hagen  ;  a  rc- 
folution  that  (truck   fuch  terror   into  the  Danes,  that  they 
proceeded   with   redoubled    diligence  in  the  treaty,  which 
was  brought  to  a  conclufion,  between  Denmark,  Sweden, 
and    Holftein,  about  the    middle   of  Auguft.     Then   the 
Swedes  retired  to  Schonen,  and  the  fquadrons  of  the  ma 
ritime  powers  returned  from  the  Baltic. 

When  the  new  partition  treaty  was  communicated  by 
the  minifters  of  the  contracting  parties  to  the  other  powers 
of  Europe,  it  generally  met  with  a  very  unfavourable 
conftruclioi:.  Saxony  and  the  northern  crowns  were  ftill 
embroiled  with  their  own  quarrel?,  confequently  could 
not  give  much  attention  to  fuch  a  remote  tranfaclion. 
The  princes  of  Germany  appeared  cautious  and  dilatory 
in  their  anfwers,  unwilling  to  be  concerned  in  any  plan 
that  might  excite  the  refentment  of  the  houfe  of  Auftria. 
The  elector  of  Brandenburgh,  in  particular,  had  let  his 
heart  upon  the  regal  dignity,  which  he  hoped  to  obtain 
from  the  favour  and  authority  of  the  emperor.  The  Ita 
lian  ftates  were  averfe  to  the  partition  treaty,  from  their 
jipprehcnfion  of  feeing  France  in  pofLlIion  of  Naples,  and 
other  diitricls  of  their  country.  The  duke  of  Savoy  af- 
fe6ted  a  myflerious  neutrality,  in  hopes  of  being  able  to 
barter  his  confent  for  fome  confiderable  advantage.  The 
Swifs  cantons  declined  acceding  as  guarantee?.  The  em- 


W  I  L  L  I  A  M.  289 

peror  exprefTed  his  aftonifhment  that  any  difpofition  CHAP, 
fhould  be  made  of  the  Spanilh  monarchy  without  the  con- 
fent  of  the  prefent  pofTelTor,  and  the  ftates  of  the  kingdom. 
He  obferved,  that  neither  juftiee  nor  decorum  could  war- 
rant  the  contracting  powers  to  compel  him,  who  was  the 
rightful  heir,  to  accept  a  part  of  his  inheritance  within 
three  months,  under  penalty  of  forfeiting  even  that  fhare 
to  a  third  perfon  not  yet  named ;  and  he  declared,  that  he 
could  take  no  final  refolution,  until  he  fhould  know  the 
fentiments  of  his  Catholic  majefty,  on  an  affair  in  which 
their  mutual  intereft  was  fo  nearly  concerned.  Leopold 
was  actually  engaged  in  a  negociation  with  the  king  of 
Spain,  who  figned  a  will  in  favour  of  his  fecond  fon 
Charles;  yet  he  took  no  meafures  to  fupport  the  difpofi 
tion,  either  by  fending  the  archduke  with  a  fufficient  force 
into  Spain,  or  by  detaching  troops  into  Italy. 

The  people  of  Spain  were  exafperated  at  the  infolence 
of  the  three  foreign  powers  who  pretended  to  parcel  out 
their  dominions.  Their  pride  took  the  alarm,  at  the  pro- 
fpecl  of  their  monarchy's  being  difmembcred ;  and  the 
grandees  repined  at  the  thought  oflofmg  fo  many  lucra 
tive  governments,  which  they  now  enjoyed.  The  king's 
life  became  every  day  more  and  more  precarious,  from 
frequent  returns  of  his  diforder.  The  miniftry  was 
weak  and  divided,  the  nobility  factious,  and  the  people 
difcontented.  The  hearts  of  the  nation  had  been  alienat 
ed  from  the  houfe  of  Auftria,  by  the  infolent  carriage  and 
rapacious  difpofition  of  the  Queen  Mariana.  The  French 
had  gained  over  to  their  interefts  the  Cardinal  Portocarre- 
ro,  the  Marquis  de  Monterey,  with  many  other  noble 
men  and  perfons  of  diftin&ion.  Thefe,  perceiving  the 
fentiments  of  the  people,  employed  their  emiflaries  to 
raife  a  general  cry,  that  France  alone  could  maintain  the 
fucceffion  entire  :  That  ti;e  houfe  of  Auftria  was  feeble 
and  exhaufted,  and  any  prince  of  that  line  mvflt  owe  his 
chief  fupport  to  deteftable  heretics.  Portocarrero  tamper 
ed  with  the  weaknefs  of  his  fovereign.  He  repeated  and 
exaggerated  all  thefe  fuggeftions  :  He  advifed  him  to  con- 
fult  Pope  Innocent  XII.  on  this  momentous  point  of  re 
gulating  the  fucceffion.  That  Pontiff,  who  was  a  crea 
ture  of  France,  having  taken  the  advice  of  a  college  of 
cardinals,  determined,  that  the  renunciation  of  Maria 
Therefa  was  invalid  and  null,  as  being  founded  upon 
compulfion,  and  contrary  to  the  fundamental  laws  of  the 
Spanifli  monarchy.  He,  therefore,  exhorted  King  Charles 
to  contribute  to  the  propagation  of  the  faith,  and  the  re- 
pofe  of  Chriftendom,  by  making  a  new  will  in  favour  of 
a  irrandfon  of  the  French  monarch.  This  admonition  was. 

"VOL.  I.  2  O 


290  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK,  fecondcd  by  the  remonftrances  of  Portocarrero  ;  and  the 
weak  prince  complied  with  the  propofal.  In  the  mean 
time,  the  king  of  France  feemed  to  a£t  heartily,  as 
1700.  a  principal  in  the  treaty  of  partition.  His  minifters  at 

minifter.  foreign  courts  co-operated  with  thofe  of  the  maritime 
powers,  in  foliating  the  acceffion  of  the  different  poten 
tates  in  Europe.  When  Count  Zinzendorf,  the  Imperial 
ambaffador  at  Paris,  prefented  a  memorial,  defiring  to 
know  what  part  France  would  a£r.,  fhould  the  king  of 
Spain  voluntarily  place  a  granclfon  of  Louis  upon  the 
throne,  the  Marquis  de  Torcy  anfwered  in  writing,  that 
his  mod  Chrifiian  majefty  would  by  no  means  liften  to 
iuch  a  propofal  ;  nay,  when  the  emperor's  minifter  gave 
them  to  underftand,  that  his  mafter  was  ready  to  begin 
a  feparatc  negociation  with  the  court  of  Verfailles,  touch 
ing  the  Spanifh  fucceffion,  Louis  declared  he  could  not 
treat  on  that  fubje6l  without  the  concurrence  of  his  allies. 
The  nature  of  the  partition  treaty  was  no  fooner 
known  in  England,  than  condemned  by  the  moft  intelli 
gent  part  of  the  nation.  They  firft  of  all  complained, 
that  fuch  an  important  affair  fhould  be  concluded  without 
the  advice  of  parliament.  They  obferved,  that  the  fchemc 
was  unjuft,  and  the  execution  of  it  hazardous  :  That,  in 
concerting  the  terms,  the  maritime  powers  feemed  to 
have  a6led  as  partisans  of  France  ;  for  the  poffeffion  of 
Naples  and  the  Tufcan  ports  would  fubjeft  Italy  to  her 
dominion,  and  interfere  with  the  Engliih  trade  to  the 
Levant  and  Mediterranean  ;  while  Guipufcoa,  on  any 
future  rupture,  would  afford  another  inlet  into  the  heart 
of  the  Spanifh  dominions:  They,  for  thefe  reafons  pro- 
nounced  the  treaty  deilruclive  of  the  balance  of  power, 
and  prejudicial  to  the  intereft  of  England.  All  thefe  ar 
guments  were  trumpeted  by  the  malcontent?,  fo  that  the 
whole  kingdom  echoed  with  the  clamour  of  difaffe£lion. 
Sir  Chrillopher  Mufgrave,  and  others  of  the  Tory  fac 
tion,  began  to  think  in  earneft  of  eftablifhing  the  fuccef- 
f Ion  of  the  Englifh  crown  upon  the  perfon  of  the  prince  of 
Wales.  They  are  faid  to  have  fent  over  Mr.  Graham  to 
St.  Germain's  with  overtures  to  this  purpofe,  and  an  af- 
furance  that  a  motion  would  be  made  in  the  houfe  of 
commons,  to  pafs  a  vote  that  the  crown  fhould  not  be 
Supported  in  the  execution  of  the  partition  treaty.  King 
William  was  not  ignorant  of  the  cenfu re  he  had  under 
gone,  and  not  a  little  alarmed  to  find  himfelf  fo  unpopular 
among  his  own  fubje&s.  That  he  might  be  the  more 
able  to  beftow  his  attention  effectually  upon  the  affairs  of 
England,  he  refolved  to  take  fome  meafures  for  the  fatis- 
fa&ion  of  the  Scottifh  nation.  He  permitted  the  parlia- 


W  I  L  L  I  A  M.  291 

ment  of  that  kingdom  to  meet  on  the  28th  day  of  O6to-  CHAP 
her,  and  wrote  a  letter  to  them  from  his  houfe  at  Loo, 
containing  an  aflurance,  that  he  would  concur  in  every  *^7 
thing  that  could  be  reafonably  propofed  for  maintaining 
and  advancing  the  peace  and  welfare  of  their  kingdom. 
He  promHed  to  give  his  royal  affcnt  to  iuch  afts  as  ilicy 
fhould  frame  for  the  better  eftablilhment  of  the  Prefbyte- 
rian  difcipline;  for  preventing  the  growth  of  Popery, 
fuppreffing  vice  and  immorality,  encouraging  piety  and 
virtue,  preserving  and  fecuring  perfonal  liberty,  regulat 
ing  and  advancing  trade,  retrieving  the  loffes,  and  pro 
moting  the  interafl  of  their  African  and  Indian  companies. 
He  expreffed  his  concern  that  he  conld  not  al'lert  the  com 
pany's  right  of  eftabliihing  a  colony  at  Darien,  without 
difturbing  the  peace  of  Chriftendom,  and  entailing  a  rui 
nous  war  on  that  his  ancient  kingdom.  He  recommended 
unanimity  and  difpatch  in  railing  competent  taxes  for 
their  own  defence;  and  told  them  he  had  thought  fit  to 
continue  the  duke  of  Qeeenfberry  in  the  office  of  hic,h 
commiffioner.  Notwithftahding  this  foothing  addrefs,  the 
national  refentment  continued  to  rage,  and  the  parliament 
feemed  altogether  intraclable.  By  this  time  the  company 
had  received  certain  tidings  of  the  entire  furrender  of 
their  fettlemcnt ;  and,  on  the  firfl  day  of  the  fefiion,  they 
reprefented  to  parliament,  that,  for  want  of  due  protection 
abroad,  fome  perfons  had  been  encouraged  to  break  in 
upon  their  privileges  even  at  home.  This  remonftrance 
was  fucceeded  by  another  national  addrefs  to  the  kin^, 
who  told  them  he  could  not  take  any  further  notice  of  that 
affair,  fmce  the  parliament  was  now  affembled ;  and  he 
had  already  made  a  declaration,  wi:h  which  he  hoped  all 
his  faithful  fubjects  would  be  fatisfied.  Nevertheless,  he 
found  it  abfolutely  neceffary  to  pradlife  other  expedients 
for  allaying  the  ferment  of  that  nation.  His  miniilxTS  and 
their  agents  beftirred  themfelves  Co  fuccefsfully,  that  the- 
heats  in  parliament  v/ere  entirely  cooled,  and  the  outcry 
of  the  people  fubfided  into  unavailing  murmurs.  The 
parliament  refolved,.  That,  in  consideration  of  their  great 
deliverance  by  his  majefty,  and,  as  next  under  God,  their 
fafety  and  happinefs  wholly  depended  on  his  prefcrvntion 
and  that  of  his  government,  they  would  fupport  both  to  the 
utmoft  of  their  power,  and  maintain  fuch  forces  as  diould" 
be  requifite  for  thofe  ends.  They  paffecl  an  act  for  keeping 
on  foot  three  thoufand  men  for  t\vo  ye.irs,  to  be  maintained 
by  aland-tax.  Then  the  commiffioner  produced  th;  kiiio-'s 
letter,  deliring  to  have  eleven  hundred  men  on  his  own 
account  to  the  rft  day  of  June  following  :  They  forth 
with  complied  with  his  requeftj  <  nd  were  prorogued  tvd 


292  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  the   6th   of  May.     The  fupernumerary  troops  were  fent 
over   to  the   ftates-general;  and    the  earl  of  A  i  gyle  was 


honoured  with  the  title  of  duke,  as  a  recompence  for  hav 
ing  concurred  with  the  commiffioner  in  managing  this 
feflion  of  parliament. 

Death  of          King   William   had  returned   to  England  on  the  i8th 
the  king  of  fay  of  October,  not  a  little  chagrined  at  the  perplexities 
tatconfe-      *n   wmcn    ne    found  himfelf  involved  ;  and,  in  the  begin- 
cuences.       ning    of  the  next  month,  he  received  advice  that  the  king 
of  Spain  was  actually  dead.     He  could  not  be  furprifed  at 
this   event,  which  had  been  fo  long  expected  ;  but  it  was 
attended   with    a  circumftance  which  he  had  not  forefeen. 
Charles,  by  his  laft  will,  had  declared  the  duke  of  Anjou, 
fecond  fon    of  the   Dauphin,  the  fole  heir  of  the  Spanifb 
monarchy.     In  cafe    this  prince  fnould  die  without  iffue, 
or   inherit   the  crown   of  France,  he   willed    that  Spain 
fhould    devolve   to   the  duke  of  Berry  ;  in  default  of  him 
and  children,  to  the  archduke  Charles  and  his  heirs;  fail 
ing  of  whom,  to  the  duke  of  Savoy  and  his  pofterity.     He 
likewife   recommended  a  match  between  the  duke  of  An 
jou,  and  one  of  the  arch  duchefles.     When  this  teftament 
was    firft  notified   to  the  French  court,  Louis  feemed  to 
hefitate  between  his  inclination  and  engagements  to  Wil 
liam    and  the  ftates-general.     Madame   de  Maintenon  is 
faid  to  have  joined  her  influence  to  that  of  the  dauphin,  in 
perfuading    the  king  to  accept  of  the  will  ;  and  Pontchar- 
train     was     engaged     to    fupport     the     fame     meafure. 
A  cabinet-council  was  called  in  her  apartment.     The  reft 
of  the   miniftry  declared  for  the  treaty  of  partition  :   The 
king  affected  a  kind  of  neutrality.  The  dauphin  fpoke  for 
his  fon  with  an  air  of  refolution  he  had  never  afTinned  be 
fore  :  Pontchartrain  feconded  his  arguments  ;  Madame  de 
Maintenon    afked  what  the   duke  of  Anjou    had  done  to 
provoke  the  king,  that  he  fhould  be  barred  of  his  right  to 
that   fucceflion  ?  Then   the   reft  of  the  members  efpoufed 
the  dauphin's    opinion;  and  the  king  owned  himfelf  con 
vinced   by   their  reafons.     In  all  probability,  the  decifion 
of  this    council  was  previoufty  fettled  in  private.     After 
the    will  was  accepted,  Louis  clofeted  the  duke  of  Anjou, 
to  whom   he   faid,  in  prefence  of  the  marquis  des  Rio?, 
"  Sir,  the    king  of  Spain   has    made    you  a  king.     The 
Cl  grandees  demand    you  ;  the   people    wifh  for  you  ;  :md 
u  I    give  my  confcnt.     Remember  only,  you  are  a  prince 
"  of  France.     I    recommend  to  you  to  love  your  people, 
"to  gain    their   affection   by   the  lenity  of  your  govern- 
u  ment,  and    to    render  yourfelf  worthy  of  the  throne  you 
"  are  going  to  afcend."     The  new  monarch  was  congra 
tulated  on  his   elevation   by  all  the  princes  of  the  blood  : 


WILLIAM.  293- 

Neverthelefs,  the   duke  of  Orleans  and  hi;  Ton  protefted  CHAP 
as;ainft  the  will,  becaufe  the  archduke  was  placed  next  in 
ficceflion  to  the  duke  of  Berry,  in  bar  of  their  right   as  de- 
fcondants  of  Anne  of  Auftria,  whofe  renunciation  could  be 
of  no  more  force  than  that  of  Maria  Therefa.     On  the  4th 
day    of  December,  the  new  king  fet  out  for  Spain,  to  the 
frontiers  of  which  he  was  accompanied  by  his  two  brothers. 
When  the  will  was  accepted,  the   French   minifter   De 
Torcy  endeavoured  to  juftifyhis  matter's  conduct  to  the  earl 
of  Manchefter,  who  had  refided  at  Paris  in  the  character  of 
of  ambaflador  from  the  court  of  London.     He  obferved, 
That  the  treaty  of  partition  was  not  likely  to  anfwer  the 
ends   for  which  it  had  been  concerted  :  That  the  emperor 
had  refufed  to  accede :  That  it  was  relifhed  by  none  of  the 
princes  to  whom  it   had   been  communicated  :  That  the 
people  of  England  and  Holland  had  exprefTed  their  difcon- 
tent  at  the  profpect  of  France's  being  in  pofTefliion  of  Na 
ples  and   Sicily:   That  if  Louis  had  rejected  the  will,  the 
archduke  would  have  had  a  double  title  derived   from  the 
former  will,  and  that  of  the  late  king  :  That  the  Spaniards 
were  fo  averfe    to   the   divifion  of  their  monarchy,    there 
would  be  a  necefiity  for  conquering  the   whole   kingdom 
before  the  treaty  could  be  executed  :  That   the  fhips  to 
be  furnifhed  by  great  Britain  and  Holland,   would  not   be 
fufficient  for  the  purpofes  of  fuch  a  war  ;  and  it  was  doubt 
ful  whether  England  and  the  States-general  would   engage 
themfelves  in  a  greater  expence.     He  concluded  with  fay 
ing,  that  the  treaty  would  have  been  more  advantageous  to 
France  than  the  will,  which  the  king  accepted  purely  from 
a  dsfire  of  preferring  the  peace  of  Europe.     His    mafter 
hoped,  therefore,  the  good  underftanding  would  fubfift  be 
tween  him  and  the  king  of  great  Britain.     The  fame  rea- 
fons  were  communicated  by  Briod,  the  French  ambaflador 
at  the  Hague,  to  the  States-general.     Notwithflanding  this 
addrefs,   they  ordered  their  envoy  at  Paris  to  deliver  a  me 
morial  to  the  French  king,   exprefiing  their  furprife  at  his 
having  accepted  the  will  ;   and  their  hope,  that  as  the  time 
fpecified  for  the  emperor's  acceding  to  the   treaty  was  not 
expired,  his  moft  Chriftian  majefry  would  take  the   aft'air 
again  into  his  confideration,  and  adhere  to  his  engagements 
in  every  article.     Louis,  in  his  anfwer   to  this  memorial, 
which  he  di (patched  to  all  the  courts  of  Europe,  declared, 
That  what  he  chiefly  confidered  was  the   principal    dengn 
of  the   contracting  parties,    namely,   the   maintenance  of 
peace  in  Europe  ;  and  that,  true  to  this  principle,   he  only 
departed  from  the  words,  that  he  might  the  better  adhere  to 
fpirit  of  the  treaty. 


294  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  With  this  anfwer  he  fent  a  letter  to  the  ftates,  giving 
•  them  to  underftand,  that  the  peace  of  Europe  was  fo  nrrnly 
eftabltfhed  by  the  will  of  the  king  of  Spain,  in  favour  of 
his  gra-ndfon,  that  he  did  riot  doubt  their  approbation  of 
bis  fucceffion  to  the  Spanifh  crown.  The  ftates  obfervcd, 
That  they  could  not  declare  themfelves  upon  an  affair  of 
fuch  confequence,  without  confulting  their  reflective  pro 
vinces.  Louis  admitted  the  excufc,  and  affured  them  of 
his  readinefs  to  concur  with  whatever  they  fhoulu  ciefire 
for  the  fecurity  of  the  Spanifh  Netherlands.  The  Spanifh, 
ambafTador  at  the  Hague  prefented  them  with  a  letter  from 
his  new  mafter,  who  likewife  notified  his  acceffion  to  all 
the  powers  of  Europe,  except  the  king:  of  England.  The 
emperor  loudly  exclaimed  againft  the  will,  as  being  more 
iniquitous  than  the  treaty  of  partition  ;  and  threatened  to 
do  himfelf  juftice  by  the  force  of  arms.  The  Spaniards 
apprehending  that  a  league  would  be  formed  be':  veert 
his  Imperial  majefty  and  the  maritime  powers,  for  fetting 
afide  the  fucceffion  of  the  duke  of  Anjou  ;  and  confcious 
of  their  own  inability  to  defend  their  dominions,  refigned 
themfelves  entirely  to  the  protection  of  the  French  mo 
narch.  The  towns  in  the  Spanifh  Netherlands  and  the 
duchy  of  Milan  admitted  French  garrifons  ;  a  French  fqua- 
dron  anchored  in  the  port  of  Cadiz  ;  and  another  was  de 
tached  to  the  Spanifh  fettlements  in  the  Weft  Indies.  Part 
of  the  Dutch  army  that  was  quartered  in  Luxembourg, 
Mons  and  Namur,  were  made  prifoners  of  war,  becaufe 
they  would  not  own  the  king  of  Spain,  whom  their  mafters 
had  not  yet  acknowledged.  The  ftates  were  overwhelmed 
with  confternation  by  this  event,  efpecially  when  they  co;i- 
fidered  their  own  naked  fituation,  and  reflected  that  the 
Spanifh  garrifons  might  fall  upon  them  before  they  could 
aflemble  a  body  of  troops  for  their  defence.  The  danger 
was  fo  imminent,  that  they  refolved  to  acknowledge  the. 
king  of  Spain  without  further  hefitation,  and  wrote  a  letter 
to  the  French  king  for  that  purpofe  ;  This  was  no  fooner 
received,  than  orders  were  ifTued  for  fending  back  their 
battalions. 

How  warmly  foever  King  William  refented  the  conduct 
of  the  French  king,  in  accepting  the  will  fo  diametrically 
oppofite  to  his  engagements,  he  diflembled  his  chagrin,  and 
behaved  with  fuch  referve  and  apparent  indifference,  that 
fome  people  naturally  believed  he  had  been  privy  to  the, 
tranfaition.  Others  immagined  that  he  was  difcouraged 
from  engaging  in  a  new  war  by  his  bodily  infirmities 
which  daily  increafed,  as  well  as  by  the  oppofition  in  parlia 
ment,  to  which  hcfhould  be  inevitably  expofed.  But  his  real 
aim  was  to  conceal  his  femiments,  until  he  fhould  have 


WILLIAM. 

founded  the  opinions  of  other  powers  in  Europe,  and  feen  CHAP, 
how  far  he  could  depend  upon  his  new  miniftry.  He  now 
Itemed  to  repofe  his  chief  confidence  in  the  earl  of  Rochef- 
ter,  who  had  undertaken  for  the  Tories,  and  was  declared 
lord-  lieutenant  of  Ireland.  Lord  Godolphin  was  appoint 
ed  ftrfr.  commiffioner  of  the  Treafury  :  Lord  Tankerville 
fucceeded  Lord  Lonfdale,  lately  deceafed,  as  keeper  of  the 
privy  feal,  and  Sir  Charles  Hedges  was  declared  fecretary 
of  irate,  in  the  room  of  the  earl  of  Jerfey:  But  the  manage 
ment  of  the  commons  was  entrufted  to  Mr.  Robert  Har- 
ley,  who  had  hitherto  oppofed  the  meafiires  of  the  court 
with  equal  virulence  and  ability.  Thefe  new  undertakers, 
well  known  they  fhoud  find  it  very  difficult,  if  not  impoffi- 
ble,  to  fecure  a  majority  in  the  prefent  parliament,  prevail 
ed  on  the  king  to  defolve  it  by  proclamation  :  Then  the 
fherifFs  were  changed  according  to  their  nomination,  and 
writs  ifTued  for  a  new  parliament  to  meet  on  the  fixth  day 
of  February.  During  this  interval,  Count  Wratiflaw  ar 
rived  in  England,  as  ambafiador  from  the  emperor,  to  ex 
plain  Leopold's  title  to  the  Spanifli  monarchy,  fupported 
by  repeated  entails  and  renunciations,  confirmed  in  the 
moft  folemn  treaties.  This  minifter  met  with  a  very  cold 
reception  from  thofe  who  ftood  at  the  helm  of  affairs.  They 
fought  to  avoid  all  connections  that  might  engage  their 
country  as  a  principal  in  another  war  upon  the  continent, 
fmarting  as  they  were  from  the  lofles  and  incumbrances 
wbich  the  laft  had  entailed  upon  them  and  their  poflerity. 
They  feemed  to  think  that  Louis,  rather  than  involve  him- 
felf  in  frefh  troubles,  would  give  all  the  fecurity  that  could 
be  deiired  for  maintaining  the  peace  of  Europe  ;  or  even, 
fhould  this  be  refufed,  they  faw  no  reafon  for  Britain's  ex- 
haufting  her  wealth  andnrength  to  fupporta  chimerical  ba 
lance,  in  which  her  intereft  was  but  remotely  concerned. 
It  was  their  opinion,  that,  by  keeping  aloof,  file  might  ren 
der  herfelf  more  refpectable.  Pier  referve  would  overawe 
contending  powers  :  They  would,  in  their  turn,  fue  for 
her  affiftance,  and  implore  her  good  offices ;  and,  inftead  of 
declaring  herfelf  a  party,  me  would  have  the  honour  to  de 
cide  as  arbitrefs  of  their  difputes.  Perhaps  they  extended 
this  idea  too  far;  and  in  all  probability,  their  notions  were 
inflamed  by  a  fpirit  of  faction.  They  hated  the  Whigs  as 
their  political  adverfaries,  and  detefted  the  war,  becaufs  it 
had  been  countenanced  and  fupported  by  the  intereft  of  that 
party.  The  king  believed,  that  a  conjunction  of  the  two 
monarchies  of  France  and  Spain  would  prove  fatal  to  the 
liberties  of  Europe  ;  and  that  this  could  not  be  prevented 
by  any  other  method  than  a  general  union  of  the  other  Eu 
ropean  powers.  He  certainly  was  an  e/ithufiafl  in  his  fen- 


296  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

B  °ii°  K  timents  of  this  equilibrium;  and  fully  convinced,  that  he 
i_  _^i  himfelf,  of  all  the  potentates  in  Chriftendom,  was  the 
ii  only  prince  capable  of  adjufting  the  balance.  The  Impe 
rial  ambaflador  could  not,  therefore,  be  long  ignorant  of 
his  real  purpofe,  as  he  converfed  with  the  Dutch  favour 
ites,  who  knew  and  approved  of  their  matter's  defign, 
though  he  avoided  a  declaration,  until  he  fhould  have 
rendered  his  minifters  more  propitious  to  his  aim.  The 
true  fecret,  however,  of  that  referve  with  which  Count 
Wratiflaw  was  treated  at  his  firft  arrival,  was  a  private 
negociation  which  the  king  had  fct  on  foot  with  the  re 
gency  of  Spain,  touching  a  barrier  in  the  Netherlands. 
He  propofed,  that  certain  towns  fhould  be  garrifoned 
with  Englifh  and  Dutch  troops,  by  way  of  fccurity 
againft  the  ambitious  defigns  of  France;  but  the  regency 
were  fo  devoted  to  the  French  intereft,  that  they  refufed 
to  liften  to  any  propoLl  of  this  nature.  While  this  affair 
was  in  agitation,  William  refolved  to  maintain  a  wary 
diilance  from  the  emperor  ;  but,  when  his  effort  mifcar- 
ried,  the  ambaflador  found  him  much  more  open  and  ac- 
eeffible*. 

The  parliament  meeting  on  the  fixth,  was  prorogued 
to  the  tenth  day  of  February,  when  Mr.  Harley  was 
chofen  fpeaker  by  a  great  majority,  in  oppofition  to  Sir 
Richard  Onflow.  The  king  had  previoufly  told  Sir 
Thomas  Lyttelton,  it  would  be  for  his  fervice  that  he 
fhould  yield  his  pretenfions  to  Harley  at  this  juncture  ; 
and  that  gentleman  agreed  to  abfent  himfelf  from  the 
houfe  on  the  day  of  election.  The  king  obferved,  in  his 
fpeech,  that  the  nation's  lofs  in  the  death  of  the  duke  of 
Gloucefter  had  rendered  it  abfolutely  neceffary  for  them 
to  make  further  provifion/or  the  fucceffion  of  the  crown 
in  the  Proteftant  line  :  That  the  death  of  the  king  of 
Spain  had  made  fuch  an  alteration  in  the  affairs  of  the 
continent,  as  required  their  mature  deliberation.  The 
reft  of  his  harangue  turned  upon  the  ufual  topics  of  dc- 

*  This  year  was  difiinjuifhed  by  a  glorious  victory  which  the  young  king  of 
Swedui  obtained  in  the  19th  yiar  of  his  age.  Riga  continued  inverted  by  the 
king  of  Poland,  while  Peter  the  czar  of  Mufcovy  made  his  approaches  to  Nar 
va,  at  the  head  of  a  prodigious  army,  purposing,  in  violation  of  all  taith  and 
juftice,  to  (hare  the  fjroils  of  the  you rhful  monarch.  Charles  landed  utRevel, 
compelled  the  Saxons  to  abandon  the  fiege  of  Riga,  and  having  fupplied  the 
place,  marched  with  a  handful  of  troops  againft  the  Mufcovites,  who  had  un 
dertaken  the  fiege  of  Narva.  The  czar  quitted  his  army  with  for.ie  precipita 
tion,  as  if  he  had  been  afraid  of  hazarding  his  perfon,  while  Charles  advanced 
thro'  ways  that  were  thought  impracticable,  and  furprifed  the  enemy.  H« 
broke  into  their  camp  before  they  had  the  leaft  intimations  of  his  approaeh, 
and  totally  routed  them  after  a  fliort  refinance.  He  took  a  great  number  of 
prifoncrs,  with  all  tlieir  bajgage,  tents,  and  artillery,  and  entered  Narva  in. 
triumph. 


W  I  L  L  I  A  U.  297 

manding  fupplies  for  the  enfuing  year,  reminding  them  of  CHAP 
the  deficiencies  and  public  debts,  recommending  to  then 
enquiry  the  ftate  of  the  navy  and  fortifications;  exhorting  (to*^Y^*-'^ 
them  to  encourage  commerce,  employ  the  poor,  and  p;  ^- 
ceed  with  vigour  and  unanimity  in  all  their  deliberations. 
Though  the  elections  had  been  generally  carried  in  fa 
vour  of  the  Tory  intereft,  the  miniftry  had  fecured  but 
one  part  of  that  faction.  Some  of  the  moft  popular  lea 
ders,  fuch  as  the  duke  of  Leeds,  the  marquis  of  Nor 
mandy,  the  earl  of  Nottingham,  Seymour,  Mufgravei 
How,  Finch,  and  Showers,  had  been  cither  neglected  or 
found  refractory,  and  relblved  to  oppofe  the  court- 
meafures  with  all  their  influence.  Befides,  the  French 
king,  knowing  that  the  peace  of  Europe  would  in  a  great 
meafure  depend  on  the  refolutions  of  the  Englifh  parlia 
ment,  is  faid  to  have  diftributed  great  fums  of  money  in 
England,  by  means  of  his  minifter,  Tallard,  in  order  to 
ftrengthen  the  oppofition  in  the  houfe  of  commons.  Cer 
tain  it  is,  the  nation  abounded,  at  this  period,  with  the 
French  coins  called  Louis  d'or  and  piftoles  ;  but  whether 
this  redundancy  was  owing  to  a  balance  of  trade  in  favour 
of  England,  or  to  the  largefles  of  Louis,  we  {hall  not 
pretend  to  determine.  We  may  likewife  obferve,  that  the 
infamous  practice  of  bribing  electors  had  never  been  fo 
flagrant  as  in  the  choice  of  representatives  for  this  parlia 
ment.  This  fcandalous  traffic  had  been  chiefly  carried  on 
by  the  Whig  party,  and  therefore,  their  antagonifts  re- 
folved  to  fpare  no  pains  in  detecting  their  corruption.  Sir 
Edward  Seymour  diftinguifhetl  himfelf  by  his  zeal  and 
activity  ;  he  brought  fome  of  thefe  practices  to  light, 
and,  in  particular,  ftigmatized  the  new  Eaft  India  com 
pany,  for  having  been  deeply  concerned  in  this  fpecies  of 
venality.  An  enquiry  being  fetonfoot  in  the  houfe  of  com 
mons,  feveral  elections  were  declared  void  ;  and,  divers 
perfons  who  had  been  illegally  returned,  were  firft  expelled 
the  houfe,  and  afterwards  detained  in  prifon.  Yet  thefe 
profecutions  were  carried  on  with  fuch  partiality,  as  plainly 
indicated  that  they  flowed  rather  from  party  zeal  than  from 
patriotifm. 

A  great  body  of  the  commons  had  refolved  to  prefent  an 
addrefs  to  hismajcfty,  defiring  lie  would  acknowledge  the 
king  of  Spain;  and  the  motion,  in  all  probability,  would 
have  been  carried  by  a  confiderable  majority,  had  not  one 
bold  and  lucky  expreiTion  given  fuch  a  turn  to  the  debate, 
as  induced  the  anticourtiersto  defift.  One  Mr.  Moncton, 
in  the  heat  of  his  declamation  a^ainil  this  meafure,  faid,  he 
expected  the  next  vote  would-  be  for  owning  the  pretended 
prince  of  Wales.  Though  there  was  little  or  HO  connec- 

VOL.  I.  2  P 


298  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  tion  between  thefe  two  fubje&s,  a   great  many  members 
il.         were  ftartled  at  the  infmuation,   and  deferted  the  meafure, 

O-y-sJ  which  was  dropped  accordingly.  The  king's  fpeech  being 
1700.  taken  into  consideration,  the  houfe  refolved  to  fupport  his 
majefty  and  his  government;  to  take  fuch  effectual  mea- 
fures  as  might  beft  conduce  to  the  intereft  and  fafety  of 
England,  and  the  prefervation  of  the  Proteftant  reliqion. 
This  refolution  was  prefented  in  an  addrefs  to  the  king, 
who  received  it  favourably.  At  the  fame  time,  he  laid  be 
fore  them  a  memorial  he  had  received  from  the  ftates-gene- 
ral,  and  defired  their  advice  and  afliftance  in  the  points  that 
conftituted  the  fubftance  of  this  remonftrance.  The  ftates 
gave  him  to  underftand,  that  they  had  acknowledged  the 
duke  of  Anjou  as  king  of  Spain;  that  France  had 
agreed  to  a  negotiation,  in  which  they  might  ftipulate  the 
neceflary  conditions  for  fecuring  the  peace  of  Europe  ;  and 
that  they  were  firmly  refolved  to  do  nothing  without  the 
concurrence  of  his  majefty  and  their  other  allies.  They, 
therefore,  begged  he  would  fend  a  minifter  to  the  Hague, 
with  neceflary  powers  and  inftru&ions  to  cooperate  with 
them  in  this  negociation.  He  told  them,  that  in  cafe  it 
fhould  prove  ineffectual,  or  Holland  be  fuddenly  invaded 
by  the  troops  which  Louis  had  ordered  to  advan4fc  towards 
their  frontiers,  they  relied  on  the  afiiftance  of  England,  and 
hoped  his  majefty  would  prepare  the  fuccours  ftipulated  by 
treaty,  to  be  ufed,  fhould  occafion  require.  The  memorial 
was  lilcewife  communicated  to  the  houfe  of  lords.  Mean 
while,  the  commons  defired  that  the  treaties  between  Eng 
land  and  the  ftates-general  fhould  be  laid  before  their  houfe. 
Thefe  being  perufed,  they  refolved  upon  an  addrefs,  to  de- 
fire  his  majefty  would  enter  into  fuchnegociations  with  the 
ftates-general,  and  other  potentates,  as  might  moft  effec 
tually  conduce  to  the  mutual  fafety  of  Great  Britain  and 
the  United  Provinces,  as  well  as  to  the  prefervation  of  the 
peace  of  Europe,  and  to  affure  him  of  their  fupport  and 
afiiftance,  in  performance  of  the  treaty  fubfifting  between 
England  and  the  ftates-general.  This  refolution,  how 
ever,  was  not  carrird  without  great  oppofition  from  thofe 
who  were  averfe  to  the  nation's  involving  itfelf  in  another 
war  upon  the  continent.  The  king  profeffed  himfelf  ex 
tremely  will  pleafed  with  this  addrefs,  and  told  them  he 
would  immediately  order  his  minifters  abroad  to  a6t  in 
concert  with  the  ftates-general  and  other  powers,  for  the 
attainment  of  thofe  ends  they  propofed. 

He  communicated  to  the  commons  a  letter  written  by 
the  earl  of  Melfort  to  his  brother  the  earl  of  Perth,  go 
vernor  to  the  pretended  prince  of  Wales.  It  had  been 
mjflaid  by  accident,  and  came  to  London  in  the  French 


WILLIAM.  299 

mail.  It  contained  a  fcheme  for  another  invafion  of  Eng-  c  H  A  i» 
land,  together  with  fome  reflections  on  the  character  of  the  I- 
earl  of  Middleton,  who  had  fupplanted  him  at  the  court  of 
St.  Germain's.  Melfort  was  a  mere  projector,  and  feems 
to  have  had  no  other  view  than  that  of  recommending 
himfelfto  King  James,  and  bringing  his  rival  into  difgrace. 
The  houfc  of  lords,  to  whom  the  letter  was  alfo  imparted, 
ordered  it  to  be  printed.  Next  day  they  prefented  an  ad- 
drefs,  thanking  his  majefty  for  his  care  of  the  Proteftant 
religion;  defiring  all  the  treaties  made  fince  the  laft  war 
might  be  laid  before  them ;  requefting  him  to  engage  in 
fuch  alliances  as  he  fhould  think  proper  for  preferving  the 
balance  of  power  in  Europe ;  alluring  him  of  their  concur 
rence;  exprefiing  their  acknowledgment  for  his  having 
communicated  Melfort' s  letter  ;  defiring  he  would  give 
orders  for  feizing  the  horfes  and  arms  of  difaffecled  per- 
fons;  for  removing  Papifts  from  London  ;  and  for  fearching 
after  thofe  arms  and  provifions  of  war  mentioned  in  the 
letter:  Finally,  they  requefted  him  to  equip  fpeedily  a 
fufficient  fleet  for  the  defence  of  himfelf  and  his  kingdom. 
They  received  a  gracious  anfwer  to  this  addrefs,  which 
was  a  further  encouragement  to  the  king  to  put  his  own 
private  defigns  in  execution ;  towards  the  fame  end  the 
letter  contributed  not  a  little,  by  inflaming  the  fears  and 
refentment  of  the  nation  againft  France,  which  in  vain 
difclaimed  the  earl  of  Melfort  as  a  fantaftical  fchemer,  to 
whom  no  regard  was  paid  at  the  court  of  Verfailles.  The 
French  miniftry  complained  of  the  publication  of  this  let 
ter,  as  an  attempt  to  fow  jealoufy  between  the  twocrowns; 
and,  as  a  convincing  proof  of  their  fmcerity,  baniflied  the 
earl  of  Melfort  to  Angers. 

The   credit    of  exchequer   bills  was  fo  lowered  by  the 
change   of  the  miniftry,  and  the  lapfe  of  the  time  allotted 
for   their   circulation,  that  they  fell  near  twenty  per  cent. 
to   the   prejudice  of  the  revenue,  and  the  difcredit  of  the 
government  in  foreign  countries.     The  commons  having 
taken  this  affair  into  confideration,  voted,  that  provifion 
(hould  be  made,  from  time  to  time,  for  making  good  the 
principal  and  intereft  due  on  all  parliamentary  funds  ;  and 
afterwards    patted   a  bill  for  renewing  the  bills  of  credit, 
commonly  called   exchequer   bills.     This  was  fent  up  to 
the   lords  on   the  6th  day  of  March,  and  on  the  ijth  re 
ceived   the   royal  aflent.     The  next  object  that  engrofled  Succe/fion 
the   attention  of  the  commons,  was  the  fettlement  of  the  to  the  throne 
fucceffion  to  the  throne,  which  the  king  had  recommend-  set  hjaTLc_ 
ed  to   their  confideration  in  the  beginning  of  the  feflion.  trefg  Of 
Having  deliberated  on  this  fubje<5t,  they  refolved,  that  for  Hanover, 
the  prefervation  of  the  peace  and  happinefs  o  the  king- 


300  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK    dom,  and   the  fecurity  of  the  Proteftant  religion,  it  was 
II-        abfolutely  neceffary   that   a  further  declaration  fliould  be 

^^-y^  made  of  the  limitation  and  {uccefllon  of  the  crown  in  the 
1700.  Proteftant  line,  after  his  majefty  and  the  princefs,  and  the 
heirs  of  their  bodies  refpedtively ;  and,  that  further  provi- 
fion  fliould  he  firft  made  for  the  fecurity  of  the  rights  and  li 
berties  of  the  people.  Mr.  Harley  moved,  that  fome  con 
ditions  of  government  might  be  fettled  as  preliminaries, 
before  they  fliould  proceed  to  the  nomination  of  the  perfon, 
that  their  fecurity  might  be  complete.  Accordingly,  they 
deliberated  on  this  fubjedt,  and  agreed  to  the  following  re- 
folutions:  That  whoever  (hall  hereafter  come  to  the  poflef- 
fion  of  this  crown,  {hall  join  in  communion  with  the  church 
of  England  as  by  law  eftabliflied :  That,  in  cafe  the  crown 
and  imperial  dignity  of  this  real  mfhall  hereafter  come  to  any 
perfon,  not  being  a  native  of  this  kingdom  of  England,  this 
nation  be  not  obliged  to  engage  in  any  war  for  the  defence 
of  any  dominions  or  territories  which  do  not  belong  to  the 
crown  of  England,  without  the  confent  of  parliament : 
That  no  perfon  who  fliall  hereafter  come  to  the  poffeffion  of 
the  crown  fhall  go  out  of  the  dominions  of  England,  Scot 
land,  or  Ireland,  without  confent  of  parliament :  That, 
from  and  after  the  time  the  further  limitation  by  this  act 
fhall  take  effect,  all  matters  and  things  relating  to  the  well 
governing  of  this  kingdom,  which  are  properly  cognizable 
in  the  privy-council,  bythe  laws  and  cuftomsofthe  realm, 
fhall  be  tranfacted  there,  and  all  rofolutions  taken  there 
upon  fhall  be  figned  by  fuch  of  the  privy- council  as  fhall 
advife  and  confent  to  the  fame  :  That  after  the  limitation 
fhall  take  effect,  no  perfon  born  out  of  the  kingdom  of  Eng 
land,  Scotland,  or  Ireland,  or  the  dominions  thereunto  be 
longing,  although  he  be  naturalized,  and  made  a  denizen 
(except  fuch  as  are  born  of  Englifh  parents  ^  fhall  be  ca 
pable  to  be  of  the  privy-council,  or  a  member  of  either 
houfe  of  parliament,  or  to  enjoy  any  office  or  place  of 
truft,  either  civil  or  military,  or  to  have  any  grant  of 
lands,  tenements,  or  hereditaments  from  the  crown  to 
himfelf,  or  to  any  others  in  truft  for  him :  That  no  per 
fon  who  has  an  office  or  place  of  profit  under  the  king,  or 
receives  a  penfion  from  the  crown,  fhall  be  capable  of 
ferving  as  member  of  the  houfe  of  commons :  That  after 
the  limitation  fhall  take  effect,  judges  commiiTions  be 
made  quandlu  fe  bcne  gefferint^  and  their  falaries  afcer- 
tained  and  eftabliflied  ;  but,  upon  the  addrefs  of  both 
houfes  of  parliament,  it  may  be  lawful  to  remove  them  : 
That  no  pardon  under  the  great  feal  of  England  be  plead- 
fible  to  an  impeachment  by  the  commons  in  parliament. 
Having  fettled  thefe  preliminaries -,  they  refolved,  That 


WILLIAM.  301 

the  Princefs  Sophia,  duchefs  dowager  of  Hanover,  be  declar-  CHAP.  « 
ed  the  next  in  fucceflion  to  the  crown  of  England  in  the 
Proteftant  line,  after  his  majefty,  a^d  the  princefs,  and  the  V^V^ 
heirs  of  their  bodies  refpe&ively:  And,  That  the  further  I7OC 
limitation  of  the  crown  be  to  the  faid  Princefs  Sophia  and 
the  heirs  of  her  body,  being  Proteftants.  A  bill  being  for 
med  on  thefe  refolutions,  was  fent  up  to  the  houfe  of  Lords, 
where  it  met  with  fome  oppofition  from  the  marquis  of 
Normandy  :  A  proteft  was  likewife  entered  againft  it  by 
the  earls  of  Huntingdon  and  Plymouth,  and  the  lords  Guil- 
ford  and  Jeffreis.  Neverthelefc,  it  palled  without  amend 
ments,  and  on  the  I2th  day  of  June  received  the  royal  af- 
fent :  The  king  was  extremely  mortified  at  the  prelimina 
ry  limitations,  which  he  confidered  as  an  open  infult  of  his 
own  conduct  and  adminiftration  :  Not  but  that  they  were 
neceffary  precautions,  naturally  fuggefted  by  the  experience 
of  thofe  evils  to  which  the  nation  had  been  already  expofed, 
in  confcquence  of  raifmg  a  foreign  prince  to  the  throne  of 
England.  As  the  Tories  lay  under  the  imputation  of  fa 
vouring  the  late  king's  intereft,  they  exerted  themfelves 
zealoufry  on  this  occalion,  to  wipe  off  the  afperfion,  and  in- 
finuate  themfelves  into  the  confidence  of  the  people  ;  hop 
ing,  that  in  the  fequel  -they  fhould  be  able  to  reftrain  the 
nation  from  engaging  too  deep  in  the  affairs  of  the  conti 
nent,  without  incurring  the  charge  of  difuffeclion  to  the 
prefent  king  and  government.  The  adl:  of  fettlement  be 
ing  paffed,  the  earl  of  of  Macclesfield  was  fent  to  notify  the 
tranfaction  to  the  Eleclrefs  of  Sophia,  who  likewife  receiv 
ed  from  his  hands  the  order  of  the  garter. 

The   act  of  fucceffion    gave    umbrage  to  all    the   Po-  Duchefs  of 
pifh  princes   who  were   more    nearly  related  to  the  crown  Savoy  pro- 
than  this  lady,  whom  the  parliament  had  preferred  to  all  o-  ^fts  a|ain* 
thers.     The  Duchefs  of  Savoy,   grand-daughter  to  King  fuccefikm. 
Charles  I.  by  her  mother,  ordered  her  ambaffador,  Count 
Maffei,  to  make  a  proteftation  to  the  parliament  of  Eng 
land  in  her  name,  againft  all  refolutions  and  decifions  con 
trary  to  her  title,  as  fole  daughter  to  the  Princefs  Henrietta, 
next  in   fucceffion  to  the  crown  of  England,  after   King 
William  and  the  Princefs  Anne  of  Denmark.     Two   co 
pies  of  this  proteft  Maffei  fent  in  letters  to  the  lord-keeper 
and  the  fpeaker  of  the  lower  houfe,  by  two  of  his  gentle 
men,  and  a  public  notary  to  atteft  the  delivery  :  But  no  no 
tice  was  taken  of  the   declaration.     The  duke  of  Savoy, 
while  his  minifter  was  thus  employed  in  England,  engaged 
in  an  alliance  with  the  crowns  of  France  and   Spain,   on 
condition,  That  his  Catholic  majefty  iliould    efpoufe   his 
youngeft   daughter   without  a    dowry  :    That  he    himfelf 
(hould  command  the  allied  army  in  Italy,  and  furnifh  eight 


302  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  thoufand  infantry,  with  five  and  twenty  hundred  horfe,    in 
1I-         confideration  of  a  monthly  fubfidy  of  fifty  thoufand  crowns. 

***~Y~*~^  During  thefe  tranfadtions,  Mr.  Stanhope,  envoy  extra- 
I7CO-  ordinary  to  the  ftates-general,  was  empowered  to  treat 
with  the  minifters  of  France  and  Spain,  according  to  the 
addrefs  of  both  houfes  of  parliament.  He  reprefer.ted,  that 
though  his  moft  Chriftian  majefty  had  thought  fit  to  devi 
ate  from  the  partition-treaty,  it  was  not  reafonablc  that  the 
king  of  England  fhould  lofs  the  effect  of  that  convention  : 
He,  therefore,  expected  fome  fecurity  for  the  peace  of  Eu 
rope  ;  and  for  that  purpofe  infilled  upon  certain  articles 
importing,  That  the  French  king  fnould  immediately  with, 
draw  his  troops  from  the  Spanifh  Netherlands :  That,  for 
the  fecurity  of  England,  the  cities  of  Oftend  and  Nieuport 
fhould  be  dilivered  into  the  hands  of  his  Britannic  majefty : 
That  no  kingdom,  provinces,  cities,  lands,  or  places,  be 
longing  to  the  crown  of  Spain,  fhould  ever  be  yielded  or 
transferred  to  the  crown  of  France,  on  any  pretence  whate 
ver:  That  the  fubjects  of  his  Britannic  majefty  fliould  re 
tain  all  the  privileges,  rights,  and  immunities,  with  regard 
to  their  navigation  and  commerce  in  the  dominions  of  Spain, 
which  they  enjoyed  at  the  death  of  his  late  Catholic  maje 
fty  ;  and  alfo  all  fuch  immunities,  rights  and  franchifes,  as 
the  fubjects  of  France,  or  any  other  power,  either  poflefs 
for  the  prefent,  or  may  enjoy  for  the  future:  That  all  trea 
ties  of  peace  and  conventions  between  England  and  Spain 
fhoud  be  renewed :  And,  That  a  treaty  formed  on  thefe 
demands  fhould  be  guaranteed  by  fuch  powers  as  one  or 
other  of  the  contractors  fhould  folicit  and  prevail  upon  to 
accede.  Such  likewife  were  the  propofals  made  by  the 
ftates-general,  with  this  difference,  that  they  demanded,  as 
cautionary  towns,  all  the  ftrongeft  places  in  the  Nether 
lands.  Count  D'  Avaux,  the  French  minifter,  was  fo 
furprifed  at  the  exorbitant  demands,  that  he  could  not  help 
faying,  They  could  not  have  been  higher,  if  his  mafter  had 
loft  four  fucceffive  battles.  He  aflured  them,  that  his  moft 
Chriftian  majefty  would  withdraw  his  troops  from  the 
Spanifh  Netherlands  as  foon  as  the  king  of  Spain  fhould 
have  forces  of  his  own  fufficient  to  guard  the  country :  With 
refpedt  to  the  other  articles,  he  could  give  no  other  anfwer, 
but  that  he  would  immediately  tranfmit  them  to  Verfailles 
Louis  was  filled  with  indignation  at  the  infolent  ftrain  of. 
thofe  propofals,  which  he  had  confidered  as  a  fure  mark  of 
William's  hoftile  intentions.  He  refufed  to  give  any  other 
fecurity  for  the  peace  of  Europe,  than  a  renewal  of  the 
treaty  of  Ryfwic ;  and  he  is  faid  to  have  tampered,  by 
means  of  his  agents  and  emiflaries,  with  the  members  of  the 


WILLIAM.  3®3 

Englifh  parliament,   that  they  might  oppofe  all  fteps  tend-  c  H  A  p- 
ing  to  a  new  war  on  the  continent. 

King  William  certainly  hadno  expectation  that  France 
would  clofe  with  fuch  propofals;  but  he  was  not  without 
hope,  that  her  refufal  would  warm  the  Englifh  nation  into 
a  concurrence  with  his  defigns.  He  communicated  to  the 
houfe  of  commons  the  demands  which  had  been  made  by 
him  and  the  ftates-general  ;  and  gave  them  to  underftand, 
that  he  would  from  time  to  time  make  them  acquainted 
with  the  progrefs  of  the  negociation.  The  commons,  f'uf- 
pecking  that  his  intention  was  to  make  them  parties  in  a 
congrefs  which  he  might  conducl  to  a  different  end  from 
that  which  they  propofed,  refolved  to  fignify  their  fenti- 
ments  in  the  anfwer  to  this  meflage.  They  called  for  the 
treaty  of  partition,  which  being  read,  they  voted  an  addrefs 
of  thanks  to  his  majefty,  for  his  moll  gracious  declaration, 
that  he  would  make  them  acquainted  with  the  progrefs  of 
the  negociation  :  But  they  fignified  their  difapprobation  of 
the  partition-treaty,  figned  with  the  great  feal  of  England, 
without  the  advice  of  the  parliament  which  was  then  fet- 
ting,  and  productive  of  ill  confequences  to  the  kingdom,  as 
well  as  to  the  peace  of  Europe,  as  it  affigned  over  to  the 
French  king  fuch  a  large  portion  of  the  Spanifh  domi 
nions.  Nothing  could  be  more  mortifying  to  the  king 
than  this  open  attack  upon  his  own  conducl: :  Yet  he  fup- 
preffed  his  refentment,  and  without  taking  the  leaft  notice 
of  their  fentiments  with  refpe£t  to  their  partition-treaty,  af- 
fured  them,  that  he  fhould  be  always  ready  to  receive  their 
advice  on  the  negociation  which  he  had  fet  on  foot,  accord 
ing  to  their  defire.  The  debates  in  the  houfe  of  com 
mons  upon  the  fubjecl:  of  the  partition-treaty  rofe  to  fuch 
violence,  that  divers  members  in  declaiming  againft  it, 
tranfgrefled  the  bounds  of  decency.  Sir  Edward  Seymour 
compaired  the  divifion  which  had  been  made  of  the  Spanifh 
territories  to  a  robbery  on  the  highway  ;  and  Mr.  Howe 
did  not  fcruple  to  fay  it  was  a  felonious  treaty  :  An  expref- 
fion  which  the  king  refented  to  fuch  a  degree,  that  he  de 
clared  he  would  have  demanded  perfonal  fat  is  fact  ion  with 
his  fword,  had  not  he  been  reftrained  by  the  difparity  of 
condition  between  himfelf  and  the  perfon  who  had  offered 
fuch  an  outrageous  infult  to  his  honour.  Whether  the 
Tories  intended  to  alienate  the  minds  of  the  nation  from  all 
foreign  connexions, or  to  wreak  their  vengeance  on  the  late 
minifters,  whom  they  hated  as  the  chiefs  of  the  Whig  par 
ty,  certain  it  is,  they  now  raifed  an  univerfal  outcry  againft 
the  partition-treaty,  which  was  not  only  condemned  in 
public  pamphlets  and  private  conversation,  but  even 
brought  into  the  houfe  of  lords  as  an  object  of  parliaments- 


304  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

B  O^o  K  ry  cenfure.  In  the  month  of  March,  a  warm  debate  orr 
^...—  j  tn's  fubject  was  begun  by  Sheffield  marquis  of  Normandy, 
and  carried  on  with  great  vehemence  by  other  noblemen 
of  the  Him e  faction.  "  They  exclaimed  againft  the  article 
by  which  fo  many  territories  were  added  to  the  crown  of 
France :  They  complained,  that  the  emperor  had  been  for- 
faken  :  That  the  treaty  was  not  communicated  to  the  pri 
vy-council  or  miniitry,  but  clandeftinely  tranfafted  by  the 
earls  of  Portland  and  Jerfey :  That  the  fanclion  of  the 
great  feal  had  .been  unjuftly  and  irregularly  applied,  firft  to 
blank  powers,  and  afterwards  to  the  treaty  itfelf.  The 
courtiers  replied,  That  the  king  had  engaged  in  a  treaty  of 
partition  at  the  defire  of  the  emperor^  who  had  agreed  to 
every  article,  except  that  relating  to  the  duchy  of  Milan, 
and  afterwards  defired,  that  his  majefty  would  procure  for 
him  the  bed  terms  he  could  obtain  ;  above  all  things  recom 
mending  fecrecy,  that  he  might  not  forfeit  his  intereft  in 
Spain,  by  feeming  to  confent  to  the  treaty :  That  foreign 
negociations  being  entrufted  to  the  care  of  the  crown,  the 
king  lay  under  no  legal  obligation  to  communicate  fuch 
fecrets  of  ftate  to  his  council ;  far  lefs  was  he  obliged  to  fol 
low  their  advice:  And  that  the  keeper  of  the  great  feal  had 
no  authority  forrefufing  to  apply  it  to  any  powers  or  treaty 
which  the  king  mould  grant  or  conclude,  unlefs  they  were 
contrary  to  law,  which  had  made  no  provision  for  fuch  an 
emergency*.  The  earl  of  Portland,  apprehending  that  this 
tempeft  would  burft  upon  his  head,  declared,  on  the  2d  day 
of  the  debate,  that  he  had,  by  the  king's  order  communi 
cated  the  treaty,  before  it  was  concluded,  to  the  earls  of 
.  Pembroke  and  Marlborough,  the  Lords  Lonfdale,  Somers, 
Halifax,  and  Secretary  Vernon.  Thefe  noblemen  owned, 
that  they  had  been  made  acquainted  with  the  fubftance  of 
it:  That  when  they  excepted  to  fome  particulars,  they 
were  told,  his  majefty  had  carried  the  matter  as  far  as  it 
could  be  advanced,  and  that  he  would  obtain  no  better 
terms :  Thus  aflured  that  every  article  was  already  fettled, 
they  faid  they  no  longer  infifted  upon  particulars,  but  gave 
their  advice  that  his  majefty  fhould  not  engage  himfelf  in 
any  meafure  that  would  produce  a  new  war,  feeing  the  na 
tion  had  been  fo  uneafy  under  the  laft.  After  long  debates, 

*  In  the  courfe  of  this  debate,  the  earl  of  Rochefter  reprehended  fome  lords 
for  fpeakingdiftefpeilfully  of  the  French  king,  obferving,  that  it  was  peculiar 
ly  incumbent  on  peers  to  treat  monarchs  with  decorum  and  refpeft,  as  they 
derived  their  dignity  from  the  crown.  Another  affirming,  that  the  French 
king  was  njt  only  to  berefpscled,  but  likev.-ifc  to  be  feared  ;  a  certain  lord  re 
plied,  "  He  hoped  no  man  in  England  needed  to  be  afraid  of  the  French  king, 
much  lefs  the  peer  who  fpoke  laft,  who  was  too  much  a  friend  to  that  munarck 
to  fear  any  thing  from  his  vefc-ntment." 


WILLIAM.  305 

and  great  variety  as  well  as  virulence   of  altercation,   the    CHAP 
houfe  agreed  to  an  adcrefs,  in  which  they  disapproved  of  the         !• 
partition-treaty,  as  a  fchemeinconfiftent  with  the  peace  and   ^-^y*^ 
fafety  of  Europe,   as  well    as   prejudicial  to  the  intereft  of      '7°°- 
Great    Britain.     They    complained,   that  neither  the  in- 
ftrucYions  given  to  his  plenipotentiaries,  nor  the  draft  of  the 
treaty  itfelf,  had  been  kid  before  his  majefty's  council.  They 
huraby  befought  him,  that  for  the  future,  he  would   in  all 
matters  of  importance,  require  and  admit  the  advice  of  his 
natural-born  fubjecSts  of  known  probity  and    fortune  ;  and 
that  he  would  constitute  a  council  of  fuch  perfons,  to  whom 
he  might  impart  all  affairs  which  fnould  any  way  concern 
him  and  his  dominions.     They  obferved,  that   the  interest 
and  natural  affection  to  their  country  would  incline   them 
to  every  meafure  that  might  tend  to  its  welfare  and  profpe- 
rity;  whereas  urangers  could  not  be  fo  much  influenced  by 
thefe  conilderations  :  That  their  knowledge  of  the  country 
would  render  them  more  capable  than  foreigners  could  be  Burner, 
ofadvifing  his   majefty    touching  the  true  interefis  of  his  Oldmixon. 
kingdom  :  That  they  had  exhibited  fuch  repeated  demon-  ,  ole; 

o        •  r     i     •       i  rr   r,  •  /i  •  i  •      Lambarty. 

itrations  or  their  duty  ana  affection,  as  mult  convince  his  state 
majefty  of  their  zeal  in  his  fervice  ;  nor  could  he  want  the  T  rafts, 
knowledge  of  perfons  fit  to  be  employed  in  all  his  fecretand  ^"^f1" 
arduous  affairs  :  Finally,  as  the  French   king  appeared  to  Voltaire, 
have  violated  the  treaty  of  partition,  they  advifed  his  majef- 
ty,  in  future  negociations  with  that  prince,  to  proceed  with 
fuch  caution  as  might  imply  a  real  fecurity. 

The  King  received  this  fevere  remonftrance  with  his 
ufual  phlegm,  faying,  it  contained  matter  of  very  great 
moment ;  and,  he  would  take  care  that  all  treaties  he  made 
fliould  be  for  the  honour  and  fafety  of  England.  Though 
he  deeply  felt  this  affront,  he  would  not  alter  his  conduct 
towards  the  new  minifters  ;  but  he  plainly  perceived  their 
intention  was  to  thwart  him  in  his  favourite  meafure,  and 
humble  him  into  a  dependence  upon  their  intereft  in  par 
liament.  On  the  laft  day  of  March,  he  imparted  to  ths 
commons  the  French  king's  declaration,  that  he  would 
grant  no  other  fecurity  than  a  renewal  of  the  treaty  of  Ryf- 
wick  ;  fo  that  the  negociation  feemed  to  be  at  an  end.  He 
likewife  communicated  two  refolutions  of  the  Hates-gene 
ral,  with  a  memorial  from  their  envoy  in  England,  relating 
to  the  mips  they  had  equipped  with  a  view  to  join  the  Eng- 
lifli  fleet,  and  the  fuccours  Stipulated  in  the  treaty  con 
cluded  in  the  year  1677,  which  they  defired  might  be  fent 
over  with  all  convenient  expedition.  The  houfe  having 
confidered  this  mftflage,  unanimo\!fly  refolved  to  defire  his 
majefty  would  carry  on  the  negociation  in  concert  with 
the  ilates-general,  and  take  fnch  meafures  therein  as  ir.iaht 

VOL.  I.  2  Q 


cc6  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK,  moft  conduce  to  their  fafety  :  They  affured  him,  they  would 
IL  effectually  enable  him  to  fupport  the  treaty  of  1677,  by 
which  England  was  bound  to  aflift  them  with  ten  thoufand 
men,  and  twenty  (hips  of  war  in  cafe  they  fhould  be  at 
tacked.  Though  the  king  was  nettled  at  that  part  of  this 
addrefs,  which,  by  confining  him  to  one  treaty,  implied 
their  difapprobation  of  a  new  confederacy,  he  difcovered 
no  figns  of  emotion;  but  thanked  them  for  the  aflurance 
they  had  given,  and  told  them  he  had  fent  orders  to  his  en 
voy  at  the  Hague,  to  continue  the  conferences  with  the 
courts  of  France  and  Spain.  On  the  igth  day  of  April, 
the  A4arquis  de  Torcy  delivered  to  the  earl  of  Manchefter, 
at  Paris,  a  letter  from  the  new  king  of  Spain  to  his  Bri 
tannic  majcfty,  notifying  his  acceflion  to  that  throne,  and 
exprefling  a  defire  of  cultivating  a  mutual  friendfhip  with 
the  king  and  crown  of  England.  How  averfe  foever  Wil 
liam  might  have  been  to  any  correfpondence  of  this  fort, 
the  earl  of  Rochefter  and  the  new  minifters  importuned 
him  in  fuch  a  manner  to  acknowledge  Philip,  that  he  at 
length  complied  with  their  entreaties;  and  wrote  a  civil 
anfwer  to  his  moft  Catholic  majefty.  This  was  a  very 
alarming  incident  to  the  emperor,  who  was  bent  upon  a 
war  with  the  two  crowns,  and  had  determined  to  fend 
Prince  Eugene  with  an  army  into  Italy,  to  take  poffeflion 
of  the  duchy  of  Milan,  as  a  fief  of  the  empire.  The  new 
Pope  Clement  XL  who  had  fucceeded  to  the  papacy  in  the 
preceding  year,  was  attached  to  the  French  intereft :  The 
Venetians  favoured  the  emperor  ;  but  they  refufed  to  de 
clare  themfclves  at  this  juncture. 

The  French  king  confented  to  a  renewal  of  the  negoci- 
ations  at  the  Hague;  but,  in  the  meantime,  tampered  with 
the  Dutch  deputies,  to  engage  them  in  a  feparate  treaty. 
Finding  them  determined  to  act  in  concert  with  the  king 
of  England,  he  protracted  the  conferences,  in  order  to 
gain  time,  while  he  erected  fortifications,  and  drew  lines 
on  the  frontiers  of  Holland,  devided  the  princes  of  the  em 
pire  by  his  intrigues,  and  endeavoured  to  gain  over  the 
ftates  of  Italy.  The  Dutch,  mean  while,  exerted  them 
fclves  in  providing;  for  their  own  fecurity.  They  rein 
forced  their  garrifons,  purchafed  fupplies,  and  folicited  fuc- 
cours  from  foreign  potentates.  The  ftates  wrote  a  letter 
to  King  William,  explaining  the  danger  of  their  fituation, 
profeiling  the  moft  inviolable  attachment  to  the  intereft 
of  England,  and  defiring  that  the  ftipulated  number  of 
troops  mould  be  fent  immediately  to  their  affiftance.  The 
three  Scotti{h  regiments  which  he  had  retained  in  his  own 
pay  were  immediately  tranfported  from  Scotland.  The 
letter  of  the  ftates -general  he  communicated  to  the  houfe 


W  I  L  L  I  A  M. 

of  commons,  who  having  taken  it  into  confideration,  re-  C  H  A  P 
iblved  to  aflift  his  rnajefty  to  fupport  his  allies  in  maintain 
ing  he  liberty  of  Europe  ;  and  to  provide  immediate  fuc-  ^"V^ 
cours  for  the  ftates-general,  according  to  the  treaty  of  I7°°- 
1677.  The  houfe  of  peers,  to  whom  the  letter  was  alfo 
communicated,  carried  their  zeal  {till  farther.  They  pre- 
fcnted  an  addrefs,  in  which  they  defired  his  rnajefty  would 
not  only  perform  the  articles  of  any  former  treaty  with  the 
flates-general,  but  alfo  engage  with  them  in  a  ftricl:  league 
offenfive  and  defenfive,  for  their  common  prefervation; 
and  invite  into  it  all  the  princes  and  ftates  that  were  con 
cerned  in  the  prefent  vifible  danger  arifing  from  the  union 
of  France  and  Spain.  They  exhorted  him  to  enter  into 
fiich  alliances  with  the  emparor,  as  his  rnajefty  fhould 
think  neceflary,  purfuant  to  the  ends  of  the  treaty  conclud 
ed  in  the  year  1689.  They  aflured  him  of  their  hearty 
and  fincere  affiftance,  not  doubting  that  Almighty  God 
would  protect  his  facred  perfon  in  fo  righteous  a  caufe  ; 
and  that  the  unanimity,  wealth,  and  courage  of  his  fub- 
jeils,  would  carry  him  with  honour  and  fuccefs  through 
all  the  difficulties  of  a  juft  war.  Laftly,  they  took  leave 
humbly  to  reprefent,  that  the  dangers  to  which  his  king 
dom  and  allies  had  been  expofed,  were  chiefly  owing  to  the 
fatal  counfels  that  prevented  his  majefty's  fooner  meeting 
his  people  in  parliament. 

Thefe  proceedings  of  both  houfes  could  not  but  be  ve 
ry  agreeable  to  the  king,  who  expreffed  his  fatisfaclion  in 
his  anfwer  to  each  apart.     They  were  the   more  remark-  Proceedings 
able,  as  at  this  very  time  confiderable  progrefs   was  made  of  the  com- 
in  a  dcfign  to  impeach  the  old  miniftry.     This  deviation,  ™°nft  t^"e 
therefore,  from  the  tenor  of  their  former  conduct  could  be  old  mini- 
owing  to  no  other  motive  than  a  fenfe  of  their  own -danger,  ft'T- 
and  refentment  againft   France,  which,  even  during    the 
negociation,  had  been  fecretly  employed  in  making  prepa 
rations   to   furprife  and  diftrefs  the   ftates-general.     The 
commons  having  exprefled  their  fentiments  on  this  fab] eel, 
refumed  the  confideration    of  the    partion  treaty.     They 
had  appointed  a  committee  to  examine  the  journals  of  the 
houfe  of  lords,  and  to    report  their  proceedings  in  relation 
to  the  treaty  of  partition.     When  the  report  was  made  by 
Sir  Edward  Seymour,  the  houfe  refolved  itfelf  into  a  com 
mittee,  to  confider  the  ftateof  the  nation  :  After  warm  de 
bates,  they   refolved,  That  William  earl   of  Portland,   by 
negociating  and   concluding    the  treaty  of  partition,   was 
guilty  of  a  high  crime  and  inifdemeanour.     They  ordered 
Sir  John  Levefon  Gower  to  impeach  him  at  the  bar  of  the 
houfe  of  lords ;  and  named  a  committee  to  prepare  the  ar 
ticles  of  his  impeachment.     Then,  in   a  conference    with 


308  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  the  lords,  they  defireu  to  know  the  particulars  of  what  ha  1 
JI-        pafled  between  the  earl  of  Portland  and  Secretary  Vernon, 

*-*~Y""s*'1  in  relation  to  the  partition-treaty,  as  alfo  what  other  infor- 
J7°°-  matiori  they  had  obtained  concerning  negociations  or  trea 
ties  of  partition  of  the  Spanifh  monarchy.  The  lords  de 
murring  to  this  demand,  the  lower  houfe  refolved  to  addrefs 
the  king,  That  copies  of  both  treaties  of  partition,  together 
with  all  the  powers  and  inftruclions  for  negotiating  thofe 
treaties,  fhould  be  laid  before  them.  The  copies  were  ac 
cordingly  produced,  and  the  lords  fent  down  to  the  com 
mons  two  papers,  containing  the  powers  granted  to  the 
earls  of  Portland  and  Jerfey,  for  iigning  both  treaties  of  par 
tition.  The  houfe  afterwards  ordered,  That  Mr.  Secre 
tary  Vernon  fhould  lay  before  them  all  the  letters  which 
liadpaffed  between  the  earl  of  Portland  and  him,  in  rela 
tion  to  thofe  treaties  ;  and  he  thought  proper  to  obey  their 
command.  Nothing  could  be  more  fcandaloully  partial 
than  the  conduct  of  the  commons  on  this  occafion.  They 
refolved  tofkreen  the  earl  ofjerfey,  Sir  Jofeph  Williamfon, 
and  Mr.  Vernon,  who  had  been  as  deeply  concerned  as 
any  others  in  that  tranfaction  ;  and  pointed  all  their  ven 
geance  againft  the  earls  of  Portland  and  Orford,  and  the 
Lords  Somers  and  Hallifax.  Some  of  the  members  even 
tampered  with  Kidd,  who  was  now  a  prifoner  in  Newgate, 
to  accufe  Lord  Somers  as  having  encouraged  him  in  his 
piracy.  He  was  brought  to  the  bar  of  the  houfe,  and  ex 
amined:  But  he  declared  that  he  had  never  fpoke  to  Lord 
Somers  ;  and  that  he  had  no  order  from  thofe  concerned 
in  the  fhip,  but  that  of  purfuing  his  voyage  againft  the 
pirates  in  Madagafcar.  Finding  him  unfit  for  their  pur- 
pofe,  they  left  him  to  the  courfe  of  law ;  and  he  was  hang 
ed,  with  fome  of  his  accomplices. 

Lord  Somers  understanding  that  he  was  accufed  in  the 
houfe  of  commons  of  having  confcnted  to  the  partition- 
treaty,  defired  that  he  might  be  admitted  and  heard  in  his 
own  defence.  H  is  requeft  being  granted,  he  told  the 
houfe,  That  when  he  received  the  king's  letter  concern 
ing  the  partition-treaty,  with  an  order  to  fend  over  the 
neccffary  powers  in  the  moft  fecret  manner,  he  thought  it 
would  have  been  taking  too  much  upon  him  to  put  a  ftop 
to  a  treaty  of  fuch  confequence,  when  the  life  of  the  king 
of  Spain  was  fo  precarious ;  for,  had  the  king  died  before 
the  treaty  was  finh'hed,  and  he  been  blamed  for  delaying 
the  neceffary  powers,  he  could  not  have  juftified  his  own 
conduct,  fmce  the  king's  letter  was  really  a  warrant : 
That,  neverthelefs,  he  had  written  a  letter  to  his  majefty, 
objecting  to  feveral  particulars  in  the  treaty,  and  propof- 
ng  other  articles  which  he  thought  were  for  the  intereft 


W  I  L  L  I  A  M.  309 

of  his  country  :  That  he  thought  himfclf  bound  to  put  the  C  H  A  i>. 
threat  fenl  to  the  treaty  when  it  was  concluded  :  1  hat,  as  , 
a  privy-cour.fsllor,  he  had  offered  his  belt  advice,  and,  as  *~Y** 
a  chancellor,  executed  his  office  according  to  his  duty.  Af-  I7°° 
tor  he  had  withdrawn,  his  j unification  gave  rife  to  a  long 
debate,  which  ended  in  a  refolution,  carried  by  a  majori 
ty  cf  fcven  voices,  That  John  Lord  Sorners,  by  advifing 
his  mnjefty  to  conclude  the  treaty  of  partition,  whereby 
large  territories  of  the  Spanish  monarchy  were  to  be  de 
livered  up'to  Y ranee,  was  guilty  of  a  high  crime  and  mif- 
demeanour.  Votes  to  the  dime  effect  \vere  pafied  againft 
Edward  earl  ofOrford,  and  Charles  Lord  Hallifax ;  and 
all  three  were  impeached  at  the  bar  of  the  upper  houfe. 
But  the  commons  knowing  that  thofe  impeachments 
would  produce  nothing  in  the  houfe  of  lords,  where  the 
oppofite  intereft  predominated,  they  refolved  to  proceed 
againft  the  accufed  noblemen  in  a  more  expeditious  and 
effectual  way  of  branding  their  reputation.  They  voted 
and  prefentcd  an  addrefs  to  the  king,  defiring  he  would 
remove  them  from  his  councils  and  prefcnce  forever,  as 
advifers  of  a  treaty  fo  pernicious  to  the  trade  and  welfare 
of  England.  They  concluded,  by  repeating  their  aflur- 
ances,  that  they  would  always  ftan.d  by  and  fupport  his 
majefty  to  the  utmoft  of  their  power,  againft  all  his  ene 
mies  both  at  home  and  abroad.  The  king,  in  his  anfwer, 
artfully  overlooked  the  firft  part  of  the  remonfi ranee.  He 
thanked  them  for  their  repeated  affii  ranees  ;  and  told  them 
he  would  employ  none  in  his  fervice  but  fuch  as  fhould  be 
thought  moil  likely  to  improve  that  mutual  truft  and  con 
fidence  between  him  and  his  people,  which  was  fo  necef- 
fary  at  that  conjuncture,  both  for  their  own  fecurity,  and 
the  prefervation  of  their  allies. 

The  lords,  incenfed  at  this  ftep  of  the  commons,  which 
they  confidered  as  an  infult  upon  their  tribunal,  and  a  vio 
lation  of  common  juftice,  drew  up  and  delivered  a  counter- 
addrefs,  humbly  befeeching  his  majefty,  that  he  would  not 
pafs  any  cenfure  upon  the  accufed  lords,  until  they  fhould 
be  tried  on  the  impeachments,  and  judgment  be  given  ac 
cording  to  the  ufage  of  parliament.  The  kins;  was  fo  per 
plexed  by  thefe  oppofite  representations,  that  he  knew  not 
well  what  courfe  to  follow.  He  made  no  reply  to  the 
counter-addrefs ;  but  allowed  the  names  of  the  impeached 
lords  to  remain  in  the  council-books.  The  commons  hav 
ing  carried  their  point,  which  was  to  ftigmatize  thofe  no 
blemen,  and  prevent  their  being  employed  for  the  future, 
fuffered  the  impeachments  to  be  neglected,  until  they 
themfelves  moved  for  trial.  On  the  5th  day  of  May,  the 
houfe  of  lords  fent  a  mefTage  to  the  commons,  importing, 


3io  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  that   no   articles  had  as  yet  been  exhibited  againft  the  no 
blemen  whom  they  had  impeached.     The  charge  was  im- 

V-""Y"S^   mediately  drawn  up  againft  the  earl  of  Orford  ;  him  they 
J700-       accufed   of  having  received    exorbitant   grants  from  the 
crown  ;  of  having  been  concerned  with  Kidd  the  pirate  ; 
of  having    committed  abufes  in  managing  and  vi£tualling 
the    fleet,  when   it    lay  on  the  coaft  of  Spain;  and  laftly, 
of  having   advifed    the  partition-treaty.     The  earl  in  his 
own   defence   declared,  That   he    had    received  no  grant 
from  the  king,  except  a  very  diftant  reverfion,  and  a  pre- 
fent   of  ten    thoufand    pounds,  after   he  had  defeated  the 
French  at  La  Hogue  :  That  in  Kidd's  affair  he  had  acted 
legally,  and    with    a   good    intention    towards  the  public, 
though  to  his  own  lofs  :   That  his  accounts  with  regard  to 
the   fleet   which   he   commanded   had  been  examined  and 
paflet! ;  yet  be  was  ready  to  wave  the  advantage,  and  juf- 
tify  himfelf  in  every  particular  ;  and  he  abfolutely  denied 
that  he  had  given  any  advice  concerning  the  treaty  of  par 
tition.     Lord    Someis  was  accufed  of  having  fet  the  feals 
to   the    powers,  and  afterwards  to  the  treaties  ;  of  having 
accepted  fome  grants;  of  having  been  an  accomplice  with 
Kidd ;  and    of  having  been  guilty  of  partial  and  dilatory 
proceedings    in  chancery.     He    anfwered  every  article  of 
the  charge ;  but   no   replication    was    made  by  the  com 
mons,  either  to  him  or  to  the  earl  of  Orford.     When  the 
commons    were   ftimulated   by  another  mefTage  from  the 
peers,  relating   to   the  impeachments  of  the  earl  of  Port 
land   and  Lord  Hallifax,  they  declined  exhibiting  articles 
againft  the  former,  on  pretence  of  refpect  for  his  majefty; 
but   on    the    1 4th  of  June  the  charge  againft  Hallifax  was 
fent    up   to   the   lords.     He   was  taxed    with    pofleflino; 
a    grant  in  Ireland,  without  paying  the  produce  of  it,  ac 
cording  to  the  law  lately  enacted  concerning  thofe  grants; 
with    enjoyino;    another    grant  out   of  the  foreft  of  Dean 
to  the  wafte  of  the  timber,  and  the  prejudice  of  the  navy  ; 
with   having  held  places  that  were  incompatible,  by  being 
at   the  fame  time  commiffioner  of  the  treafury,  and  chan 
cellor  of  the  exchequer;  and  with  having  advifed  the  two 
treaties  of  partition.   He  anfwered,  That  his  grant  in  Ire 
land    was  of  debts  and  fums  of  money,  not  within  the  act 
concerning   confifcated   eftates :  That   all  he  had  ever  re 
ceived    from    it    did   not   exceed   four    hundred    pounds, 
which,    if    he   was   bound   to  repay,  a   common    action 
would   lie  againft  him  ;  but  every  man  was  not  to  be  im 
peached  who  did  not  difcharge  his  debts  at  the  very  day  of 
payment.    He  obferved,  That  as  his  grant  in  the  foreft  of 
Deane  extended   to  weedings   only,  it  could  occafion  no 
wafte  of  timber,  nor  prejudice  to  the  navy  :  That  the  au- 


WILLIAM.  311 

ditor's  place  was  held  by  another  perfon,  until  he  obtain-  CHAP. 
ed  the  king's  leave  to  withdraw  from  the  treafury  :  That 
he  never  faw  the  firft  treaty  of  partition,  nor  was  his  ad-  ^V* 
vice  afked  upon  the  fubje6t :  That  he  had  never  heard  of 
the  fecond  but  once  before  it  was  concluded  ;  and  then  he 
fpoke  his  fentiments  freely  on  the  fubject.  This  anfwer, 
like  the  others,  would  have  been  neglected  by  the  com 
mons,  whofe  aim  was  now  to  evade  the  trials,  had  not 
the  lords  preffed  them  by  mefTages  to  expedite  the  arti 
cles.  They  even  appointed  a  day  for  Orford's  trial,  and 
fignified  their  relblution  to  the  commons.  Thefe  defired 
that  a  committee  of  both  houfes  fhould  be  named  for  fet 
tling  preliminaries,  one  of  which  was,  that  the  lord  to 
be  tried  fhould  not  fit  as  a  peer  ;  and  the  other  imported, 
that  thofe  lords  impeached  for  the  fame  matter  fhould  not 
vote  in  the  trial  of  each  other.  They  likewife  defired, 
that  Lord  Somers  fhould  be  firft  tried.  The  lords  made 
no  objection  to  this  laft  demand;  but  they  rejected  the 
propofal  of  a  committee  confiding  of  both  houfes,  alledg- 
ing,  that  the  commons  were  parties,  and  had  no  title  to 
fit  in  equality  with  the  judges,  or  to  fettle  matters  relat 
ing  to  the  trial ;  that  this  was  a  demand  contrary  to  the 
principles  of  law  and  rules  of  juftice,  and  never  practifed 
in  any  court  or  nation.  The  lords,  indeed,  had  yielded  to 
this  expedient  in  the  Popifh  plot,  becaufe  it  was  a  cafe  of 
treafon,  in  which  the  king's  life  and  the  fafety  of  the 
kingdom  were  concerned,  while  the  people  were  jealous 
of  the  court,  and  the  whole  nation  was  in  a  ferment ;  but 
at  prefent  the  times  were  quiet,  and  the  charge  amounted 
to  nothing  more  than  mifdemeanours ;  therefore,  the 
lords  could  not  afTent  to  fuch  a  propofal  as  was  derogato 
ry  from  their  jurifdiction.  Neither  would  they  agree  to 
the  preliminaries;  but,  on  the  1 2th  day  of  June,  refolv- 
ed,  that  no  peer  impeached  for  high  crimes  and  mifde 
meanours  fhould,  upon  his  trial,  be  without  the  bar  : 
and,  that  no  peer  impeached  could  be  precluded  from  vo 
ting  on  any  occafion,  except  in  his  own  trial.  Divers 
meHages  pafled  between  the  two  houfes  ;  the  commons 
ftill  infifting  upon  a  committee  to  fettle  preliminaries  ;  at 
length  the  difpute  was  brought  to  a  free  conference. 

Mean  while,  the  king,  going  to  the  houfe  of  peers,  gave 
the  royal  afient  to  the  bill  of  fuccellion.  In  his  fpeech  he 
exprehed  his  warm  acknowledgments  for  their  repeated  af- 
furanccs  of  fupporting  him  in  fuch  alliances  as  fhould  be 
moft  proper  for  the  prefervation  of  the  liberty  of  Europe, 
and  for  the  fecuritv  of  England  and  the  ftates-£eneral. 

J  O  JO 

He  obferved,  that  the  feafon  of  the   year   was   advanced  : 
That  the  polrure  of  afrau'S  abfolutely  required  his  prefence 


312  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  broad;  and  he  recommended  difpatch  of  the  public  buii- 
,  .  nefs,  efpecially  of  thofe  matters  which  were  of  the  greateft 

'f  importance.  The  commons  thanked  him  in  an  addrefs  for 
having  approved  of  their  proceedings  ;  they  declared  they 
would  fupport  him  in  fuch  alliances  as  he  fhould  think  fit 
to  make  in  conjunction  with  the  emperor  and  the  ftates- 
general,  for  the  peace  of  Europe,  and  reducing  the  exor 
bitant  power  of  France.  Then  they  refumed  their  difpute 
with  the  upper  houfe.  In  the  free  conference,  Lord  Hav- 
erfham  happened  to  tax  the  commons  with  partiality,  in 
impeaching  fome  lords  and  fcreening  others,  who  were  e- 
cjually  guilty  of  the  fame  mifdemeanours.  Sir  Chriftopher 
Mufgrave,  and  the  managers  for  the  commons,  immediate 
ly  withdrew  :  This  unguarded  fally  being  reported  to  the 
houfe,  they  immediately  rcfolved,  That  John  Lord  Haverf- 
ham  had  uttered  moft  fcandalous  reproaches  and  falfe  cx- 
preffions,  highly  reflecting  upon  the  honour  and  juftice  of 
the  houfe  of  commons,  tending  to  a  breach  in  the  good  cor- 
refpondence  between  the  two  houfes,  and  to  the  interrup 
tion  of  the  public  juftice  of  the  nation  :  That  the  faid  Lord 
Haveriham  fhould  be  charged  before  the  lords  for  the  faid 
words:  That  the  lords  fhould  be  defired  to  proceed  in  ju 
ftice  againft  him,  and  to  inflict  upon  him  fuch  punimment 
as  fo  high  an  offence  againft  the  commons  did  deferve. 
The  commons  had  now  found  a  pretence  to  juftify  their 
delay  ;  and  declared  they  would  not  renew  the  conference 
until  they  fhoud  have  received  fatis  friction.  Lord  Hav erf- 
ham  offered  to  fubmit  to  a  trial  ;  but  infifted  on  their  firft 
proving  the  words  which  he  was  faid  to  have  fpoken. 
When  this  declaration  was  imparted  to  the  commons,  they 
faid,  the  lords  ought  have  cenfured  him  in  a  fummary  way, 
and  ftill  refufed  to  renew  the  conference.  The  lords,  on 
the  other  hand,  came  to  a  refolution,  that  there  fhould  not 
be  a  committee  of  both  houfes  concerning  the  trial  of  the 
impeached  lords.  Then  they  refolved,  That  Lord  So- 
mers  fhould  be  tried  in  Weftminfter-hall  on  Tuefday  the 
I7thday  of  June,  and  fignified  this  refolution  to  the  lower 
houfe;  reminding  them,  at  the  fame  time,  of  the  arti 
cles  againft  the  earl  of  Portland.  The  commons  refufed 
to  appear,  alledging  they  were  the  only  judges,  and  that 
the  evidence  was  not  yet  prepared.  They  fent  up  the  rea- 
fons  of  their  non-appearance  to  the  houfe  of  lords,  where 
they  were  fupported  by  the  new  miniftry  and  all  the  mal 
contents  ;  and  produced  very  warm  debates.  The  majo 
rity  carried  their  point  piecemeal,  by  dint  of  different 
votes,'  againft  which  very  fevere  protefts  were  entered.  On 
the  day  appointed  for  the  trial,  they  fent  a  meifage  to  the 
commons,  that  they  were  going  to  \V  eftminftei  hall.  1  he 


WILLIAM.  313 

other  impeached  lords  afked  leave,  and  were  permitted  to  c  H  A  !'• 
v/ithdraw.  The  articles  of  impeachment  againft  lord 
Somers,  and  his  anfwers,  being  read  in  Weftminfter-halJ,  ^"Y"1*1 
and  the  commons  not  appearing  to  profecute,  the  lords  ad- 
iourned  to  their  own  houfe,  where  they  debated  concerning 
the  queftion  that  was  to  be  put.  This  being  fettled,  they 
returned  to  Weftminfter-hall  ;  and  the  queftion  being  put, 
"  That  John,  Lord  Somers  fhould  be  aquitted  ofthe  arti- 
u  cles  of  impeachment  againft  him,  exhibited  by  the  houfe 
"  of  commons,  and  all  things  therein  contained  ;  and  that 
"  the  impeachment  be  difmiifed,  "  it  was  carried  by  a  ma 
jority  of  thirty-five.  The  commons,  exafperated  at  thefe 
proceedings,  refolved,  That  the  lords  had  refufed  juftice 
to  the  commons  :  That  they  had  endeavoured  to  overturn 
the  right  of  impeachments  lodged  in  the  commons  by  the 
ancient  constitution  ofthe  kingdom  :  That  all  the  ill  con- 
fequences  which  might  attend  the  delay  of  the  fupplies  giv 
en  for  the  prefervation  of  the  public  peace,  and  the  main 
tenance  ofthe  balance  of  Europe,  v/ou  Id  be  owing  to  thofa 
who,  to  procure  an  indemnity  for  their  own  crimes,  had 
ufed  their  utmoft  endeavours  to  make  a  breach  between  the 
two  houfcs.  The  lords  fent  a  mefTage  to  the  commons, 
giving  them  to  understand,  that  they  had  acquitted  Lord 
Somers,  and  difmifled  the  impeachment,  as  nobody  had  ap 
peared  to  fupport  the  articles ;  and  that  they  had  appointed 
next  Monday  for  the  trial  ofthe  earl  of  Orford.  They  re 
folved,  That  unlefs  the  charge  againft  lord  Haverfham 
fhould  be  profecuted  by  the  commons  before  the  end  of  the 
ieffion,  the  lords  would  adjudge  him  innocent  :  That  the 
refolution  of  the  commons  in  their  late  votes,  contained 
moft  unjuft  reflections  on  the  honour  and  juftice  of  the 
Peers  :  That  they  were  contrived  to  cover  their  affecSted 
and  unreafonabJe  delays  in  profecuting  the  impeached 
lords  :  That  they  manifeftly  tended  to  the  destruction  of 
the  judicature  ofthe  lords  ;  to  the  rendering  trials  on  im 
peachments  impracticable  for  the  future ;  and  to  the  fub- 
verting  the  comlitution  of  the  Englifh  government :  That, 
therefore,  whatever  ill  confequences  might  arife  from  the  fo 
long  deferring  the  fupplies  of  this  year's  fervice,  were  to 
be  attributed  to  the  fatal  council  of  the  putting  oft  the 
meeting  of  a  parliament  fo  long,  and  to  the  unneceffary  de 
lays  ofthe  houft  of  commons.  On  the  23d  day  of  June, 
the  articles  of  impeachment  againft  Edward,  earl  of  Orford 
were  read  in  Weftrr.infter-hall  ;  but  the  houfe  of  commons 
having  previoufly  ordered,  that  none  of  their  members 
fhculd  appear  at  this  pretended  trial,  thofe  articles  were 
not  fupported  ;  fo  that  his  lordfhip  was  acquitted,  and  the 
impeachment  difrr.ifTed.  Next  day,  the  imoer-chment  *- 
VOL.  I.  2  R 


3H  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK   gainft  the  duke  of  Leeds,  which  had  lain  feven  years   ne 
glected,  together  with  thofe  againft   the  earl    of  Portland 

*  j       O  *  i~  *— ' 

^"V***1  and  lord  Hallifax,  as  well  as  the  charge  againft  lord  Ha- 
17:1.  verm.im,  were  difmifled  for  want  of  profecution.  Each 
houfe  ordered  a  narrative  of  thefe  proceedings  to  be  pub- 
liflied  ;  and  their  mutual  animofity  had  proceeded  to  fuch 
a  degree  of  rancour,  as  feemed  to  preclude  all  poffibility  of 
reconciliation.  The  commons,  in  the  whole  courfe  of  this 
tranfaction,  had  certainly  acted  from  motives  of  faction  and 
revenge  ;  for  nothing  could  be  more  unjuft,  frivolous,  and 
partial,  than  the  charge  exhibited  in  the  articles  of  im 
peachment,  their  anticipating  addrefs  to  the  king,  and  their 
affected  delay  in  the  profecutions.  Their  conduit  on  this 
occaiion  was  fo  flagrant,  as  to  attract  the  notice  of  the 
common  people,  and  infpire  the  generality  of  the  nation 
with  difguft.  This  the  Whigs  did  not  fail  to  augment  by  the 
arts  of  calumny,  and,  in  particular,  by  insinuating  that  the 
court  of  Verfailles  had  found  means  to  engage  the  majority 
of  the  commons  in  its  intereft. 

This  faction  had,  fince  the  beginning  of  this  feffion,  em 
ployed  their  emiflaries  in  exciting  a  popular  averfion  to  the 
Tory  miniders  and  members,  and  fucceeded  fo  well  in 
their  endeavours,  that  they  formed  a  fcheme  of  obtaining 
petitions  from  different  counties  and  corporations,  that 
ihoald  induce  the  commons  to  alter  their  conduct,  on  the 
fiippoiition  that  it  was  contrary  to  the  fenfe  of  the  nation. 
In  execution  of  this  fcheme,  a  petition,  finned  by  the  deputy- 
lieutenants,  above  twenty  juftices  of  the  peace,  the  grand 
jury  and  freeholders  of  the  county  of  Kent,  had  been  pre- 
fented  to  the  houfe  of  commons  on  the  i8th  day  of  May,  by 
five  gentlemen  of  fortune  and  diftindtion.  The  purport  of 
this  remonstrance  was,  to  recommend  union  among  them- 
felves,  and  confidence  in  his  majefty,  whofe  great  actions 
for  the  nation  could  never  be  forgot  without  the  blacken1 
ingratitude  :  To  beg  they  would  have  regard  to  the  voice 
of  the  people  ;  that  their  religion  and  fafety  might  be  effec 
tually  provided  for  ;  that  theirloyal  addrefles  might  be  turn 
ed  into  bills  of  fupply  ;  and  that  his  moft  facred  majefty 
might  be  enabled  powerfully  to  aflift  his  allies  before  it 
fhould  be  too  late.  The  houfe  was  fo  incenfed  at  the  petu 
lance  of  the  petition,  that  they  voted  it  fcandalous,  infolcnt, 
and  feditious ;  and  ordered  the  gentlemen  who  had  prefent- 
ed  it  to  be  taken  into  cuftody,  They  were  afterwards 
committed  to  the  Gate-houfe,  where  they  remained  till  the 
prorogation  of  parliament :  But  they  had  no  reafon  to  re 
pine  at  their  imprifonment,  which  recommended  them  to 
the  notice  and  efteem  of  the  public.  They  were  vifited 
and  careffed  by  the  chiefs  of  the  Whig-intercft,  and  con- 


WILLIAM.  315 

fidered  as  martyrs  to  the  liberties   of  the    people.     Their  C  H  A  P- 

confinement  gave  rife  to  a  very  extraordinary  paper,    imi- 

tled,  "  A  Memorial  from  the  gentlemen,  freeholders,  and    ^^y^^ 

"  inhabitants,  of  the  counties  of ,  in  behalf  of  them- 

"  felves,  and  many  thoufands  of  the  good  people  of  Eng- 
"  land."  It  was  figned  Legion,  and  fent  to  the  fpeaker 
in  a  letter,  commanding  him,  in  the  name  of  two  hundred 
thoufand  Engliihmen,  to  deliver  it  to  the  houfe  of  com 
mons.  In  this  ftrange  expostulation,  the  houfe  was  charg 
ed  with  illegal  and  unwarrantable  practices,  in  fifteen  par 
ticulars  :  A  new  claim  of  right  was  ranged  under  feven 
heads  ;  and  the  commons  were  admoniihed  to  adt  according 
to  their  duty,  as  fpecified  in  this  memorial,  on  pain  of  in 
curring  the  relentment  of  an  injured  nation.  It  was  con 
cluded  in  thefe  words  ;  "  For  Englifhmen  are  no  more  to 
"  be  flaves  to  parliaments  than  to  kings — our  name  is  Le 
gion,  and  we  are  many."  The  commons  were  equally 
provoked  and  intimidated  by  this  libel,  which  was  the  pro- 
duftion  of  one  Daniel  de  Foe,  a  fcurrilous  party-writer, 
in  very  little  eftimation.  They  would  not,  however,  deign 
to  take  notice  of  it  in  the  houfe  :  But  a  complaint  beino- 
made  of  endeavours  toraife  tumults  andfcditions,  a  commit 
tee  was  appointed  to  draw  up  an  addrefs  to  his  majcfty,  in 
forming  him  of  thofe  feditious  endeavours,  and  befecching 
him  to  provide  for  the  public  peace  and  fecurity. 

The  houfe,  however,  perceiving  plainly  that  they  had 
incurred  the  odium  of  the  nation,  which  began  to  clamour 
for  a  war  with  France,  and  dreading  the  popular  refent- 
ment,  thought  fit  to  change  their  meafures  with  refpecl  to 
this  obje&j  and  prefent  the  addrefs  we  have  already  men 
tioned,  in  which  they  promised  to  fupport  him  in  the  alli 
ances  he  fhould  contract  with  the  emperor  and  other  Hates, 
in  order  to  bridle  the  exorbitant  power  of  France.  They 
likewife  proceeded  in  earneft  upon  the  fupply,  and  voted 
funds  for  railing  about  two  millions  feven  hundred  thou 
fand  pounds,  to  defray  the  expence  of  the  enfuing  year. 
They  voted  thirty  thoufand  feamen,  and  refolved  that  ten 
thoufand  troops  fhould  be  tranfported  from  Ireland  to  Hol 
land,  as  the  auxiliaries  Stipulated,  in  the  treaty  of  1677  with 
the  flates-general.  The  funds  were  confr.itut.ed  of  a  land- 
tax,  certain  duties  on  merchandife,  and  a  weekly  deduction 
from  the  excife,  fo  as  to  bring  down  the  civil  lift  to  fix 
hundred  thoufand  pounds  ;  as  the  duke  of  Gloucester  was 
dead,  and  James's  queen  refufed  her  allowance.  They 
parTed  a  bill  for  taking  away  all  privilege  of  parliament 
in  legal  profecutions,  during  the  intermediate  proroga 
tions:  Their  laft  Struggle  with  the  lords  was  concernmo- 
a  bill  for  appointing  commiflioners  to  examine  and  ftate 


316  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  the  public  accounts.  The  perfons  nominated  for  this  pur- 
pofc  were  extremely  obnoxious  to  the  majority  of  the  peers, 
""Y"**  as  violent  parti  fans  of  the  Tory  faction:  When  the  bill, 
I/oi'  therefore,  was  fent  up  to  the  lords,  they  made  fome  amend 
ments,  which  the  commons  rejected.  The  former  animofi- 
ty  between  the  two  houfes  began  to  revive,  when  the  king 
interrupted  their  difputes,  by  putting  an  end  to  the  feflion, 
on  the  24th  day  of  June,  after  having  thanked  the  parliament 
for  their  zeal  in  the  publicfervice,  and  exhorted  them  to  a 
difcharge  of  their  duties  in  their  feveral  counties.  He  was, 
no  doubt,  extremely  pleated  with  fuch  an  iiTue  of  a  feffion 
that  had  begun  with  a  very  unaufpicious  afpecl:.  His 
health  daily  declined :  But  he  concealed  the  decay  of  his 
conftitution,  that  his  allies  might  not  be  difcouraged  from 
engaging  in  a  confederacy  of  which  he  was  deemed  the 
head  and  chief  fupport.  He  conferred  the  command  or" 
the  ten  thoufond  troops  deftined  for  Holland  upon  the  earl 
of  Marlborough,  and  appointed  him,  at  the  fame  time,  his 
plenipotentiary  to  the  ftates-general :  A  choice  that  evinc 
ed  his  difcernment  and  difcretion;  for  that  nobleman  fur- 
pafTed  all  his  cotemporaries,  both  as  a  general  and  a  politi 
cian.  He  was  cool,  penetrating,  intrepid,  and  perfever- 
ing  ;  plaufible,  infinur.ting,  artful,  and  difTembling. 

A  regency  being  eftabliihed,  the  king  embarked  for 
Holland  in  the  beginning  of  July.  On  his  arrival  at  the 
Hague  he  afiifted  at  an  aflembly  of  the  ftates-general,  whom 
he  harangued  in  very  affectionate  terms,  and  was  anfwered 
with  great  cordiality :  Then  he  made  a  progrefs  round 
the  frontiers,  to  examine  the  ftate  of  the  garrifons;  and  gave 
fuch  orders  and  directions  as  he  judged  neceflary  for  the 
defence  of  the  country.  Meanwhile,,  the  French  minifter 
D'Avaux  being  recalled  from  the  Hague,  delivered  a  letter 
to  the  ftates  from  the  French  king,  who  complained  that 
they  had  often  interrupted  the  conferences,  from  which  no 
good  fruits  were  to  be  expected:  But  he  afTured  them  it 
wholly  depended  upon  themfelves,  whether  they  fhould 
continue  to  receive  marks  of  his  ancient  friendfliip  for  their 
republic.  This  letter  was  accompanied  by  an  infolent 
memorial,  to  which  the  ftates-general  returned  a  very  fpi- 
rited  anfwer.  As  they  expected  nothing  now  but  hoftili- 
ties  from  France,  they  redoubled  their  diligence  in  making 
preparations  for  their  own  defence.  They  repaired  their 
fortifications,  augmented  their  army,  and  hired  auxiliaries. 
King  William  and  they  had  already  engaged  in  an  alliance 
with  the  king  of  Denmark,  who  undertook  tofurnifh  a  cer 
tain  number  of  troops,  in  confideration  of  a  fubfidy  ;  and 
they  endeavoured  to  mediate  a  peace  between  Sweden  and 
Poland  :  But  this  they  could  not  effect.  France  had  like- 


W  I  L  L  I  A  M.  317 

wife  offered  her  mediation  between  thofe  powers,  in  C  H  A  P. 
hopes  of  bringing  over  Sweden  to  her  intereft;  and  the 
court  of  Vienna  had  tampered  with  the  king  of  Poland  ; 
but  he  perfifted  in  his  refolution  to  prolecute  the  war.-  I7°I- 
The  Spaniards  began  to  be  very  urieafy  under  the  domi 
nion  of  their  new  mafter.  They  were  fhocked  at  the  in- 
folence  of  his  French  minifters  and  attendants,  and  much 
more  at  the  manners  and  fafhions  which  they  introduced. 
The  grandees  found  themfelves  very  little  confidered  by 
their  fovereign,  and  refentcd  his  ceconomy  ;  for  he  had 
endeavoured  to  retrench  the  expence  of  the  court,  which 
had  ufed  to  fupport  their  magnificence.  Prince  Eugene,  £Xpi0-rs  Of 
at  the  head  of  the  Imperial  army,  had  entered  Italy  by  Prince 
Vicenza,  and  pafTed  the  Adige  near  Carpi,  where  he  de-  Euse>«» 
feated  a  body  of  five  thoufand  French  forces.  The  enemy 
were  commanded  by  the  duke  of  Savoy,  afiifted  by  ma- 
refchal  Catinat  and  the  prince  of  Vaudemont,  who  did 
not  think  proper  to  hazard  an  engagement  :  But  ma- 
refchal  Villeroy  arriving  in  the  latter  end  of  Au^uft,  with 
orders  to  attack  the  Imperialifts,  Catinat  retired  in  dif- 
gufr.  The  new  general  marched  immediately  to  Chiari, 
where  prince  Eugene  was  entrenched,  and  attacked  his 
camp  ;  but  met  with  fuch  a  reception,  that  he  was  oblig 
ed  to  retire  with  the  lofs  of  five  thoufand  men.  Towards 
the  end  of  the  campaign  the  prince  took  pofTefiion  of  all 
the  Mantuan  territories,  except  Mantua  itfelf,  and  Goi- 
to,  the  blockade  of  which  he  formed.  He  rcxk'.ccd  ail  the 
places  on  the  Oglio,  and  continued  in  the  field  durins;  the 
whole  winter,  exhibiting  repeated  marks  of  the  niolr  in 
vincible  courage,  indefatigable  vigilance,  and  extend  ve 
capacity  in  the  art  of  war.  In  January  he  had  well  nigh 
furprized  Cremona,  by  introducing  a  body  of  men  through 
an  old  aqueducl.  They  forced  one  of  the  gates,  by  which 
the  prince  and  his  followers  entered :  Villeroy  being 
wakened  by  the  noife,  ran  out  into  the  ftreet,  where  he 
was  taken  ;  and  the  town  rnuft  have  been  infallibly  re 
duced,  had  prince  Eugene  been  joined  by  another  body 
of  troops,  which  he  had  ordered  to  march  from  the  ?ar- 
mefan,  and  fecure  the  bridge.  Thcfe  not  arriving  at  the 
time  appointed,  an  Irim  regiment  in  the  French  fcrvice, 
took  pofTeflion  of  the  bridge,  and  the  prince  was  obliged 
to  retire  with  his  prifoner. 

The    French  king,  alarmed  at  the  activity  and  milrtaVy 
genius    of  the  Imperial    general,  fent  a  reinforcement  to 
his   army  in  Italy,  and  the  duke  of  Venoorne  to  command 
his    forces    in  that  country:   He  likewife  hnp^rt-'m-u 
duke   of  Savoy    to  aflift  him  effe&ifally :   H-.: 
having  obtained  all  he  could  e;:ne£t  from  France,  bee; 


3i8  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  cold   and   backward.     His   fecond   daughter  was  by  this 
time    married   to    the  new  king  of  Spain,  who  met  her  at 

^"V"^  Barcelona,  where  he  found  himfelf  involved  in  difputes 
J701-  with  the  ftates  of  Catalonia,  who  refufed  to  pay  a  tax  he 
had  impofed,  until  their  privileges  fhould  be  confirmed  ; 
and  he  was  obliged  to  gratify  them  in  this  particular. — 
The  war  continued  to  rage  in  the  north.  The  young  king  of 
Sweden  routed  theSaxons  upon  the  river  Danube  :  Thence 
he  marched  to  Courland,  and  took  pofteffion  of  Mittau 
without  oppofition  ;  while  the  king  of  Poland  return 
ed  into  Lithuania.  In  Hungary  the  French  emifTaries  en 
deavoured  to  fow  the  feeds  of  a  new  revolt.  They  exert 
ed  themfelves  with  indefatigable  induftry  in  aimed  every 
court  of  Chriftendom.  They  had  already  gained  over  the 
elector  of  Bavaria,  and  his  brother,  the  elector  of  Co- 
logn,  together  with  the  dukes  of  Wolfenbuttle  and  Saxa- 
Gotha,  who  profeffed  neutrality,  while  they  levied  troops, 
and  made  fuch  preparations  for  war,  as  plainly  indicated 
that  they  had  received  fubfidies  from  France.  Louis  had 
alfo  extorted  a  treaty  of  alliance  from  the  king  of  Portu 
gal,  who  was  perfonally  attached  to  the  Auftrian  intereft: 
But  this  weak  prince  was  a  flave  to  his  minifters,  whom 
the  French  king  had  corrupted.  During  this  fummer, 
the  French  coafts  were  over-awed  by  the  combined  fleets 
of  England  and  Holland,  under  the  command  of  fir 
George  Rooke,  who  failed  down  the  channel  in  the  latter 
end  of  Augurt,  and  detached  vice-admiral  Benbow  with 
a  ftrong  fquadron  to  the  Weft-Indies.  In  order  to  de 
ceive  the  French  king,  with  regard  to  the  deftination  of 
this  fleet,  King  William  demanded  the  free  ufe  of  the 
Spanifh  harbours,  as  if  his  defign  had  been  to  fend 
a  fquadron  to  the  Mediterranean  :  But  he  met  with  a  re- 
pulfe,  while  the  French  fhips  were  freely  admitted. 
About  this  period  the  king  revoked  his  letters-patent  to 
the  commiflioners  of  the  admiralty,  and  conftituted  the 
earl  of  Pembroke  lord  high  admiral  of  England,  in  order 
to  avoid  the  factions,  the  difputes,  and  divided  counfels 
of  a  board.  The  earl  was  no  fooner  promoted  to  this  of 
fice,  than  he  fent  captain  Loades  with  three  frigates  to 
Cadiz,  to  bring  home  the  fea-ftores  and  effects  belonging 
to  the  Englifh  in  that  place,  before  the  war  fhould  com 
mence;  and  this  piece  of  fervice  was  fuccefsfully  perform 
ed.  The  French  king,  in  order  to  enjoy  all  the  advan 
tages  that  could  be  derived  from  his  union  with  Spain, 
eftabliflied  a  company  to  open  a  trade  with  Mexico  and 
Peru  ;  and  concluded  a  new  afiiento  treaty  for  fupplying 
the  Spanifti  plantations  with  negroes.  At  the  fame  time 
he  fent  a  ftrong  fquadron  to  the  port  of  Cadiz.  The 


W  1  L  L  I  A  M.  319 

French  drefs  was  introduced  into  the  court  of  Spain;  and  CHAP. 
by   a   formal  edift,  the  grandees  of  that  kingdom  and  the          L 
peers   of   France    were   put  on   a  level    in  each  nation.   ^-^Y***) 
There   was   no  vigour  left  in  the  councils  of  Spain  :  Her      I7°I- 
finances  were  exhaufted  ;  and  her  former  fpirit  feemed  to 
be    quite   extinguifhed  :  The  nobility  were  beggars,  and 
the   common    people  overwhelmed   with    indigence    and 
diftrefs.     The  condition   of   France  was  not  much  more 
profperous.     She   had    been  harrafled  by  a  long  war,  and 
now   faw   herfelf  on  the  eve  of  another,  which  in  all  pro 
bability  would  render  her  completely  miferable. 

Thefe  circumftances  were  well  known  to  the  emperor 
and  the  maritime  powers,  and  ferved  to  animate  their  ne- 
gociations  for  another  grand  alliance.  Conferences  were 
opened  at  the  Hague;  and,  on  the  yth  day  of  September, 
a  treaty  was  concluded  between  his  Imperial  Majefty, 
England,  and  the  States-general.  The  objects  propofed, 
were  to  procure  fatisfa<5tion  to  the  emperor  in  the  Spanifh 
fucceffion,  and  fufficient  fecurity  for  the  dominions  and 
commerce  of  the  allies.  They  engaged  to  ufe  their  en 
deavours  for  recovering  the  Spanifh  Netherlands,  as  a 
barrier  between  Holland  and  France;  and  for  putting  the 
emperor  in  pofleflion  of  the  duchy  of  Milan,  Naples,  and 
Sicily,  with  the  lands  and  iflands  upon  the  coaft  of  Tuf- 
cany  belonging  to  the  Spanifh  dominions.  They  agreed, 
that  the  king  of  England,  and  the  States-general,  mould 
keep  and  poilefs  whatever  lands  and  cities  they  could  con 
quer  from  the  Spaniards  in  the  Indies :  That  the  confe 
derates  fhould  faithfully  communicate  their  defigns  to  one 
another:  That  no  party  fhould  treat  of  peace  or  truce, 
but  jointly  with  the  reft:  That  they  fhould  concur  in  pre 
venting  the  union  of  France  and  Spain  under  the  fame 
government;  and  hinder  the  French  from  pofleffing  the 
Spanifh  Indies:  That,  in  concluding  a  peace,  the  confe 
derates  fhould  provide  for  the  maintenance  of  the  com 
merce  carried  on  by  the  maritime  powers,  to  the  dominions 
taken  from  the  Spaniards,  and  fecure  the  ftates  by  a  bar 
rier  :  That  they  fhould,  at  the  fame  time,  fettle  the  exer- 
cife  of  religion  in  the  new  conquefts:  That  they  fhould 
aflift  one  another  with  all  their  forces,  in  cafe  of  being 
invaded  by  the  French  king,  or  any  other  potentate  on 
account  of  this  alliance  :  That  a  defensive  alliance  fhould 
remain  between  them,  even  after  the  peace:  That  all 
kings,  princes  and  ftates,  ihould  be  at  liberty  to  engage 
in  this  alliance.  They  determined  to  employ  two  months 
to  obtain,  bv  amicable  means,  the  fatisfaclion  and  fecurity 
which  they  demanded ;  ana  flipulated,  that  within  fix  weeks 
the  treaty  fhould  be  ratified. 


320  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  On  the  i6th  day  of  September,  King  James  expired 
H-  at  St.  Germain's,  after  having  laboured  under  a  tedious 
^**VS*'  indifpofition.  This  unfortunate  monarch,  fmce  the  mii- 
'j"01;:  carriage  of  his  laft  attempt  for  recovering  his  throne,  had 
KJrr  rames<  laid  afide  all  thoughts  of  worldly  grandeur,  and  devoted 
his  whole  attention  to  the  concerns  of  his  foul.  Though 
he  could  not  prevent  the  bufy  genius  of  his  queen  from 
planning  new  fchemes  of  reftoration,  he  was  always  bed 
pleafed  when  wholly  detached  from  fuch  chimerical  projects. 
Hunting  was  his  chief  diverfton;  but  religion  was  his  con- 
ftant  ca-re.  Nothing  could  be  more  harmlefs  than  the  life 
he  led;  and,  in  the  courfe  of  it,  he  fubjected  hin;fclf  to  un 
common  penance  and  mortification.  He  frequently  vifited 
the  poor  monks  of  La  Trappe,  who  were  much  edified  by 
his  humble  and  pious  deportment.  His  pride  and  arbitrary 
temper  feem  to  have  vanifhed  with  his  greatnefs.  He  be 
came  affable,  kind  and  eafy  to  all  his  dependents  ;  and  his 
religion  certainly  opened  and  improved  the  virtues  of  his 
heart,  though  it  feemed  to  impair  the  faculties  of  his  foul. 
In  his  laft  illnefs  he  conjured  his  fon  to  prefer  his  religion  to 
every  wordly  advantage,  and  even  to  renounce  all  thoughts 
of  a  crown,  if  he  could  not  enjoy  it  without  offering  vio 
lence  to  his  faith.  He  recommended  to  him  the  practice 
of  juftice  and  Chriftian  forgivcnefs;  he  himfelf  declaring, 
that  he  heartily  forgave  the  prince  of  Orange,  the  empe 
ror,  and  all  his  enemies.  He  died  with  great  marks  of 
devotion,  and  was  interred  at  his  own  requeft,  in  the 
church  of  the  Englifh  Benedictines  in  Paris,  without  any 
funeral  folemnities. 

Louis  pro-  Before  his  death  he  was  vifited  by  the  French  king, 
niifcstoown  wno  feemed  touched  with  his  condition,  and  declared,  that, 
kin>°ofaS  m  ca*~e  °f  ^8  death,  he  would  own  his  fon  as  king  of 
England.  England.  This  promife  James's  queen  had  already  ex 
torted  from  him,  by  the  intereft  of  Madam  dc  Maintenon 
and  the  dauphin.  Accordingly,  when  James  died,  the 
pretended  prince  of  Wales  was  proclaimed  king  of  Eng 
land  at  St.  Germain's,  and  treated  as  fuch  at  the  court  of 
Verfailles.  His  title  was  likewife  recognized  by  the  king 
of  Spain,  the  duke  of  Savoy,  and  the  pope.  William  was 
no  fooner  informed  of  this  tranfaction,  than  he  difpatched 
a  courier  to  the  king  of  Sweden,  as  guarantee  of  the  trea 
ty  of  Ryfwick,  to  complain  of  this  manifeft  violation. 
At  the  fame  time,  he  recalled  the  earl  of  Manchefter  from 
Paris,  and  ordered  him  to  return  without  taking  an  audi 
ence  of  leave.  That  nobleman  immediately  withdrew, 
after  having  intimated  to  the  marquis  de  Torcy  the  order 
he  had  received.  Louis,  in  vindication  of  his  own  con 
duct,  difperfed  through  all  the  courts  of  Europe  a  inani- 


W  I  L  L  I  A  M.  321 

fefto,  in  which  he  affirmed,  that  in  owning  the  prince  of  C  H  A  i» 
Wales  as  king  of  Engbnd,  he  had  not  infringed  any  ar 
ticle  of  the  treaty  of  Ryfwick.  He  confefled,  that,  in  the 
fourth  article,  he  had  promifed  that  he  would  not  difturb 
the  king  of  Great-Britain  in  the  peaceable  pofiefiion  cf 
his  dominions;  and  he  declared  his  intention  was  to  obferve 
that  promife  punctually.  He  obferved,  that  his  generofity 
would  not  allow  him  to  abandon  the  prince  of  Wales  or 
his  family  :  That  he  could  not  refufe  him  a  title  which 
was  due  to  him  by  birth:  That  he  had  more  reafon  to 
complain  of  the  king  of  Great-Britain,  and  the  States-ge 
neral,  whcfe  declarations  and  preparations  in  favour  of  the 
emperor,  might  be  regarded  as  real  contraventions  to  trea 
ties.  Finally,  he  quoted  fome  inftances  from  hiftory,  in 
which  the  children  enjoyed  the.  titles  of  kingdoms  which 
their  fathers  had  loft.  Thefe  reufons,  however,  would 
hardly  have  induced  the  French  king  to  take  fuch  a  ftep, 
had  he  not  perceived  that  a  war  wTith  England  was  inevi 
table  ;  and  that  he  fhould  be  able  to  reap  fome  advantages 
in  the  courfe  of  it,  from  cfpoufmg  the  caufe  of  the  pre 
tender. 

The  fubftance  of  the  French  manifeflo  was  published 
in  London,  by  Poulnn,  the  fecretary  of  Tallard,  who 
had  been  ly-fc  in  England  as  agent  for  the  court  of  Ver- 
failles.  He  was  now  ordered  to  leave  the  kingdom,  which 
was  filled  with  indignation  at  Louis,  for  having  pretended 
to  declare  jvho  cuc;ht  to  be  their  fovereign.  The  city  cf 
London  prefented  an  addrefs  to  the  lords-juftices,  expref- 
Img  the  deepeft  refentment  of  the  French  king's  prefump- 
tion  ;  affuring  his  majefty,  that  they  would,  at  all  timec, 
exert  the  utrnoft  of  their  abilities  for  the  prefcrvation  cf 
his  perfon,  and  the  defence  of  his  juft  rights,  in  opposition 
to  all  invaders  of  his  crown  and  dignity.  Addrelies  of  tha 
fame  nature  were  fent  up  from  all  parts  of  the  kingdom, 
and  could  not  but  be  agreeable  to  William.  He  had  now 
concerted meafures  for  acting  with  vigour  agaipft  France; 
and  he  refolved  to  revifit  his  kingdom,  after  having  made 
a  confiderable  progrefs  in  a  treaty  of  perpetual  alliance  be 
tween  England  and  the  States-general,  which  was  after 
wards  brought  to  perfection  by  his  plenipotentiary,  the 
earl  of  Marlborough.  The  king's  return,  however,  was 
delayed  a  whole  month  by  a  fevere  indifpofition,  during 
which  the  Spanifti  minifter  De  Quiros,  ,hired  certain  phy- 
ficians  to  confult  together  upon  the  ftate  and  nature  of  his 
ddlemper.  They  declared,  that  he  could  not  outlive  many 
weeks;  and  this  opinion  was  tranfmitted  to  Madrid.  Wil 
liam,  however,  baffled  the  prognoftic,  though  his  confti- 
tution  hid  fuib.ined  fuch  a  rude  (hock,  that  he  himfelf 

VOL.  I,  2  S 


322  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  perceived  his  end  was  near.  He  told  the  earl  of  Portland, 
he  found  himfelf  fo  weak,  that  he  could  not  expecl  to  live 

^**V~^:  another  fummer;  but  charged  him  to  conceal  this  circum- 
I7°r*  ftance  until  he  fhould  be  dead.  Notwithstanding  this  near 
approach  to  diflblution,  he  exerted  himfelf  with  furprifing 
diligence  and  fpirit  in  eftablifhing  the  confederacy,  and 
fettling  the  plan  of  operations.  A  fubfidiary  treaty  was 
concluded  with  the  kino;  of  Pruffia,  who  engaged  to  fur- 
nilh  a  certain  number  of  troops.  The  emperor  agreed  to 
maintain  ninety  thoufand  men  in  the  field  againft  France; 
the  proportion  of  the  ftates  was  limited  to  one  hundred 
and  two  thoufand ;  and  that  of  England  did  not  exceed 
forty  thoufand,  to  aft  in  conjunction  with  the  allies. 

violent  fer-       Qn  the  4th  day  of  November,  the  king  arrived  in  Eng- 

En"laad  land,  which  he  found  in  a  ftrange  ferment  produced  from 
the  mutual  animoiity  of  the  two  factions.  They  reviled 
each  other  in  words  and  writing,  with  all  the  falfehood  of 
calumny,  and  all  the  bitternefs  of  rancour;  fo  that  truth, 
candour  and  temperance  feemed  to  be  banifhed  by  confent 
of  both  parties.  The  king  had  found  himfelf  deceived  in 
his  new  minifters,  who  had  oppofed  his  meafures  with  all 
their  influence.  He  was  particularly  difgufted  with  the  de 
portment  of  the  earl  of  Rochcfter,  who  proved  altogether 
imperious  and  untraclable;  and,  inftead  of  moderating,  in 
flamed  the  violence  of  his  party.  The  king  declared  the 
year  in  which  that  nobleman  directed  his  councils,  was  the 
uneafieft  of  his  whole  life.  He  could  not  help  expreiling 
his  difpleafure  in  fuch  a  coldnefs  of  referve,  that  Rochefter 
told  him,  he  would  ferve  his  majefty  no  longer,  fmce  he 
did  not  enjoy  his  confidence.  William  made  no  anfwer  to 
this  expoftulation,  but  refolved  he  fhould  fee  him  no  more. 
The  earl,  however,  at  the  defire  of  Mr.  Harley,  became 
more  pliant  and  fubmiflive  ;  and,  after  the  king's  departure 
for  Holland,  repaired  to  his  government  of  Ireland,  in 
•which  he  now  remained,  exerting  all  his  endeavours  to 
acquire  popularity.  William  forefeeing  nothing  but  op- 
pofition  from  the  prefent  fpirit  of  the  houfe  of  commons, 
clofetted  fome  of  their  leaders,  with  a  view  to  befpeak 
their  compliance;  but  finding  them  determined  to  purfue 
their  former  principles,  and  to  infift  upon  their  impeach 
ments,  he  refolved,  with  the  advice  of  his  friends  to  dif- 
folve  the  parliament.  This  ftcp  he  was  the  more  eafily 
induced  to  take,  as  the  commons  were  become  extremely 
odious  to  the  nation  in  general,  which  breathed  nothing 
but  war  and  defiance  againft  the  French  monarch.  The 
parliament  was  accordingly  difiblved  by  proclamation,  and 
another  fummoned  to  meet  on  the  30th  day  of  December. 


W  I  L  L  I  A  M.  323 

Never  did  the   two  parties  proceed  with  fuch  heat    and  c  H  A  P- 
violence  againfteach  other,  as  in  their  endeavours  to     in 
fluence  the  new  election.     The  Whigs,  however,  obtain-   <fc-x"V>-<' 
ed  the  victory,  as  they  included  the  monied  intereft,  which      J701' 
will  always  prevail  among  the  borough  electors.     Corrup 
tion  was  now  reduced  into  an  open  and  avowed  commerce; 
and,  had  not  the  people  been  fo    univcrfally  venal  and  pro 
fligate,  that  no  fenfe  of  (hame  remained,  the  victors   mufl 
have  blufhed  for  their  fuccefs.     Though  the  majority  thus 
obtained   was  ftaunch    to  the  meafures  of  the   court   the 
choice  of  fpeaker   fell  upon  Mr.  Harley,  contrary  to    the 
inclination  of  the  king,  who  favoured  Sir  Thomas  Lyttel- 
ton;  but  his  majefty's  fpeech  was  received  with  univerfal 
applaufe.     It  was    fo  much  admired   by  the   well-wifliers 
to  the  Revolution,  that  they  printed  it  with  decorations  in 
the  Engliih,  Dutch,  and  French  languages.     It   appeared 
as  a  piece  of  furniture  in  all  their  houfes.  and  as  the  king's 
laft  legacy  to  his  own  and  all  Proteftant   people.     In   this 
celebrated  harangue,  he  expatiated  upon  the  indignity   of 
fered  to  the  nation  by  the  French    king's    acknowledging 
the   pretended    prince  of  Wales  :   He   explained    the  dan 
gers  to  which  it  was  expofcd,  by  his  placing  his  grandfon 
on  the  throne  of  Spain  :     He  gave  them  to  undeiftand  he 
had  concluded  feveral  alliances,  according  to   the   encou 
ragement  given  him  by  both  houfes  of  parliament,  which 
alliances  fhould  be  laid    before   them,  together  with  other 
treaties  ftill  depending.     He  obferved,  that  the  eyes  of  all 
Europe  were  upon   this    parliament  ;  and  all  matters  at  a 
ftand,  until  their  refolution   fnould  be   known;  therefore, 
no  time    ought  to  be  loft.     He  told  them  they  had  yet  an 
opportunity  to  fecure  for  themfelves  and  their  pofbriry  the 
quiet   enjoyment    of   their   religion  and  liberties,  if  they 
were  not  wanting  to  themfelves,  but  would  exert  the  anci 
ent  vigour  of  the  Englifh  nation  ;  but  he  declared  his  opi 
nion  was,  that  fhould  they  neglect  this  occafion,  they  had 
no  reafon  to  hope  for  another.     He  faid  it  would  be  necef- 
fary  to  maintain  a  great  ftrength  at  fea,  and  a  force  on  land 
proportionable  to  that  of  their  allies.    He  prefTed  the  com 
mons  to  fupport  the  public  credit,  which  could  not  be  pre- 
ferved  without  keeping  facred  that  maxim.  That  they  fhall 
never  be  lofers  who  truft  to  a  parliamentary  fecurity.     He 
declared,  that  he  never  afked  aids  from  his  people  without 
regret:  That  what  he  deiired  was  for  their  own  fafety  and 
honour,  at  fuch  a  critical  time  ;  and  that  the  whole  fnould 
be  appropriated  to  the  purpofes  for  which  it  was  intended. 
He  exprefled  his   willingnefs    that  the  accounts  fhould  be 
yearly  fubmitted  to  the  infpeclion  of  parliament.  He  again 
recommended   difpatch,  together  with  good  bills  for  em- 


324  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  ploying  the  poor,  encouraging  trade,  and  fuppreffing  vice. 
He  expreffed  his  hope  that  they  \vere  come  together,  de- 
termined  to  avoid  difputes  and  differences,  and  to  a£t  with 
a  hearty  concurrence  for  promoting  the  common  caufe. 
He  faid  he  fhould  think  it  as  great  a  blefling  as  could  be- 
fal  England,  if  they  were  as  much  inclined  to  lay  afidc 
thofe  unhappy  fatal  animofities  which  divided  and  weaken 
ed  them,  as  he  was  difpofed  to  make  all  his  fubjc&s  fafe 
and  eafy,  as  to  any,  even  the  higheft  oftences  committed 
againft  his  perfon.  He  conjured  them  to  difappoiat  the 
hopes  of  their  enemies  by  their  unanimity.  As  he  had  al 
ways  ftiown,  and  always  would  Ihow,  how  defirous  he  was 
to  be  the  common  father  of  all  his  people,  he  defired  they 
would  lay  afide  parties  and  divifions,  fo  as  that  no  diftinc- 
tion  fliould  be  heard  of  amongft  them,  but  of  thofe  who 
were  friends  to  the  proteftant  religion  and  prcfent  eftablifh- 
ment,  and  of  thofe  who  wifhed  for  a  Pop ifh  prince  and  a 
French  government.  He  concluded  by  affirming,  that  if 
they,  in  good  earneft,  defired  to  fee  England  hold  the  ba 
lance  of  Europe,  and  be  indeed  at  the  head  of  the  Proteft 
ant  intereft,  it  would  appear  by  their  improving  the  prefcnt 
opportunity, — The  lords  immediately  drew  up  a  warm  and 
affectionate  addrefs,  in  which  they  expreffed  their  refent- 
rnent  of  the  proceedings  of  the  French  king,  in  owning  the 
pretended  prince  of  Wales  for  king  of  England.  They  af- 
fured  his  majefty  they  would  affift  him  to  the  utmoft  of  their 
power  againft  all  his  enemies  ;  and  when  it  fliould  pleafe 
God  to  deprive  them  of  hismajefty's  protection,  they  would 
vigoroufly  affift  and  defend  againft  the  pretended  prince  of 
Wales,  and  all  other  pretenders  whatfoever,  every  perfon 
and  perfbns  who  had  right  to  fucceed  to  the  crown  of 
England,  by  virtue  of  the  acts  of  parliament  for  eftablifliing 
and  limiting  the  fucceflion.  On  the  5th  day  of  January, 
an  addrefs  to  the  fame  effect  was  prefented  by  the  commons, 
and  both  met  with  a  very  gracious  reception  from  bis  ma 
jefty.  The  lords,  as  a  further  proof  of  their  zeal,  having 
taken  into  confi deration  the  dangers  that  threatened  Europe, 
from  the  acceflion  of  the  duke  of  Anjou  to  the  crown  of 
Spain,  drew  up  another  addref?,  explaining  their  fenfe  of 
that  danger;  ft igmatizing  the  French  king  as  a  violator 
of  treaties;  declaring  their  opinion,  that  his  majefty,  his 
fubjecT:s,  and  allies,  could  never  be  fafe  and  fecure,  until  the 
houfe  of  Auftria  fhould  be  reftored  to  their  rights,  and  the 
invader  cfthe  Spar.ifh  monarchy  brought  to  reafon;  and 
affuring  his  majefty,  that  no  time  fliould  be  loft,  nor  any 
thing  wanting  on  their  parts,  which  might  anfwer  the  rea- 
ibnable  expectations  of  their  friends  abroad;  not  doubting 
but  to  fupport  the  reputation  of  the  Englifh  name,  when  en- 


W  I  L  L  I  A  M.  325 

gaged  under  fo  great  a   prince,   in  the    glorious  caufe   of  c  H  A  p. 
maintaining  the  liberty  of  Europe. 

The  king,  in  order  to  acquire  the  confidence  of  the  ^* "Y^"' 
commons,  ordered  Mr.  Secretary  Vernon  to  lay  before  I7°I 
rhem  copies  of  treaties  and  conventions  he  had  lately  con 
cluded,  which  were  fo  well  approved,  that  the  houfe 
unanimoufly  voted  the  fupply.  By  another  vote,  they  au- 
thorifed  the  exchequer  to  borrow  fix  hundred  thoufand 
pounds  at  fix  per  cent,  for  the  fervice  of  the  fleet,  and 
fifty  thoufand  pounds  for  the  fubfiftence  of  guards  and 
garrifons.  They  deliberated  upon  the  ftate  of  the  navy, 
with  the  debt  due  upon  it,  and  examined  an  eftimate  of 
what  would  be  neceffary  for  extraordinary  repairs.  They 
called  for  an  account  of  that  part  of  the  national  debt  for 
which  no  provifion  had  been  made.  They  ordered  the 
fpeaker  to  write  to  the  trustees  for  the  forfeited  eflates  in 
Ireland,  to  attend  the  houfe  with  a  full  detail  of  their  pro 
ceedings  in  the  execution  of  that  acl  of  parliament.  On* 
the  gth  day  of  January,  they  unanimoufly  refolved,  that 
leave  be  given  to  bring  in  a  bill  for  fecurino;  his  majefty's 
perfon,  and  the  fucceiTion  of  the  crown  in  the  Proteirant 
line,  for  extinguiihing  the  hopes  of  the  preloaded  prince 
of  Wales,  and  all  other  pretenders,  and  their  open  and 
fecret  abettors.  They  refolved  to  addrefs  his  majeftv, 
that  he  would  infert  an  article  in  all  his  treaties  of  alli 
ance,  importing,  That  no  peace  fhould  be  made  with 
France,  until  his  majefty  and  the  nation  have  reparation 
for  the  great  indignity  offered  by  the  French  kins;,  in 
owning  and  declaring  the  pretended  prince  of  Wales  kins; 
of  England,  Scotland,  and  Ireland.  They  agreed  to 
maintain  40,000  men  for  the  fea  fervice,  and  a  like  num 
ber  by  land,  to  a£t  in  conjunction  with  the  forces  of  the 
allies,  according  to  the  proportions  fettled  by  the  contract 
ing  powers.  The  fupplies  were  raifed  by  an  impofition 
of  four  (hillings  in  the  pound  upon  lands,  annuities,  pen- 
iions,  and  (Upends,  and  on  the  profits  arifmg  from  the 
different  profeffions  ;  by  a  tax  of  two  and  one-half  per 
cent,  on  all  ftock  in  trade,  and  money  at  intereft;  of  five 
fhillings  in  the  pound  on  all  falaries,  -fees,  and  perquifites, 
a  capitation  tax  of  four  {hillings  ;  an  impofition  of  one  per 
cent,  on  all  {hares  in  the  capital  ftock  of  any  corporation 
or  company  which  fliould  be  bought,  fold,  or  bargained 
for;  a  duty  of  fix  pence  per  bufliel  on  malt,  and  a  further 
duty  on  mum,  cyder,  and  perry. 

'Die   commons   feemed  to   vie   with  the  lords  in  their  Bill  of  Ab^ 
zeal    for  the  government.     They  brought  in  a  bill  for  at-  ju:jtion 
tainting  the  pretended  prince  of  Wales,  which  being  fent  pa' tu' 
up   to   the  other  hcufe,  pafTcd  with  an  ndditicnal  claufe  of 


326  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  attainder  againft  the  queen,  who  adled  23  recent  for  the 
IL  pretender.  This,  however,  was  not  carried  without 
^"Y"**^  great  oppofition  in  the  houfe  of  lords.  When  the  bill  was 
J701-  fent  back  to  the  commons,  they  excepted  to  the  amend 
ment  as  irregular.  They  obferved,  that  attainders  by  bill 
conftituted  the  moft  rigorous  part  of  the  law ;  and  that 
the  ftretching  of  it  ought  to  be  avoided.  They  propofed, 
that  the  queen  fhould  be  attainted  by  a  feparate  bill.  The 
lords  affented  to  the  propofal ;  and  the  bill  againft  the 
pretended  prince  of  Wales  pafled.  The  lords  paffed  ano 
ther  for  attainting  the  queen  ;  however,  it  was  neiilefled 
in  the  houfe  of  commons.  But,  the  long  -ft  and  warm  eft 
debates  of  this  feffion  were  produced  by  a  bill  which  the 
lords  brought  in,  for  abjuring  the  pretended  prince  of 
Wales,  and  fwearing  to  the  king,  by  title  of  rightful  and 
lawful  king,  and  his  heirs,  according  to  the  ac"i  of  fettle- 
ment.  It  was  propofed,  that  this  oath  fhould  be  volunta- 
*  ry,  tendered  to  all  perfons,  and  their  fubfcription  or  refu- 
fol  recorded  without  any  other  penalty.  This  article  was 
violently  oppofed  by  the  earl  of  Nottingham,  and  other 
lords  of  the  Tory  intereft.  They  obferved,  that  the  go 
vernment  was  firft  fettled  with  another  oath,  which  was 
like  an  original  contrail ;  fo  that  there  was  no  occafion 
for  a  new  irnpofition;  that  oaths  relating  to  men's  opinions 
had  been  always  confidered  as  fevere  impofitions ;  and 
that  a  voluntary  oath  was  in  its  own  nature  unlawful. 
During  thefe  difputes,  another  bill  of  abjuration  was 
brought  into  the  houfe  of  commons  by  Sir  Charles  Hed 
ges,  that  fhould  be  obligatory  on  all  perfons  who  enjoyed 
employments  in  church  or  ftate  ;  it  likewife  included  an 
obligation  to  maintain  the  government  in  king,  lords, 
and  commons,  and  to  maintain  the  church  of  England, 
together  with  the  toleration  for  difTenters.  Warm  debates 
arofe  upon  the  queftion,  Whether  the  oath  fhould  be  im- 
pofed  or  voluntary  ?  and  at  length  it  was  carried  for  im- 
pofition  by  the  majority  of  one  voice.  They  agreed  to  in- 
fert  an  additional  claufe,  declaring  it  equally  penal  to 
compafs  or  imagine  the  death  of  her  Royal  Highnefs  the 
Princefs  Anne  of  Denmark,  as  it  was  to  compafs  or  ima 
gine  the  death  of  the  king's  eldeft  fen  and  heir.  In  the 
houfe  of  peers  this  bill  was  ftrenuoufly  oppofed  by  the 
Tories  j  and,  when  after  long  debates  it  pafled  on  the 
24th  day  of  February,  ten  lords  entered  a  proteft  againft 
it,  as  an  unneceflary  and  fevere  wnpofttion. 

GeneHde-      ^e   w^°'c   nation   now  feemed  to  join  in  the  cry  for 
lire  for  a      a  war  with  France.    Party  heats  began  to  abate;  the  fac- 
war  with     tions    in  the  city  of  London  were  in  a  great  meafure  mo 
derated   by  the  union  of  the  two  companies  trading  to  the 


WILLIAM  327 

Eaft  Indies,  which   found   their   mutual  intereft  required  CHAP, 
a  coalition.     The  Tories  in  the  houfe  of  commons  having 
concurred  fo  heartily  with  the  inclinations  of  the  people,  ^"V*^ 
refolved,  as    far   as  it   lay    in   their  power,  to  juftify  the 
conduct  of  their  party  in  the  preceding  parliament.     They 
complained    of  fome  petitions  and  addreiTes  which  had  re 
flected   upon   the    proceedings   of  the  laft  houfe  of  com 
mons,  and  particularly  of  the  Kentifh  petition.     The  ma 
jority,  however,  determined,  that   it   was    the  undoubted 
right   of  the    people  of  England  to  petition  or  addrefs  the 
king  for  the  calling,  fitting,  or  diffolving  of  parliament, 
and    for  the  redrefling  of  grievances  ;  and  that  every  fub- 
ject   under    any  accufation,    either    by   impeachment   or 
otherwife,  had    a    right  to   be    brought  to  a  fpeedy  trial. 
A    complaint  being  likewife  made,  that  the  lords  had  de 
nied  the    commons  juftice   in  the  matter  of  the  late  im 
peachments,  a   furious   debate  enfued  ;  and  it  was  carried 
by   a   very    fmall   majority,  that  juftice  had  not  been  de 
nied.     In  fome  points,  however,  they  fucceeded.     In  the 
cafe    of  a    controverted   election   at  Maidftone,  between 
Thomas  Bliffe  and  Thomas  Culpepper,  the  houfe  refolv 
ed,  That   the  latter   had  been  not  only  guilty  of  corrupt, 
fcandalous,    and    indirect    practices,    in  endeavouring   to 
procure   himfelf  to   be   elected   a   burgefs,  but  likewife, 
being  one  of  the  inftruments  in  promoting  and  prefenting 
the  fcandalous,  infolent,  and  feditious  petition,  commonly 
called  the  Kentifh  petition,  to  the  laft  houfe  of  commons, 
was   guilty  of  promoting    a   fcandalous,    villanous,    and 
groundless    reflection    upon   that   houfe,  by  afperfing  the 
members   with    receiving  French  money,  or  being  in  the 
intereft  of  France;  for  which  offence  he  was  ordered  to 
be   committed  to  Newgate,  and    to  be  profecuted  by  his 
majefty's   attorney-general.     They   alfo  refolved,  that  to 
affert,  that   the   houfe    of  commons  is  not  the  only  repre- 
fentative    of  the  commons  of  England,  tends  to  the  fub- 
verfion   of  the  rights  and  privileges  of  the  houfe  of  com 
mons,  and    the   fundamental   conftitution  of  the  govern 
ment   of  this  kingdom  :   That  to   afTert,   that  the  houfe  of 
commons    have   no  power    of  commitment,   but  of  their 
own   members,  tends  to  the  fubverfion  of  the  conftitution 
of  the  houfe    of  commons:   That  to  print  or  publifh  any 
books,   or    libels,    reflecting   upon  the  proceedings  of  the 
houfe   of  commons,  or  any  member  thereof,   for  or  relat 
ing  to  his  fervice  therein,   is  a  high  violation  of  the  rights 
and  privileges  of  the  houfe  of  commons.    Notwithstanding 
thcfe  tranfactions,    they  did  not  neglect  the  vigorous  pro- 
fecution  of  the  war.     They  aadreiTed  his  majefty  to  inter- 
pofe  with  his  allies,   that  they  might  increase  their  quotas 


528  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

B  O  O  K.  °f  land  forces,  to  be  put  on  board  the  fleet  in  proportion 
;  to  the  numbers  his  majefty  fhould  embark.  When  they 
had  fettbcl  the  fums  appropriated  to  the  feveral  ufes  of  the 
war,  they  prefented  a  fecond  addrefs,  defiring  he  would 
provide  for  the  half-pay  officers  in  the  firft  place,  in  the 
recruits  and  levies  to  be  made.  The  king  affured  them  it 
was  always  his  intention  to  provide  for  thofe  officers.  He 
went  to  the  houie  of  peers,  and  gave  the  royal  aflent  to  an 
ac~r,  appointing  commifli oners  to  take,  examine,  and  deter 
mine  the  debts  due  to  the  army,  navy,  and  the  tranfport  fer- 
vice  ;  and  alfj  to  take  an  account  of  prizes  taken  during 
the  war. 

The  affairs  of  Ireland  were  not  a  little  embarrafled  by 
the  coadu£l  of  the  trustees  appointed  to  take  cognizance  of 
the  forfeited  eftatcs.  Their  ofnce  was  extremely  odious 
to  the  people,  as  well  as  to  the  court,  and  their  deportment 
was  arbitrary  and  imperious.  Several  individuals  of  that 
kingdom,  provoked  by  the  infolence  of  the  truftees  on  one 
hand,  and  encouraged  by  the  countenance  of  the  courtiers 
on  the  other,  endeavoured,  by  a  circular  letter,  to  fpirit  up 
the  grand-jury  of  Ireland  againft  the  aft  of  refumption  : 
Petitions  were  prefented  to  the  king,  couched  in  very  ftrong 
terms,  affirming,  that  it  was  injurious  to  the  Proteftant  in- 
tereft,  and  bad  been  obtained  by  grofs  mifinformations. 
The  king  having  communicated  thefe  addrefles  to  the 
houfe,  they  were  immediately  voted  fcandalous,  falfe,  and 
groundlefs  ;  and  the  commons  refolved,  that,  nocwithftand- 
ing  the  complaints  and  clamours  againft  the  truftees,  it  did 
not  appear  to  the  houfc  but  thofe  complaints  were  ground- 
lefs  :  Neverthelefs,  they  afterwards  received  feveral  peti 
tions,  imploring  relief  againft  the  faid  acl ;  and  they  order 
ed  that  the  petitioners  fhould  be  relieved  accordingly.  Pro- 
pofals  were  delivered  in  for  incorporating  fuch  as  fhould 
purchafe  the  faid  forfeitures,  on  certain  terms  therein  fpe  - 
Gifted,  according  to  the  rent-roll,  when  verified  and  made 
good  to  the  purchafers  :  But,  whereas  in  this  rent-roll  the 
value  of  the  eftates  had  been  eftimated  at  fomething  more 
than  feven  hundred  and  fixteen  thoufand  pounds,  thofe  v/ho 
undertook  to  make  the  purchafe  affirmed  they  were  not 
worth  five  hundred  thoufand  pounds  ;  and  thus  the  affair 
remained  in  fufpence. 

With  refpecl  to  Scotland,  the  clamours  of  that  kingdom 
had  not  yet  fubfided.  When  the  bill  of  abjuration  paflld 
in  the  houfe  of  peers,  the  earl  of  Nottingham"had  declared, 
that  although  he  differed  in  opinion  from  the  majority  in 
many  particulars  relating  to  that  bill,  yet  he  was  a  friend 
to  the  defign  of  it ;  and,  in  order  to  fecure  a  Proteftant  fuc- 
ceflion,  he  thought  an  union  of  the  whole  ifland  was  abfo- 


W  I  L  L  1  A  M.  329 

lutely  neceff-ry.     He,  therefore,  moved   for  an  addrefs   to  C  H  A   P- 
the  kina:,  that  he  would  diffolve  the  parliament  of  Scotland 
now  fitting,  as  the  legality  of  it  might  be  called  inqueftion,  **^Y*** 
on  account  of  its  havino-  been  originally  a  convention  ;  and  „  .I"or; 

.  ,.  -'  .          t'mon  of 

tnat    a  new   parliament  mould  be   lummoned,  that  they  ths  two 
might  treat   about   ?^n  union   of  the  two  kingdoms.     The  kingdoms 
king  had  this  affair  fo  much  at  heart,  that  even  when  he  recu?db 
was  disabled  from  going  to  the  parliament  in  perfon,  he  fent  tvje  y,^; 
a  letter  to  the  commons,  expreffing  an  eager   defire  that  a 
treaty  for  this  purpofe  mi?hf  be  fet  on    foot,  and   earneftly 
recommending  this  affair  to  the  confideration  of  the  houie  j 
bu<:,  as  a  new  parliament  in  Scotland  could  not  be   called 
without  a  great  rifque,  while  the  nation  was  in  fuch  a    fer 
ment,  the  project  was  poftponed  to  a  more   favourable   op 
portunity. 

Before  the  king's  return  from  Holland,  he  had  concerted 
with  his  allies  the  operations  of  the  enfuing  campaign. 
He  had  engaged  in  a  negociation  with  the  prince  of  Heffe 
d'Armftadt,  who  affured  him,  that  if  he  would  befiege  and 
t:-ke  Cadiz,  the  admiral  of  Caftile,  and  divers  other  gran 
dees  of  Spain,  would  declare  for  the  houfe  of  Auftria.  The 
allies  had  alfo  determined  upon  the  fiege  of  Keyferfwaert, 
which  the  elector  of  Cologn  had  delivered  into  the  hands 
of  the  French;  the  elector  of  Hanover  had  refolved  to  dif- 
arm  the  princes  of  Wolfenbuttle  ;  the  king  of  the  Romans, 
and  prince  Louis  of  Baden,  undertook  to  invert  Landau  ; 
and  the  emperor  promifed  to  fend  a  powerful  reinforce 
ment  to  prince  Eugene  in  Italy  ;  but  William  did' not  live 
to  fee  thefe  fchemes  put  in  execution.  His  conftitution 
was  by  this  time  almoff,  exhaufted,  though  he  endeavoured 
to  conceal  the  effects  of  his  malady,  and  to  repair  his  health 
by  exercife.  On  the  2ift  day  of  February,  in  riding  to  The  King 
Hampton-court  from  Kenfmgton,  his  horfe  fell  under  him,  ku»t  by  a 
and  he  himfelf  was  thrown  upon  the  ground  with  fuch  vio-  L*!1j|rT 
lence,  as  produced  a  fracture  in  his  collar-bone.  His  at 
tendants  conveyed  him  to  the  palace  of  Hampton-court, 
where  the  fracture  was  reduced  by  Ronjat,  his  ferjeant-fur- 
geon.  In  the  evening  he  returned  to  Kenfmgton  in  his 
coach,  and  the  two  ends  of  the  fractured  bone  having  been 
difunited  by  the  jolting  of  the  carriage,  were  replaced  un 
der  the  inflection  of  Bidloo,  his  phyhcian.  He  feemed  to 
be  in  a  fair  way  of  recovering  till  the  ift  day  of  March, 
when  his  knee  appeared  to  be  inrlamed,  with  great  pain 
and  weaknefs.  Next  day  he  granted  a  commiffion  under 
the  great  feal  to  feveral  peers,  for  paiiing  the  bills  to  which 
both  houfes  of  parliament  had  agreed,  namely,  the  act  of 
attainder  againft  the  pretended  prince  of  Wales  ;  and  ano 
ther  in  favour  of  the  Quakers,  enacting,  That  their  folerrm 

VOL.     I.  2  T. 


330  HISTORY  GIF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  affirmation  and  declaration   {hould  be  excepted   inflead  of 

IL       an  oath  in  the  ufual  form. 

^V**^  On  the  4th  day  of  March,  the  king  was  fo  well  recover- 
I;OI-  ed  of  his  lamenels,  that  he  took  feveral  turns  in  the  gallery 
Is  feized  at  Kenfmgton ;  but,  fitting  down  on  a  couch  were  he  fell 
with  a  ft-  afleep,  he  was  feized  with  a  (hivering,  which  terminated  in 
vtr.  a  fever  and  diarrhoea.  He  was  attended  by  Sir  Thomas 

Millington,  Sir  Richard  Blackmore,  Sir  Theodore  Colle- 
don,  Dr.  Btdloo,  and  other  eminent  phyficians  ;  but   their 
prescriptions  proved  ineffectual.     On  the  6th  he    granted 
another  commiffionfor  puffing  the  bill  for  the  malt-tax,  and 
the  a&  of  abjuration ;  and,  being  fo  weak  that  he  could  not 
write  his  name,  he,  in  prefence  of  the   lord-keeper  and  the 
clerks  of  parliament,  applied  a  fcamp  prepared  for  the  pur- 
pofe.     The  earl  of  Albemarle  arriving  from  Holland,  con 
ferred  with  him  in  private  on  the  pofture  of  affairs  abroad; 
but  he  received  his   informations  with  great  coldnefs,  and 
faid,  "  Je  tire  vers  ma  fin. — I  approach   the   end  of  my 
"  life.     In  the  evening  he  thanked  Dr.  Bidloo  for  his  care 
and  tendernefs,  faying,  "  I  know  that  you  and  the  other 
"  learned  phyficians  have  done  all   that  your  art  can  do  for 
"  my  relief;  but,  finding  all  means  ineffectual,  I   fubmit." 
He   received    fpiritual  confolation  from  Archbifhop  Te- 
nifon,  and  Burnet  bifliop  of  Salisbury  :  On  Sunday  morn 
ing  the   facrament  was  adminift  ered  to  him.     The   lords 
of  the   privy-council,  and  divers  noblemen  attended  in  the 
adjoining  apartments,  and  to  fome   of  them   who  were  ad 
mitted  he  fpoke  a  little.     He  thanked  Lord  Auverquerque 
for  his  long  and  faithful    fervices  :  He  delivered  to    Lord 
Albemarle  the  keys  of  his  clofet  and  fcrutore,   telling  him 
he  knew  what  to  do  with  them.     He  enquired  for  the  earl 
of  Portland  ;  but,  being  fpeechlefs  before  that  nobleman  ar 
rived,  he    grafped    his  hand,  and  laid    it  to  his  heart,  with 
Afi  ddies.     marks  of  the    mod:   tender  affection.     On  the  8th    day  of 
March  he  expired,  in  the  fifty-fecond  year  of  his  age,  after 
having  reigned  thirteen  years.      The  lords  Lexington  and 
-     Scarborough,  who  were  in  waiting,  no  fooner   perceived 
the  king  was  dead,  than  they  ordered  Ronjat  to  untie  from 
his  left  arm,  a  black  ribbon,  to  which  was  affixed  a   ring;, 
containing  fome  hair  of  the  late  Queen  Mary.     The  body, 
being  opened  and  embalmed,  lay  in  ftate  for  fome  time   at 
Keniington;  and  on  the  1 2th  day  of  April  was  depofited 
in  a  vault  of  Henry's  chapel  in  Weftminfter-abbey.  In  the 
beginning  of  May,  a  will    which  he  had  entrufted  with 
Moniieur    Schuylemberg  was   opened  at  the   Hague.     In 
this  he  had  declared  his  coufin  Prince   Frifon  of  Naffau 
ftadtholder  of  Friefland,  his  fole  and  univerfal  heir,  and  ap- 
poinied  the  ftates -general  his  executors.     By  a  codicil  an- 


WILLIAM.  331 

nexed,  he  had  bequeathed  the  lord/hip  of  Ereevert,  and  a  C  H  A  p 
legacy  of  two  hundred  thoufand  guilders  to  the  earl  of  Al- 
bemarie.  <-^yO 

William  III.  was  in  his  perfon  of  the  middle  ftature,  a  jr-'^V^. 
thin  body,   and  delicate  constitution,   fubjedt  to  an  aflhma  ter> 
and  continual  cough  from   his  infancy.     He  had  an   aqui 
line  nofe,    fparkling    eyes,  a  large  forehead,  and  a   grave 
folemn  afpect.     He   was  very  fparing  of  fpeech  :   His  con- 
verfation  was  dry,  and  his  manner  difgufting,  except  in  bat 
tle,  when  his  deportment  was  free,  fpirited,  and  animating. 
In  courage,  fortitude,  and  equanimity,  he  rivalled  the  moft 
eminent   warriors   of  antiquity ;  and  his  natural   fagacity 
made  amends  for  the    defedts  in  his  education,  which   had 
not  been  properly  fuperintended.     He  was  religious,  tem 
perate,  generally  juft  and  fmcere,  a  ftranger  to  violent  tranf- 
ports  of  paffion,  and  might  have   pafTcd  for  one  of  the  belt 
princes   of  the  age   in  which  he  lived,   had  he  never  af- 
cended  the  throne  of  Great  Britain.    But  the  diflinguifhing 
criterion  of  his   character  was  ambition.  To     this  hefacri- 
ficed  the  punctilios  of  honour  and  decorum,  in  depofmghis 
own  father-in-law  and  uncle;  and    this  he  gratified  at  the 
expence  of  the  nation  that  raifed  him  to  fovereign  authority, 
He  afpired  to  the  honour  of  acting  as  umpire  in  all  the  con- 
tefts  of  Europe  ;  and  the  fecond  object  of  his  intention  was 
the  profperity  of  that  country  to  which  he  owed  his  birth 
and  extraction.      Whether  he  really  thought   the   interests 
of  the  continent  and    Great   Britain    were  infeparable,  or 
fought  only  to  drag  England  into  the  confederacy  as  a  con 
venient  ally ;  certain  it  is,  he  involved  thefe  kingdoms  in 
foreign  connexions,  which,  in  all  probability,  will  be  pro 
ductive  of  their  ruin.     In  order  to  eftablifh  this    favourite 
point,  he  fcrupled  not  to  employ  all  the  engines  of  corrup 
tion,  by  which  the  morals  of  the  nation  were   totally  de 
bauched.       He  procured    a  parliamentary  fandtion  for    a 
(landing  army  which  now    feems  to  be  interwoven  in  the 
conftitution.     He  introduced  the  pernicious  practice   of 
borrowing  upon  remote  funds  ;  an  expedient  that  necefla- 
rily  hatched  a  brood  of  ufurers,  brokers,  contractors    and 
ilock-jobbers,  to  prey  upon  the  vitals  of  their  country.  He  But-net, 
entailed  upon  the  nation    a   growing  debt,  and  a  fyftem  of  Bo  gr"x< 
politics  big  with  mifery,  defpair,  and  destruction.     To  fum  LamLerty. 
up  his  character  in  a  few  words — .William  was  a  fataliit  in  State 
religion,  indefatigable  in  war,  enterprifmg  in  politics,  dead  4-"? V 
to  all  the  warm  and  generous  emotions  of  the  human  heart,  Ralph, 
a  cold  relation,  an  indifferent  hufband,  a  difagreeable  man,  Vciu.ire. 
an  ungracious  prince,  and  an  imperious  fovereign. 


C    332    ] 


CHAP.     II. 


Ace efjien  of  ^uecn    Anne IV ar  with  France Ex 
ploits  of  the  earl  of  Marlborough Naval  transactions 

Title  of  duke  conferred  on  Marlborongh — : — Vio 
lent  ferment  in  Ireland 'Severe  law  againft  the  Pa- 
pi  ft  s  in  Ireland Treaty  between  the  emperor  and 

duke  of  Savoy King  of  Spain  arrives  in  England. 


BOOK    T7[7'ILLIAM  was  fucceededas  fovereign  of  England 
I.  VV     by   Anne  princefs  of  Denmark:,  who  afcended  the 

U-yxJ  throne  in  the  thirty-eighth  year  of  her  age,  to  the  general 
i,oi.  fatisfaclion  of  all  parties^  Even  the  Jacobites  feemed  pleuf- 
Anne  P,in-  ed  with  her  elevation,  on  the  fuppofuion,  that  as  in  all  pro- 
n»rkfft*lt  babilitV  fhe  would  leave  no  heirs  of  her  own  body,  the  dic- 
ceedsto  "  tates  of  natural  affeclion  would  induce  her  to  alter  the  fuc- 
the  throne,  cefiion  in  favour  of  her  own  brother.  She  had  been  taught 
to  cherifh  warm  fentiments  of  the  Tories,  whom  fhe  confi- 
dered  as  the  friends  of  monarchy,  and  the  true  fons  of  the 
church  ;  and  they  had  always  profeffed  an  inviolable  attach 
ment;  to  her  perfon  and  intereft :  But  her  conduct  was  wholly 
influenced  by  the  countefs  of  Maryborough  ;  a  woman  of 
an  imperious  temper  and  intriguing  genius,  who  had  been 
intimate  with  the  princefs  from  her  tender  years,  and 
gained  a  furpriiino;  afcendency  over  her,  Anne  had  un 
dergone  fome  ftrange  viciilitudes  of  fortune  in  coniequence 
of  her  father's  cxpulfion,  and  fuirained  a  variety  of  mor 
tifications  in  the  late  reign,  during  which  fhe  conduced 
herfjlf  with  fuch  difcretion,  as  left  little  or  no  pretence  for 
cenfure  or  refentment.  Such  conduct,  indeed,  was  in  a 
great  meafure  owing  to  a  natural  temperance  of  difpofition, 
not  eafily  ruffied  or  inflamed.  She  was  zealoufly  devoted 
to  the  church  of  England,  from  which  her  father  had  ufed 
fome  endeavours  to  detach  her  before  the  Revolution  ;  and 
(he  lived  in  great  harmony  with  her  hufband,  to  whom  the 
bore  fix  children,  all  of  whom  ihe  had  already  furvivcd. 
William  had  no  {boner  yielded  up  his  breath,  than  ihe  pri 
vy  council  in  a  body  v/aited  on  the  new  queen,  who,  in  a 
fhort  but  fenfible  fwccch,  affured  them,  that  no  pains  nor 


A     N     N     E.  333 

diligence  fhould  be  .wanting  on  her  part,  to  preferve  and  CHAP, 
fupnort  the  religion,  laws,  and  liberties  of  her  country,  to 
maintain  the  fucceffion  in  the  Proteftant  line,  and  the  go-  V-*§V^S-' 
vernrnent  in  church  and  {late,  as  bylaw  eftahlifhed.  She  I/CI- 
declared  her  refolution  to  car  y  on  the  preparations  for  op- 
pofing  the  exorbitant  power  of  France,  and  to  affire  the  al 
lies,  that  (he  would  purfue  the  true  intereft  of  England,  toge 
ther  with  theirs,  for  the  fupport  r.f  the  common  caufe.  The 
members  of  the  privy  council  having  taken  the  oaths,  fhe 
ordered  a  proclamation  to  be  publifhed,  fignifying  her  plea- 
fure,  that  all  perfor.s  in  ofHce  of  authority  or  government, 
at  the  deceafe  of  the  late  kin?,  fhould  fo  continue  till  fur 
ther  directions.  By  virtue  of  an  a6t  parted  in  the  late  reia;n, 
the  parliament  continued  fitting  even  after  the  king's  death. 
Both  houfbs  met  immediately,  and  unanimoufly  voted  an 
addrcfs  of  condolence  and  congratulation;  and,  in  the  af 
ternoon,  the  queen  was  proclaimed.  Next  day  the  lords 
and  commons  feverally  attended  her  with  an  addrefs,  con 
gratulating  her  majefty's  acceffion  to  the  throne;  and,  af- 
fu ling  her  of  their  firm  refolution  to  fuppprt  hen  ngainft 
all  her  enemies  whatfoever.  The  lords  acknowledged, 
that  their  great  lei's  was  no  otherwife  to  be  repaired  but  by 
a  vigorous  adherence  to  her  majefty  and  her  allies,  in  the 
profecution  of  thofe  meafures  already  concerted  to  r-'d'jce 
the  exorbitant  power  of  France.  The  commons  declared, 
they  would  maintain  the  fucccfiion  of  the  crown  in  the  Pro 
teftant  line,  and  effectually  provide  for  the  public  credit  of 
the  nation.  Thefe  addreffes  were  gracioufiy  received  by 
the  queen,  who,  on  the  uth  day  of  March,  went  to  the 
houfe  of  peers  with  the  ufual  folemnity,  where,  in  a  fpeech 
to  both  houfes,  fhe  expreiled  her  fatisfa<5tion  at  their  una 
nimous  concurrence  with  her  opinion,  that  too  much  could 
not  be  done  for  the  encouragement  of  their  allies  in  humb 
ling  the  power  of  France  :  and,  defired  they  would  conii- 
der  of  proper  methods  towards  obtaining  an  union  between 
England  and  Scotland.  She  obferved  to  the  commons, 
that  the  revenue  for  defraying  the  expences  of  the  civil  go 
vernment  was  expired ;  and  that  fhe  relied  entirely  on  their 
affection  for  its  being  fupplied  in  fuch  a  manner  as  fhould 
be  moft  fuitable  to  the  honour  and  dignity  of  the  crown. 
She  declared  it  Should  be  her  conftant  endeavour  to  make 
them  the  belt  return  for  their  duty  and  affection,  by  a  care 
ful  anddiligentadminiftration  for  the  good  of  all  her  furjects. 
"And  as  i  know  my  own  heart  to  be  entirely  Englifh 
"  (continued  fhe)  I  can  very  fincerely  allure  you,  there  is 
"  not  any  thing  you  can  expect  or  defire  froti  me,  which  I 
'-  fhall  not  be  ready  to  do  for  the  happinefs  and  profpority  of 
"  England  ;  and  you  fhr.ll  always  find  me  a  itrift  and  reli- 


334  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

CHAP,  "  gious  obferver  of  my  word."     Thefe  afTurances  were  ex 
tremely  agreeable  to  the  parliament ;  and  fhe  received  the 
'—•"Y"**'   thanks  of  both   houfes.     Addreffes  of  congratulation    were 
1701.      prefented  by  the  bifhop  and  clergy  of  London;  by   the  dif- 
fenters  in  and  about  that  city;  and,  by  all  the  counties,  ci 
ties,  towns,  and   corporations  of  England.     She   declared 
her  attachment  to  the  church ;  fhe  promifed  her  protection 
to  the  difienters  ;  and   received  the  compliments  of  all  her 
fubjects  withfuch  affability  as  infured  their  affection. 
Confterna-         William's  death  was   no  fooner  known    at   the   Hague, 
tum  of  the    than  all  Holland  was  filled  with  confirmation.     The  ftates 
thenewfof  immediately  affembled,   and,  for  fome  time,  gazed  at  each 
K.Williams  other  in  Blent  fear  and  aftonifhment.     They  fighed,  wept, 
and  interchanged  embraces  and  vows,  that  they  would  act 
with  unanimity,  and  expend  their  deareft  blood  in  defence 
of  their  country.  Then  they  difpatched  letters  to  the  cities 
and  provinces,  informing  them  of  this   unfortunate   event, 
and  exhorting  them  to  union  and    pei  feverance.     Theex- 
prefs  from  England  having  brought  the  queen's   fpeech  to 
her  privy-council,  it  was  tranflated  and  published,  to  revive 
the  drooping  fpirits  of  the  people.     Next  day  Penfionary 
Fagel   imparted  to  the  ftates  ©f  Holland  a  letter  which  he 
had  received  from  the  earl  of  Marlborough,  containing  af- 
furances,  in  the  queen's  name,  of  union  and  affiftance.     In 
a  few  days,  the  queen  wrote  a  letter  in  the  French  language 
to  the  dates,  confirming  thefe  afTurances :  it  was  delivered 
by  Mr.  Stanhope,  whom  flie  had  furnifhed  with   frefh  cre 
dentials  as  envoy  from  England.  Thus  animated,  the  ftates 
e'd      refolved  to  profecute  vigorous  measures  ;  their    refolutions 
y  ale  t  er    were  ftill  more  infpirited  by  the  arrival  of  the  earl  of  Marl- 
from  Queen  borough,  whom  the  queen  honoured  with  the  order  of  the 
garter,  and   inverted  with  the  character  of  ambafiador  ex 
traordinary  and  plenipotentiary  to  the  ftates-general ;  he 
was  likewife  declared  captain-general  of  her  forces  both  at 
home  and  abroad.     He  affured   the  ftates,  that  her  Britan 
nic  majefty  would  maintain  the  alliances  which  had  been 
concluded    by  the  late  king,   and  do  every  thing  that  the 
common  concerns  of  Europe   required.     The  fpeech  was 
anfwered  by  Dickvelt,  prefident  of  the  week,  who,  in  the 
name  of  the  ftates,  exprefTed  their  hearty  thanks  to  her  ma 
jefty,  and  their  refolution  of  concurring  with  her  in  a  vi 
gorous  profecution  of  the  common  intereft. 

The  importance  of  William's  life  was  evinced  by  the 
jcy  that  diffufed  itfelf  through  the  kingdom  of  France  at 
the  news  of  his  deceafe.  The  perfon  who  firft  brought 
the  tidings  to  Calais  was  imprifoned  by  the  governor,  until 
his  information  was  confirmed.  The  court  of  Verfailks 
could  hardly  reftraki  their  tranfports  fo  ns  to  preferv?  com- 


ANNE. 

mon  decorum :  The  people  of  Paris  openly  rejoiced  nt '  ic 
event :  All  decency  was  laid  afide  at  Rome,  where  this  i  i- 
cident  produced  fuch  indecent  raptures,  that  Cardir  :;1 
Grimani,  the  Imperial  minifter,  complained  of  them  to  the 
Pope,  as  an  infult  on  his  mafter  the  emperor,  who  was 
William's  friend,  confederate,  and  ally.  The  French 
king  difpatched  credentials  to  Barre,  whom  the  Count 
D'Avaux  had  left  at  the  Hague  to  manage  the  affairs  of 
France,  together  with  inftructions  to  renew  the  nego- 
ciation  with  the  ftates,  in  hope  of  detaching  them  from  the 
alliance.  This  minifter  prefented  a  memorial,  implying 
fevere  reflections  on  King  William,  and  the  paft  conduct 
of  the  Dutch;  and  insinuating,  that  now  they  had  reco 
vered  their  liberty,  the  court  of  France  hoped  they  would 
confult  their  true  intereft.  The  Count  de  Goes,  envoy 
from  the  emperor,  animadverted  on  thefe  expreflions  in 
another  memorial,  which  was  likewife  publilhed  :  The  ftates 
produced  in  public  an  anfwer  to  the  fame  remonftran.ee, 
exprefling  their  refentment  at  the  infolence  of  fuch  infmu- 
ations,  and  their  veneration  for  the  memory  of  their  late 
Stadtholder.  The  earl  of  Marlborough  fucceeded  in  every 
part  of  his  negociation.  He  animated  the  Dutch  to  a  full 
exertion  of  their  vigour:  He  concerted  the  operations  of 
the  campaign:  He  agreed  with  the  ftates-general  and  the 
Imperial  minifter,  that  war  fhould  be  declared  againft 
France  on  the  fame  day  at  Vienna,  London,  and  the 
Hague;  and  on  the  third  day  of  April  embarked  for  Eng 
land,  after  having  acquired  the  entire  confidence  of  thofcr 
who  governed  the  United  Provinces. 

By  this  time,  the  houfe  of  commons  in  England  had  fet-  j-32 
tied  the  civil  lift  upon  the  queen  for  her  life.  When  the 
bill  received  the  royal  aflent,  fne  allured  them,  that 
100,000  pounds  of  this  revenue  (hould  be  applied  to  the 
public  fervice  of  the  current  year ;  at  the  fame  time,  fhe 
palled  another  bill,  for  receiving  and  examining  the  public 
accounts.  A  commiffion  for  this  purpofe  was  granted  in 
the  preceding  reign,  but  had  been  for  fome  years  difcontinu- 
ed;  and  indeed,  always  proved  ineffectual  to  detect  and 
punifh  thole  individuals  who  fhamefully  pillaged  their 
country.  The  villany  was  fo complicated,  the  vicefo  ge 
neral,  and  the  delinquent  fo  powerfully  fcreened  by  arti 
fice  and  intereft,  as  to  elude  all  enquiry.  On  the  24th 
day  of  March,  the  oath  of  abjuration  was  taken  by  the 
fpeaker  and  members,  according  to  an  act  for  the  further 
fecurity  of  her  majefty's  perfon,  and  the  fuccelfion  of  the 
crown  in  the  Proteftant  line,  and  for  extinguifhing  the 
hopes  of  the  pretended  prince  of  Wales.  The  queen's 
inclination  to  the  Tories  plainly  appeared  in  her  choice  of 


336  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  ministers.  Doctor  John  Sharp,  archbifhop  of  York,  be- 
cnrr^  h?.r  ghoftly  director  and  counfellor  in  all  ecclefrafti- 
c.<I  -flairs.  Trie  earl  of  Rochefbr  was  continued  lord 
lieutenant  of  Ireland,  and  enjoyed  a  great  fhare  of  her 
maj  fty's  confidence  :  The  privy  feal  was  entrufted  to  the 
marquis  of  Normandy:  The  earl  of  Nottingham  and  Sir 
Charles  H'.-dges,  were  appointed  fecretaries  of  ftate : 
TH  earl  of  Aoingdon,  Vifcount  Weymouth,  Lord  Dart 
mouth,  Sir  Chriftophcr  Mufgrave,  Grenville,  Howe, 
Gower,  and  Harcourt,  were  admitted  as  members  of  the 
privy  council,  together  with  Sir  Edward  Seymour,  now 
declared  comptroller  of  the  houfehold.  The  lord  Godol- 
phin,  declined  accepting  the  office  of  lord  high  treafurer, 
until  he  was  over-ruled  by  the  perfuafions  of  Marlbo- 
rough,  to  whofe  •  Ideft  daughter  his  fon  was  married. 
This  nobleman  rehif-d  to  command  the  forces  abroad,  un- 
l..fs  the  treafury  fhould  be  put  into  the  hands  of  Godol- 
phin,  on  whofe  punctuality,  in  point  of  remittances,  he 
knjw  he  could  depend.  Georg?  prince;  of  Denmark  was 
inverted  with  the  title  of  generalifiimo  of  all  the  queen's 
forces  by  fea  and  land;  and  afterwards  created  lord  high 
admiral,  the  earl  of  Pembroke,  having  been  difmifled 
from  this  office,  with  the  offer  of  a  large  penfion,  which 
he  generoufly  refufed.  Prince  George,  as  admiral,  was 
affiAed  by  a  council,  confifting  of  Sir  George  Rookc,  Sir 
David  Mitchel,  George  Churchill,  and  Richard  Hill. 
Though  the  legality  of  this  board  was  doubted,  the  parlia 
ment  had  fuch  refpeft  and  veneration  for  the  queen,  that 
it  was  fuffered  to  aft  without  queftion. 

A  rivalfhip  for  the  queen's  favour  already  appeared  be 
tween  the  earls  of  Rochefter  and  Marlborough.  The 
former,  as  firft  coufm  to  the  queen,  and  chief  of  the  Tory 
faftion,  maintained  confiderable  influence  in  the  council ; 
but  even  there  the  intereft  of  his  rival  predominated. 
tVIarlborough,  was  not  only  the  better  courtier,  but,  by 
the  canal  of  his  countefs,  aftually  directed  the  queen  in  all 
h?r  refolutions.  Rochefter  propofed  in  council,  that  the 
Englifh  fhould  avoid  a  declaration  of  war  with  France, 
and  ?.ft  as  auxiliaries  only.  He  was  feconded  by  fome 
o:her  members  :  But  the  opinion  of  Marlborough  prepon 
derated.  He  obferved,  that  the  honour  of  the  nation  \vas 
concerned  to  fulfil  the  late  king's  engagements  ;  and  af 
firmed  that  France  coulJ  never  be  reduced  within  due 
bounds,  unlefc  the  Englifh  would  enter  as  principals  in 
the  quarrel.  This  allegation  was  fupported  by  the  dukes 
of  Somerfet  and  Devonfhire;  the  earl  of  Pembroke,  and 
the  majority  of  the  council.  The  queen  being  refolved  to 
declare  war,  communicated  her  intention  to  the  houfe  of 


ANNE.  337 

Commons,  by  whom  it  was  approved  ;  and  on  the  4th  day  of  CHAP. 
May  the  declaration  was  folemt.ly  proclaimed.     The  kins:       II- 
of  France  wac,  in   this  proclamation,  taxed  with  having  ^•"""Y"^*' 
taken  pofleffion  of  great   part  of  the  Spanifn  dominions;,,..17,02; 

Wiir  dcclsir- 

with  defignini>;  to  invade  the  liberties  of  Europe;  and  ob-  ed  a^ainft 
ftruft  the  freedom  of  navigation  and  commerce  ;  with  hav-  France. 
ing  offered  an  unpardonable  infult  to  the  queen  2nd  her 
throne,  by  taking  upon  him  to  declare  the  pretended 
prince  of  Wales  king  of  England,  Scotland,  and  Ireland. 
The  three  declarations  of  the  emperor,  England,  and  the 
jftates-g-eneral,  which  were  publiflied  in  one  day,  did  not 
fail  to  difconcert,  as  well  as  to  provoke,  the  French  mo 
narch.  When  his  minifter  De  Torcy,  recited  them  in 
his  hearing,  he  fpoke  of  the  queen  with  fome  acrimony  ; 
but  with  refpecl  to  the  Rates-general,  he  declared  with 
great  emotion,  that  "  MelTieurs  the  Dutch  merchant's 
"  {hould  one  day  repent  .of  their  infolence  and  prefump- 
"  tion,  in  declaring  war  againft  fo  powerful  a  monarch." 
He  did  not)  however,  produce  his  declaration  till  the  3J 
day  of  July. 

The  houfe  of  commons,  in  compliance  with  the  queen's 
defire,  brought  in  a  bill,  empowering  her  majefty  to  name 
commifiioners  to  treat  with  the  Scots  for  an  union  of  the 
two  kingdoms.  It  met  with  warm  oppofition  from  Sir 
Ldward  Seymour,  and  other  Tory  members,  who  dif- 
chargecl  abundance  of  fatire  and  ridicule  upon  the  Scotti/h 
nation  :  But  the  meafure  feemed  fo  neccffary  at  that  junc 
ture,  to  frcure  the  Proteftant  fucceffion  againft  the  prac 
tices  of  France,  and  the  claims  of  the  pretender,  that  the 
majority  efpoufed  the  bill  which  paifcd  through  both 
houfes,  and  on  the  6th  day  of  May  received  the  royal  af- 
fent,  together  with  fome  bills  of  lefs  importance.  The 
enemies  of  the  late  king  continued  to  revile  his  memo 
ry*.  They  even  charged  him  with  having  formed  a  de- 
ugn  of  excluding  the  Princefs  Anne  from  the  throne,  an-i 
of  introducing  the  elector  of  Hanover  as  his  own  immedi 
ate  fucdeflbr,  This  report  had  been  fo  induitrioufiy  cir 
culated,  that  it  began  to  gain  credit  all  over  the  kingdom. 
Several  peers  interfiled  themfelves  in  William's  character  5 
and  a  motion  was  made  in  the  upp,jr  houib,  that  the 
truth  of  this  report  fhould  be  enquired  into.  The  houfe 
i immediately  deiired  that  thofe  lo^ds  who  had  vifitcd  the 

VOL.  I.  2  U 

*  In  their  bourj  o<"cW.a.idi,  they  dmnk  to  the  heukhs  of  Sorrel,  meaning 
the  horle  t  sat  fell  W;th  the.  k.ag  -,  a.iu,  uu,l-:r  tht  .-ipptibiion  of  the  little 
cii".ntk'ina:i  in  vt.!vi;t,  toallcd  t'.ic  rnok-  that  railed  trie  hill  over  which  the  horfs 
had  (tumbled.  As  the  b  -a?  h?.d  foriacTly  belonged  to  Sir  John  Fenwkk, 
thi'y  inltnuatedthat  Wiilum's  f-to  wus  a  j^dgmtnt  upon  him,  for  Lis  cracky 
to  l.ia:  jj  ..itlCiTian  ;  and  a  Laria  tpi^ram  WAS  \vri-ten  on  the  occafien. 


33'*  HISTORY  OF  LXGLAND. 

B  o  o  K  Jr.r?  kir.c's  paper*  would  intimate  whether  or  not  they  had 
found  any  arr.cng  them  relating  to  the   queen's  fuccefTicn, 
or  to  the  fuccelTion  of  the  houfe  of  Hanover.     They  forth 
with  declared,  that  nothing  of  that  fort  appeared.      Then 
the  houfe   refolved,  that   the  report  was  groum'lef-,  falfe, 
villanous,  and   fcand.il ous,  to  the  cifhonour  cf  the  late 
king's  memory,  and   highly   tending   to   the  difTervice  of 
her  prefent  maiefty,  whom    they  befought   to    give  order, 
:  the  authors  or   publifhers    of  fuch  fcandalous  reports 
fhculd  he  profecuted  by  the  attorney-general.     The  fame 
cenfure  \vas  pafled  upon  feme  libels,  and  pamphlets,  tend 
ing  to  inflame  the  factions  of  the  kingdom,  and  to  propa 
gate  a  fpirit  of  irreligion  *.     On  the  lift    day  of  A^ay, 
the  commons,  in  an    addrefs,  adviied   her    majefty  to  en 
gage  the  emperor,  the  ftates-general,  and  her  other  allies, 
to  join  with  her  in  prohibiting  all  intercourfe  with  France 
Spain;  and    to  concert  fuch  methods    with  the  Hates- 
general  as  mi^ht  moft  effectually   fecure  the  trade  of  her 
fubjecis  and  allies.     The  lords  prefented  another  addrefs, 
defnir.g  the  queen   would  encourage  her  fubjects  ro  equip 
privateers,  as  the  preparations  of  the  enemy  feemed  to  be 
made  for  a  piratical   war,  to    the    interruption  of  com 
merce:  They  likewife  exhorted  her  majefty  to  grant  corr- 
7:ons  or  charters  to   all  perfons  who  fhould  make  fuch 
acquifitions    in    the   Indies,  as   fhe    in  her   great  wifdom 
fhculd  iudge  moft  expedient    for   the    good  of  her   kinr- 
Corr.E.     On  the  25th  day  of  May,  the  queen  having  pafled 
:;!  public    and    |    private  bills,  difmiffed    the  parlia 
ment   by  prorogation,  after    having,    in  a   fhort   fpeech, 
thanked    them    for   their    zeal,  recommended  unanimity, 
and  declared  fhe  would  carefully  prefcrve  and  maintain  the 
a£r.  of  toleration. 

In  Scotland,  a  warm  conteft  arofe  between  the  Revolu- 
tioners  and  thofe  in  the  oppofition,  concerning  the  exift- 
ence  of  the  prefent  parliament.  The  queen  had  fignified 
her  acceflion  to  the  throne,  in  a  letter  to  her  privy-council 
for  Scotland,  defiring  they  would  continue  to  act  in  that 

*  D  .  Bir.k.«,  in  a    fermon  preached  before  the  convocation,   or.  the  3^1 
.    :rew  a  parallel  ce'.v.'een  the  {offering*  of  Cb.ri.ft,  and  thofe  of 
Charles,  to  which  lalt  he    gave  the  preference,  in  point  of  right,  cha- 
radrr,  and  ft?. :'. 

•+•    Du  lug  this  fhort  fefT;cn,  the  queen  gave  her  aflent  to  an  aft  for  laying 
;    to  another .  for   encouraging   the    Greenland   trade  :  To  a 
king  good  the  deficiencies,  and   the  public  credit  :   To  a  fourth 
for  comicuiiig  ti:e   irriprifomr  --.er,  and  other   confpirators   againft 

Kinj  To  a  fifth  for  a-  rtrlisf  of  Proteftant  purchafers  of  the   fcr- 

I  .  To  anxth  enlarging  the  time  for  taking  the  oath  of 
abjuration  :  To  a  fe^renzh  obliging  th;  J;ws  to  maintain  sr.d  pro-vi'le  ibr  their 
Pr.:  -:ea. 


A     N     N     t.  339 

e,  until  {he  fn^nlJ  lend  a  new    corr.mi.iion.       Mean-  c  H  A  p 
|e,  (he  authorifed  them  to  publiili  a    proclarr.. :'   -\   or-         H. 
ci  lining  all  officers  of  flare,  councellors,  and  magiftrates,   to  v^^^^O 
i  v_i:  in   all  things  conformably  to  the  commiifions  and  i    -      ;   "- 
KruJions  of  his  late  maja^ty,  ur.t:'.  new  c  win    - 
be  prepared.      Sh-  likewiiV,  a;ll;red  then  of  h.  -.fo 

liation  to  protect  them  in  their  religion,  1:        -  ries, 

and  in  the  eftablifhed  joVerntnent<  ~:~.      She 

already  in    rrefence  of  twelve  Scottish  c  ,    1 

the  coronation-oath  for  that  kingdom:  But  •/•  t 
wanted  to  embroil  the  affairs  of  their  country  affirmed,  : 
this  was  an  irregular  \vay  of  proceed  in  2:,  and  that  the  oath 
oti^ht  to  have  been  tendered  by  perfons  deputed  for  that 
purpoL,  eirhjr  by  the  parliament,  or  the  privy-council  of 
the  kingdom.  The  prefrnt  miniftry,  conhiling  of  the  duke 
of  Queenfberty,  the  earl  of  Marchmont,  -Mei\-;!,  S.atield, 
HyndforJ,  and  Selkirk,  were  devoted  to  Revolution  princi 
ples,  and  defirous  that  the  parliament  fhould  continue,  in 
purfuance  of  the  late  act  for  continuing  the  parliament 
that  ihould  be  then  in  being,  fix  months  after  the  death  of 
the  king  :  and  that  it  fhould  aflemble  in  twenty  davs  after 
that  event.  The  queen  had,  by  feveral  adjournment:,  de 
ferred  the  meeting  al;noft  three  months  after  the  king's  Je- 
ceaie ;  and  therefore,  the  anti-revolucioners  affirmed  that  it 
was  defolved.  The  duke  of  Harr.iltc  n  \vas  at  the  head  of 
this  p.irtr,  which  clamoured  loudly  for  a  new  parliament. 
This  nobleman,  together  with  the  marquis  of  T\vccd.;L\ 
the  Earls  Marftial  and  Rothes,  and  many  other  noblemen 
repaired  to  London,  in  order  to  make  the  queen  acquaint 
ed  with  their  objections  to  the  continuance  of  the  preier.t 
parliament.  Shr  admitted  them  to  her  prefence,  and  calm 
ly  heard  their  allegations  :  uut  (he  was  determined,  by  the 
advice  of  her  privy-council  for  that  kingdom,  who  were  of 
opinion,  that  the  nation  was  in  too  great  a  ferment  to  haz 
ard  the  convocation  of  a  new  parliament.  According  to 
th;  queen's  laft  adjournment,  the  parliament  met  at  Eui..- 
burgh  on  the  gth  day  of  June,  the  duke  of  Queenfberry 
having  been  appointed  highcommiflioner.  Before  the  queen's 
commiiujn  was  read,  the  duke  of  Hamilton,  fir  hianl 
and  his  aJhire:::»,  declared  their  fatisfo6tion  at  her  majef- 
tv's  acceffion  to  the  tlirone,  riot  only  on  account  of  her  un 
doubted  right  bv  dv  icent,  but  hkewifa  becaule  of  her  many 
pcrf.-nal  virtues  arid  royal  qualities.  Hs  faid  they  were 
relblved  to  facrifice  their  lives  and  fortunes  in  defence  of 
her  majefty's  ri-^ht  againfl  all  her  enemies  whatever  ;  : 
at  the  fame  time,  thev  tliought  themfclves  lv  duty 

to  give  their  opi  it  in,  that  :':..-  wrere  n  •:  warrentt  '.  by  law 
to  fet  and  ac^  as  a  parliament.     He  then  read  a  paper   c« 


340  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK.  the  following  efreft :  That  fjrafmuch  as,  by  the  funda- 
.  mental  laws  and  conftitircion  of  this  kingdom,  all  parlia- 
''  ments  do  defolve  0:1  the  death  of  the  fovereign,  except  in 
fo  far  as  innovated  by  an  ail  in  the  preceding  reign,  that 
the  parliament  in  being  at  his  majefly's  deceafe  mould 
meet,  and  aft  what  might  be  needful  for  the  defence  of 
the  true  Proteftant  religion,  as  by  Jaw  eftabliihed  ;  and 
for  the  maintenance  of  the  fucce.fiion  to  the  crown,  as  fet 
tled  by  the  claim  of  right;  and  for  the  prefervation  and  fe- 
curity  of  the  public  peace  :  And  feeing  thefe  ends  are  ful 
ly  anfwercd  by  her  majefty's  fucceiTion  to  the  throne,  we 
conceive  ourfelves  not  now  warrented  by  law  to  meet,  fit, 
or  aft ;  and  therefore,  do  diffent  from  any  thing  that  mall  be 
done  or  afted.  The  duke  having  recited  this  paper,  and 
formally  protefted  againft  the  proceedings  of  the  parliament, 
withdrew  with  feventy-nine  members,  amidft  the  acclama 
tions  of  the  people. 

Notwithftanding  their  feceilion,  the  commiilioners,  who 
retained  a  much  greater  number,  produced  the  queen's 
letter,  fignifying  her  refolution  to  maintain  and  proteft  her 
fubjefts  in  the  full  poffefiion  of  their  religion,  laws,  liber 
ties,  and  the  preibyterian  difcipKne,  She  informed  them  of 
her  having  declared  war  againft  France:  She  exhorted 
them  to  provide  competent  (applies  for  maintaining  fuch  a 
number  offerees  as  might  be  neceflary  for  difappointingthe 
enemy's  defigns,  and  preferving  the  prefent  happy  fettle- 
ment ;  and  file  earneftly  recommended  to  their  confidera- 
tion  an  union  of  the  two  kingdoms.  The  duke  of  Queenf- 
berry  and  the  earl  of  Marchmont  having  enforced  the  dif 
ferent  articles  of  this  letter,  committees  were  appointed  for 
the  fecurity  of  the  kingdom,  for  controverting  elections, 
for  drawing  up  an  anfwer  to  her  majefty's  letter,  and  for 
revifmg  the  minutes.  Mean  while,  the  duke  of  Hamilton 
and  his  adherents  fcnt  the  Lord  Bhntyre  to  London,  with 
an  addrefs  to  the  queen,  who  refufed  to  receive  it,  but 
wrote  another  letter  to  the  parliament,  expreliing  her  refo 
lution  to  maintain  their  dignity  and  authority  againft  all 
oppofers.  They  in  anfwer  to  the  former,  had  allured  her, 
that  the  groundlefs  feceffion  of  fame  members  fhould  in- 
creafe  and  Strengthen  their  care  and  zeal  for  her  majefty's 
fervice.  They  expelled  Sir  Alexander  Bruce,  for  having 
given  vent  to  fome  refleftions  againft  Preibytery.  The 
Lord  advocate  profecuted  the  faculty  of  advocates  before 
the  parliament,  for  having  puffed  a  vote  among  therr.felves 
in  favour  of  rhe  proteftation  and  addrefs  of  the  difienting 
members.  The  faculty  was  fevercly  reprimanded;  but 
the  whole  mtion  feeuied  to  refent  the  profecution.  The 
parliament  pafied  an  aft  lor  recognizing  her  majefly's  roy- 


ANNE.  341 

al  authority  :  Another  for  adjourning  the  court  of  judicature  C  M  A  P. 
called  the  feflion :  A  third  declaring  this  meeting  of  parli 
ament  legal ;  and  forbidding  any  perfon  to  difown,  quarrel, 
or  impugn  the  dignity  and  authority  thereof,  under  the 
penalty  of  high  treafon  :  A  fourth  for  fecuring  the  true 
Froteftant  religion  and  prefbyterian  church  government: 
A  fith  fora  land-tax;  and  a  fixth  enabling  hs.r  moj.-fly  to 
appoint  commilfioners  for  an  union  between  the  two  king 
doms. 

The  earl  of  A'larchmont,  of  his  own  accord,  and  even  con-  Commiifi- 
trary  to  the  advice  of  the  high  com miffi oner,  brought  in  a  °nfs  a?- 
bill  for  abjuring  the  pretended  prince  of  Wales  :  But  this  f^To/0 
was  not  fupported  by  the  court  party,  as  the  cominiiliorier  the  U.iion. 
had  no  inftructions  hov/  to  acl  on  the  occafion.  Perhaps 
the  queen  and  her  Englifli  miniftry  refolved  to  keep  the 
fucccffion  open  in  Scotland,  as  a  check  upon  the  Whigs  and 
houfe  of  Hanover.  On  the  ^oth  day  of  June,  the  COTI- 
miffioner  adjourned  the  parliament,  after  having  thanked 
them  for  their  chearfulncfs  and  unanimity  in  their  proceed 
ings  ;  and  the  chiefs  of  the  oppofite  parties  haftened  to 
London  to  make  their  different  reprefjntations  to  the 
queen,  and  her  miniilry.  In  the  mean  time,  (he  appointed 
commifHoners  for  treating  about  the  union  ;  atid  they  met 
at  the  Cockpit  on  the  22d  day  of  October.  On  the  20 th 
day  of  the  next  month,  they  adjufted  preliminaries,  im 
porting,  That  nothing  agreed  on  among  themfelvcs  fhould 
be  bidding,  except  ratified  by  her  mujc-fty  and  the  refpec- 
tive  parliaments  of  both  nations ;  and  that,  unlefs  all  the 
heads  propofed  for  the  treaty  were  agreed  to,  no  particular 
thing  agreed  on  fliould  be  binding.  The  queen  vi filed 
them  in  December,  in  order  to  quicken  their  mutual  en 
deavours.  They  agreed,  that  the  two  kingdoms  fhould  be 
infeparably  united  into  one  monarchy,  under  her  majefly, 
her  heirs  and  fucceflbr?,  and  under  the  ilime  limitation?, 
according  to  the  act  of  fettlement  :  But,  when  the  Scottish 
commiflioners  propofed  that  the  rights  and  privileges  of 
their  company  trading  to  Africa  and  the  Indies  (liould  he 
preferved  and  maintained,  fuch  a  difficulty  arofe  as  could 
not  be  furmounted,  and  no  further  progrefs  was  made  in 
this  commiffion.  The  tranquillity  of  Ireland  was  not  in 
terrupted  by  any  new  commotion.  That  kingdom  was 
ruled  byjuftices  whom  the  earl  of  Rocheder  had  appoint 
ed;  and  the  trufbes  for  the  forfeited  eirates  maintained 
their  authority. 

While  Britain  was  engaged  in  thefe  civil  tranfacfrons, 
her  allies  were  not  idle  on  the  continent.  The  old  duke 
of  Zell,  and  his  nephew,  the  eleilor  of  BrunAvick,  furprif- 
ed  the  dukes  of  Woifenbuttle  and  Saxe-Gotha,  whom  they 


342  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  compelled  to  renounce  their  attachments  to  France,  and 
concur  in  the  common  councils  of  the  empire.  Thus  the 
north  of  Germany  w?.s  reunited  in  the  interefr  of  the  con- 
federates;  and  the  princes  would  have  been  in  a  condition 
to  aflift  them  effectually,  had  not  the  neighbourhood  of  the 
war  in  Poland  deterred  them  from  parting  with  their  for 
ces.  England  and  the  dates-general  endeavoured  in  vain  to 
mediate  a  peace  between  the  kings  of  Sweden  and  Poland. 
Charles  was  become  enamoured  of  war,  and  ambitious  of 
ponquefl.  He  threatened  to  invade  Saxony  through  the 
dominions  of  Pruflia.  Au^uftus  retired  to  Cracow,  while 
Charles  penetrated  to  War  fa  w,  and  even  ordered  the  cardi 
nal-primate  to  fiimmon  a  diet  for  choofing  a  new  king. 
The  fituation  of  affairs,  at  this  juncture,  was  far  from  be 
ing  Favourable  to  the  allies.  The  court  of  Vienna  had 
tampered  i.n  vain  vyith  the  elector  of  Bavaria,  who  made  ufe 
of  this  negociation  to  raife  his  terms  with  Louis.  His 
brother,  the  elector  of  Cologn,  admitted  French  garrifons 
into  Liege,  and  all  his  places  on  the  Rhine.  The  cleclor 
of  S;  xony  was  too  hard  prefied  by  the  king  of  Sweden,  to 
fpare  his  full  proportion  of  troops  to  the  allies:  The  king 
of  Pruffia  was  overawed  by  the  vicinity  of  the  Swedifh  con 
queror  :  The  duke  of  Savoy  had  joined  his  forces  to  thofe 
of  France,  and  over-run  the  whole  ftate  of  Milan  ;  and  the 
pope,  though  he  profefled  a  neutrality,  evinced  himfelf 
flrongly  bialled  to  the  French  interefts. 

The  war  was  begun  in  the  name  of  the  elector  palatine 
with  the  fiege  of  Keiferfwaert,  which  was  inverted  in  the 
month  of  April  by  the  prince  of  Naffau-Saarbrugh,  mare- 
fchal-du-camp  to  the  emperor  :  Under  this  officer  the 
Dutch  troops  ferved  as  auxiliaries,  becaufe  war  had  not 
yet  been  declared  by  the  ftates-general.  The  French  gar- 
rifon  made  a  dcfperate  defence.  They  worded  the  befieg- 
ers  in  divers  failies,  and  maintained  the  place  until  it  v/as  re 
duced  to  aheap  of  afhes.  At  length  the  allies  made  a  general 
attack  upon  the  countsrfcarp  and  ravelin,  which  they  carri 
ed  after  a  very  obftinate  engagement,  v/ith  the  lofs  of  two 
thoufand  men.  Then  the  garrifon  capitulated  on  honourable 
terms,  and  the  fortifications  were  razed.  During  this 
fiege,  which  lafted  from  the  I  Oth  day  of  April  to  the  middle 
of  June,  Count  Tallard  pofted  himfelf  on  the  oppofite  Tide 
of  the  Rhine,  from  whence  he  fupplied  the  town  with  freih 
troops  and  ammunition,  and  annoyed  the  befiegers  with  his 
artillery :  But  finding  it  impoffible  to  fave  the  place,  he 
joined  the  grand  army,  commanded  by  the  duke  of  Bui- 
gundy  in  the  Netherlands.  The  fiege  of  Keiierfwaert  was 
covered  by  a  body  of  Dutch  troops  under  the  earl  of  Ath- 
lone,  who  lay  encamped  in  the  duchy  of  Cleve.  IVIein- 


ANNE.  343 

while,  general  Coehorn,  at  the  head  of  another  detachment  CHAP, 
entered  Flanders,  deinolifhed  the  French  lines  between  the 
forts  of  Donat  and  I  fab  ell  a,  and  laid  the  chatellanie  of  B  urges  '—-y0 
under  contribution  :  But  a  confiderable  body  of  French  17°2' 
troops  advancing  under  the  marquis  de  Bedmar,  and  the 
count  de  la  Motte,  he  overflowed  the  country,  and  retired 
under  the  walls  of  Sluys.  The  duke  of  Burgundy,  who 
had  taken  the  command  of  the  French  army  under  BoufF- 
lers,  encamped  at  Zanten,  near  Cleve,  and  laid  a  fcheme 
for  furprizing  Nimeguen ;  in  which,  however,  he  was  baf 
fled  by  the  vigilance  and  activity  of  Athlone,  who,  guefling 
his  defign,  marched  thither  and  encamped  under  the  cannon 
of  the  town.  In  the  beginning  of  June,  Landau  was  in 
verted  by  Prince  Louis  of  Baden  :  In  July,  the  king  of  the 
Romans  arrived  in  the  camp  of  the  befiegers,  with  fuch 
pomp  and  magnificence  as  exhaufted  his  father's  treafury. 
On  the  Qth  day  of  September,  the  citadel  was  taken  by  af- 
fault ;  and  then  the  town  furrendered. 

When  the  earl  of  Marlborough  arrived  in  Holland,  the  Exploits  of 
earl  of  Athlone,  in  quality  of  veldt-marefchal,  infifted  upon  tlle  e*r!  °* 
an  equal  command  with  the  Englifh  general:  But  the  t(y^^ 
ftates  obliged  him  to  yield  this  point  in  favour  of  Marlbo-  the°Con- 
rough,  whom  they  declared  generaliffimo  of  all  their  forces,  tinent. 
L\  the  beginning  of  July  he  repaired  to  the  camp  at  Ni- 
meguen,  where  he  foon  afTembled  an  army  of  fixty  thoufand 
men,  well  provided  with  all  necefTaries ;  then  he  convoked 
a  council  of  the  general  officers,  to  concert  the  operations 
of  the  campaign.  On  the  1 6th  day  of  the  month  he  paffed 
the  Maefe,  and  encamped  at  Over-aiTelt,  within  two  leagues 
and  a  half  of  the  enemy,  who  had  entrenched  thcmfelves 
between  Goch  and  Genap.  He  afterwards  repriffed  the 
river  below  the  Grave,  and  removed  to  Gravenbroeck, 
where  he  was  joined  by  the  Britifh  train  of  artillery  from 
Holland.  On  the  2d  day  of  Auguft,  he  advanced  to  Petit 
Brugel,  and  the  French  retired  before  him,  leaving  Spaniih 
Guel  dei  land  to  his  difcretion.  He  had  refolved  to  hazard 
an  engagement,  and  i/Tued  orders  accordingly  :  But  he  was 
restrained  by  the  Dutch  deputies,  who  were  afraid  of-  their 
own  intereft,  in  cafe  the  battle  ihould  have  proved  unfortu 
nate.  The  duke  of  Burgundy,  finding  himfeif  obliged  to 
retreat  before  the  allied  army,  rather  than  expofe  himfeif 
longer  to  fuch  a  mortifying  indignity,  returned  to  Verfaii- 
les,  leaving  the  command  to  Boufflers,  who  loft  the  confi 
dence  of  Louis  by  ill-fuccefs  of  this  campaign.  The  de 
puties  of  the  ftates-general  having  represented  to  the  enrl 
of  Marlborough  the  advantages  that  would  accrue  to  Hol 
land,  from  his  difpofleffing  the  enemy  of  the  places  they 
maintained  in  the  Spanifh  Guelclerlarid,  by  which  the  na- 


344  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK   vigationofthe  Maefe  was  obftrucled,  and  the   important 
town  of  Maeftricht  in  a  manner  blocked  up,  he  refoived  to 

^•*"y>-;  deliver  them  from  fuch  a  troublefome  neighbourhood.  He 
1702.  detached  General  Schultz  with  a  body  of  troops  to  reduce 
the  town  and  ciftle  of  W-jrk,  which  were  furrendered 
afcer  a  flight  refiftance.  In  the  beginning  of  September, 
lie  undertook  the  fiege  of  Verilo,  which  capitulated  on  the 
25th  day  of  the  month,  after  fort  St.  Michael  had  been 
itormed  and  taken  by  lord  Cutts  and  the  Englifh  volun 
teers,  among  whom  the  young  earl  of  Huntingdon  diflin- 
guifhed  himfclf  by  very  extraordinary  a£ts  of  valour.  Then 
the  general  inverted  Ruremonde,  which  he  reduced  after  a 
very  obftinate  defence,  together  with  the  fort  of  Stevenfu- 
aert,  fituated  on  the  lame  river.  Bouffit-rs,  confounded  at 
the  rapidity  of  Maryborough's  fuccefs,  retired  towards 
Liege,  in  order  to  cover  that  city  :  But,  at  the  approach  of 
the  confederates,  he  retired  with  precipitation  to  Tonge- 
ren,  from  whence  he  directed  his  route  towards  Brabant, 
with  a  view  to  defend  fuch  places  as  the  allies  had  no  de- 
fign  to  attack.  When  the  earl  of  Marlborough  arrived  at 
Liege,  he  found  the  fuburbs  of  St.  Walburgh  had  been 
fjt  oa  fire  by  the  French  garrifon,  who  had  retired  into  the 
citadel  and  Chartreux.  The  allies  took  immediate  poflef- 
fion  of  the  city ;  and  in  a  few  days  opened  the  trenches 
againfl  the  citadel,  which  was  taken  by  aiTault.  On  this 
occafion,  the  hereditary  prince  of  HefTe  CafTel  charged  the 
head  of  the  grenadiers,  and  was  the  firit  perfon  who  mount 
ed  the  breach.  Violani  the  governor,  and  the  duke  of 
Charoft  were  made  prifoners.  Three  hundred  thoufand 
florins  in  gold  and  hlver  were  found  in  the  citadel,  befides 
notes  for  above  one  million,  drawn  upon  fubftantial  mer 
chants  in  Liege,  who  paid  the  money.  Immediately  after 
this  exploit,  the  garrifon  of  the  Chartreux  capitulated  on 
honourable  terms,  and  were  conducted  to  Antwerp.  By 
the  fuccefs  of  this  campaign,  the  earl  of  Marlborough  raif- 
ed  his  military  charactor  above  all  cenfure,  and  confirmed 
himfelf  in  the  entire  confidence  of  the  ftates-general,  who, 
in  the  beginning  of  the  feafon,  had  trembled  for  Nirneguen, 
and  now  faw  the  enemy  driven  back  into  their  own  do 
mains. 

When  the  army  broke  up  in  November,  the  general 
repaired  to  Maeftritch,  from  whence  he  propofed  to  re 
turn  to  the  Hague  by  water.  Accordingly,  he  embarked 
in  a  large  boat,  with  five  and  twenty  foldiers,  under  the 
command  of  a  lieutenant.  Next  morning  he  was  joined  at 
Ruremonde  by  Coehorn,  in  a  larger  vefTel,  with  fixty 
men;  and  they  were  moreover  efcorted  by  fifty  troopers 
who  rode  along  the  bank  of  the  river.  The  large  boat 


ANNE.  345 

out-failed  the  other,  and  the  horfemen  miftook  their  way  CHAP- 
in  the  dark.  A  French  partizan,  with  five-and-thirty 
men  from  Gueldres,  who  lurked  among  the  rufhes  in 
wait  for  prey,  feizcd  the  rope  by  which  the  boat  was 
drawn,  hauled  it  afhore,  difcharged  their  fmall  arms  and 
hand-grenades,  then  ruffling  into  it,  fecured  the  foldiers 
before  they  could  put  themfelves  in  a  pofture  of  defence. 
The  earl  of  Marlborough  was  accompanied  by  General 
Opdau),  and  Mynheer  Gueldermalfen,  one  of  the  depu 
ties,  who  were  provided  with  paffports.  The  earl  had 
neglected  this  precaution  ;  but  recollecting  he  had  an  old 
paftport  for  his  brother,  General  Churchill,  he  produced 
it  without  any  emotion  ;  and  the  partizan  was  in  fuch 
confufion,  that  he  never  examined  the  date.  Neverthe- 
lefs,  he  rifled  their  baggage,  carried  off  the  guard  as  pri- 
foners,  and  allowed  the  boat  to  proceed.  The  governor 
of  Venlo  receiving  information  that  the  earl  was  furprif- 
ed  by  a  party,  and  conveyed  to  Gueldres,  immediately 
marched  out  with  his  whole  garrifon  to  inveft  that  place. 
The  fame  imperfect  account  being  tranfmitted  to  Holland, 
filled  the  whole  province  with  confternation.  The  ftates 
forthwith  afTembling,  refolved,  that  all  their  forces fhould 
march  immediately  to  Gueldres,  and  threaten  the  garri 
fon  of  the  place  with  the  utmoft  extremities,  unlefs  they 
would  immediately  deliver  the  general.  But  before  thefe 
orders  could  be  difpatched,  the  earl  arrived  at  the  Hague, 
to  the  inexpreflible  joy  of  the  people,  who  already  looked 
upon  him  as  their  faviour  and  protestor. 

The  French  arms  were  not  quite  fo  unfortunate  on  the 
Rhine  as  in  Flanders.  The  elector  of  Bavaria  furprifed 
the  city  of  Ulrn  in  Saubia,  by  a  ftratagem,  and  then  de 
clared  for  France,  which  had  by  this  time  complied  with 
all  his  demands.  The  diet  of  the  empire,  affembled  at 
R.atifbon,  were  foincenfed  at  his  conduct  in  feizing  the 
city  of  Ulm  by  perfidy,  that  they  prefented  a  memorial  to 
his  Imperial  majeftv,  requefting  he  would  proceed  againft 
the  elector,  according  to  the  conftitutions  of  the  empire. 
They  refolved  by  a  plurality  of  voices  to  declare  war,  in 
the  name  of  the  empire,  againft  the  French  king  and  the 
duke  of  Anjou,  for  having  invaded  feveral  fiefs  of  the  em 
pire  in  Italy,  the  archbifhop  of  Colonn,  and  the  diocefe  of 
Liege;  and  they  forbade  the  rr.inifters  of  Bavaria  and 
Cologn  to  appear  in  the  general  diet.  In  vain  did  thefe 
powers  proteft  againft  their  proceedings.  The  empiie's 
declaration  of  war  was  miblifhed  and  notified,  in  the  name 
of  the  diet,  to  the  cardinal  of  LimSerg,  the  emperor's 
com  miff!  oner.  Meanwhile,  the  French  made  themfelves 
-.  afters  of  Neiusu.rgh  in  the  circle  of  Saubia,  while  Louis 

VOL.  I.  2  X 


346  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  prince  of  Baden,  being  weakened  by  fending  off  detach 
ments,  was  obliged  to  lie  inactive  in  his  camp  near.Frid- 
^"V"""*^  linguen.  The  French  army  was  divided  into  two  bodies, 
17°2'  commanded  by  the  Marquis  de  Villars  and  the  Count  de 
Guif:ard;  and  the  prince,  thinking  himfelf  in  danger  of 
beiny  enclofed  by  the  enemy,  refolved  to  decamp,  Vil 
lars  immediately  pafled  the  Rhine,  to  fall  upon  him  in  his 
retreat j  and  an  obftinate  engagement  enfuing,  the  Impe- 
rialifts  were  overpowered  by  numbers.  The  princi  hav 
ing  loft  two  thoufand  men,  abandoned  the  field  of  bat 
tle  to  the  enemy  together  with  his  baggage,  artillery, 
and  ammunition,  and  retired  towards  StaufFen,  without 
being  purfued.  The  French  army,  even  -after  they  had 
gained  the  battle,  were  unaccountably  feized  with  fuch  a 
panic,  that  if  the  Imperial  general  had  faced  them  with 
two  regiments,  he  would  have  fnatched  the  victory  from 
Villars,  who  was  upon  this  occafion  faluted  marefchal  of 
France  by  the  foldiers ;  and  next  day  the  town  of  Frid- 
linguen  furrendered.  The  prince  being  joined  by  fomc 
troops  under  General  Thungen,  and  other  reinforcements, 
refolved  to  give  battle  to  the  enemy  ;  but  Villars  declined 
an  engagement,  and  repafled  the  Rhine.  Towards  the 
latter  end  of  October,  Count  Tallard,  and  the  Marquis 
de  Lomarie,  with  a  body  of  eighteen  thoufand  men,  re 
duced  Triers  and  Traerbach:  On  the  other  hand,  the 
prince  of  Hefle  Caflcl,  with  a  detachment  from  the  allied 
army  at  Liege,  retook  from  the  French  the  towns  of 
Zinch,  Lintz,  Brifac,  and  Andernach. 

In  Italy,  p-ince  Eugene  laboured  under  a  total  neglect 
of  the  Imperial  court,  where  his  enemies,  on  pretence  of 
fupporting  the  king  of  the  Romans  in  his  firft  campaign, 
weaned  the  emperor's  attention  entirely  from  his  affairs 
on  the  other  fide  of  the  Alps  ;  fo  that  he  left  his  beft  army 
to  moulder  away  for  want  of  recruits  and  reinforcements. 
The  prince,  thus  abandoned,  could  not  prevent  the  duke 
de  Vendome  from  relieving  Mantua,  and  was  obliged  to 
relinquifh  fome  other  places  he  had  taken.  Philip  king  of 
Spai/i,  being  infpired  with  the  ambition  of  putting  an  end 
to  the  war  in  this  country,  failed  in  perfon  for  Naples, 
where  he  was  vifited  by  the  cardinal-legate,  with  a  com 
pliment  from  the  pope  ;  yet  he  could  not  obtain  the  in- 
veftiture  of  the  kingdom  from  his  holinefs.  The  empe 
ror,  however,  was  fo  difgufted  at  the  embafTy  which  the 
pope  had  fent  to  Philip,  that  he  ordered  his  ambaflador  at 
Rome  to  withdraw.  Philip  proceeded  from  Naples  to  Fi 
nal,  under  convoy  of  the  French  fleet  which  had  brought 
him  to  Italy  :  Here  he  had  an  interview  with  the  duke  of 
Savoy,  who  began  to  be  alarmed  at  the  profpecl  of  the 
French  king's  being  mafter  of  the  Milanefej  and,  in 


ANNE.  347 

a  letter  to  the  duke  de  Vendome,  he  forbade  him  to  en-  C  ' 
gage  prince  Eugene  until  he  himfelf  ihould  arrive  in  the  , 
camp.  Prince  Eugene,  und-ritanding  that  the  French 
army  intended  to  attack  Luzzara  and  Guaftalla,  p.uled 
the  Po,  with  an  army  of  about  half  the  number  of  the 
enemy,  and  ported  himfelf  behind  the  dyke  of  Zero,  in 
fuch  a  manner  that  the  French  were  ignorant  of  his  fit  na 
tion.  He  concluded,  that  on  their  arrival  at  the  ground 
they  had  chofcn,  the  horfe  would  march  out  to  forage, 
while  the  reft  of  the  army  would  be  employed  in  pitching 
tents,  and  providing  for  their  refrefhment.  His  defign 
was  to  feize  that  opportunity  of  attacking  them,  not 
doubting  that  he  fhould  obtain  a  complete  victory:  But 
he  wa:>  difappointed  by  mere  accident.  An  adjutant,  with 
an  advanced  guard,  had  the  curiofity  to  afctnd  the  dyke, 
in  order  to  view  the  country,  when  he  c'ifcovered  the  Im 
perial  infantry  lying  on  their  faces,  and  their  horfe  in  the 
rear,  ranged  in  order  of  battle.  The  French  camp  was 
immediately  alarmed :  and  as  the  intermediate  ground 
\vas  covered  with  hedges,  which  obliged  the  aflailants  to 
defile,  the  enemy  were  in  a  pofture  of  defence  before  the 
Imperialifts  could  advance  to  action  :  Neverthelefs,  the 
prince  attacked  th  em  with  great  vivacity,  in  hope?  of  dif- 
ordering  their  line,  which  gave  way  in  feveral  places  ; 
but  night  interpofing,  he  was  obliged  to  defift  ;  and,  in 
a  few  days,  the  French  reduced  Luz-zara  and  Guaftalla. 
The  prince,  however,  maintained  his  pofts,  and  Philip 
returned  to  Spain,  without  having  obtained  any  confider- 
able  advantage. 

The  French  king  employed  all  his  artifice  and  intrigues 
in  raifing  up  new  enemies  againft  the  confederates.  He  is 
faid  to  have  bribed  count  Mansfield,  prefident  of  the 
council  of  war  at  Vienna,  to  withhold  the  fupplies  from 
prince  Eugene  in  Italy.  At  the  Ottoman  Porte  he  had 
actually  gained  over  the  vifir,  who  engaged  to  renew  the 
war  with  the  emperor.  But  the  mufti,  and  all  the  other 
great  officers,  were  averfe  to  this  defign,  and  the  vifir 
fell  a  facrifice  to  their  refentment.  Louis  continued  to 
embroil  the  kingdom  of  Poland  by  means  of  the  cardinal- 
primate.  The  young  king  of  Sweden  advanced  to  LilTau, 
where  he  defeated  Auguftus.  Then  he  took  poffeffion  of 
Cracow,  and  raifed  contributions  ;  nor  could  he  be  per- 
fuaded  to  retreat,  although  the  Mufcovites  and  Lithuani 
ans  had  ravaged  Livonia,  and  even  made  an  irruption  in 
to  Sweden. 

The   operations   of  the   combined  fquadrons  at  fea  did  Naval 
not   fully    anfwer  the  expedations  of  the  public.     On  the  tran 
1 2th   day  of  May,  fir  John  Munden  failed  with  twelve 


348  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND 

BOOK   fhips,  to  intercept  a  French  fquadron  appointed  &s  a  con- 
:I-        voy   to   a  new   viceroy  of  Mexico,  from  Corunna  to  the 

'-""Y**1"'  Weft  Indies.  On  the  28th  day  of  the  month,  he  chafed 
I7°2-  fourteen  fail  of  French  (hips  into  Corunna.  Then  he  call 
ed  a  council  of  war,  in  which  it  was  agreed,  that  as  the 
place  was  ftrongly  fortified,  and  by  the  intelligence  they 
had  received,  it  appeared  that  feventeen  of  the  enemy's 
fhips  of  war  rode  at  anchor  in  the  harbour,  it  would  be 
expedient  for  them  to  follow  the  latter  part  of  their  in- 
ftru&ions,  by  which  they  were  directed  to  cruize  in 
foundings  for  the  protection  of  the  trade.  They  returned 
accordingly,  and  being  diftrefied  by  want  of  provifions, 
came  into  port,  to  the  general  difcontcnt  of  the  nation. 
For  the  fatisfaclion  of  the  people,  fir  John  Munden  was 
tried  by  a  court-martial,  and  acquitted  ;  but  as  this  mif- 
carriage  had  rendered  him  very  unpopular,  prince  George 
difmifled  him  from  the  fervice.  We  have  already  hinted, 
that  king  William  had  projected  a  fcheme  to  reduce  Ca 
diz,  with  intention  to  ac~l  afterwards  againft  the  Spaniih 
fettlements  in  the  Weft  Indies.  This  defign  Queen  An 
ne  refolved  to  put  in  execution.  Sir  George  Rooke  com 
manded  the  fleet,  and  the  duke  of  Ormond  was  appointed 
general  of  the  land  forces  deftined  for  this  expedition. 
The  combined  fquadror.s  amounted  to  fifty  fhips  of  the 
line,  exclufive  of  frigates,  fire-fhips,  and  ("mailer  veiTels  ; 
and  the  number  of  foldiers  embarked  was  not  far  ftiort  of 
fourteen  thoufand.  In  the  latter  end  of  June,  the  fleet 
failed  from  St.  Helen's;  on  the  I2th  of  Auguft,  they 
anchored  at  the  diftance  of  two  leagues  from  Cadiz. 
Next  day  the  duke  of  Ormond  fummoned  the  duke  de 
Brancaccio,  who  w^s  governor,  to  fubmit  to  the  houfe  of 
Auftria  ;  but  that  officer  anfwered,  he  would  acquit  him- 
felf  honourably  of  the  truft  repofed  in  him  by  the  king. 
On  the  1 5th,  the  duke  of  Ormond  landed  with  his  forces 
in  the  Bay  of  Bulls,  under  cover  of  a  fmart  fire  from 
fome  frigates,  and  repulfed  a  body  of  Spanifh  cavalry : 
Then  be  fummoned  the  governor  of  Fort  St.  Catharine's 
to  furrender  ;  and  received  an  anfwer,  importing,  that 
the  garrifon  was  prepared  for  his  reception.  A  declaration 
was  publifhed  in  the  Spanifh  language,  intimating,  that 
the  allies  did  not  come  as  enemies  to  Spain  ;  but  only  to 
free  them  from  the  yoke  of  France,  and  affift  them  in 
cftablifhing  themfelves  under  the  government  of  the  houfe 
of  Auftria.  Thefe  profeflions  produced  very  little  efFe£r 
among  the  Spaniards,  who  were  either  cooled  in  their  at 
tachment  to  that  family,  or  provoked  by  the  exceJles  of 
the  Englifh  troops :  Thefe  having  taken  poffeflion  of 
Fort  St.  Catharine,  and  Port  St.  Mary's,  inftead  of  pro- 


ANNE.  349 

te&ing,  plundered    the  natives,  notwithstanding  the  {tricl  CHAP 
orders   iffued    by   the   duke   of  Ormond,  to  prevent  this 
fcandalous    pra£lice :    Even   fome    general   officers   were  ^^Y^*-' 
concerned   in   the   pillage.     A  battery  was  raifed  againft 
Montagarda   fort,  oppofite  to   the    Puntal :  But   the  at 
tempt  mifcarried,  and  the  troops  were  re-embarked. 

Captain  Hardy  having  been  fent  to  water  in  Lagos 
bay,  received  intelligence  tha't  the  galleons  from  the 
Weft  Indies  had  put  into  Vigo,  under  convoy  of  a  French 
fquadron.  He  failed  immediately  in  queft  of  fir  George 
Rooke,  who  was  now  on  his  voyage  back  to  England, 
and  falling  in  with  him  on  the  6th  day  of  O6tober,  com 
municated  the  fubftance  of  what  he  had  learned.  Rooke 
immediately  called  a  council  of  war,  in  which  it  was  de 
termined  to  alter  their  courfe,  and  attack  the  enemy  at 
Vigo.  He  forthwith  detached  fome  fmall  veflels  for  in 
telligence,  and  received  a  confirmation,  that  the  galleons, 
and  the  fquadron  commanded  by  Chateau  Renault,  were 
actually  in  the  harbour.  They  failed  thither,  and  appear 
ed  before  the  place  on  the  I  ith  day  of  October.  The 
paffage  into  the  harbour  was  narrow,  fccurcd  by  batte 
ries,  forts,  and  breaft-works  on  each  fide  ;  by  a  Irrong 
boom,  confifting  of  iron  chains,  topmafts,  and  cables, 
moored  at  each  end  to  a  feventy-gun  fhip  ;  and  fortified 
within  by  five  {hips  of  the  fame  ftrength,  lying  athwart 
the  channel,  with  their  broad  fides  to  the  offing.  As  the 
firft  and  fecond  rates  of  the  combined  fleets  were  too 
large  to  enter,  the  admirals  fhifted  their  flags  into  fmaller 
fhips ;  and  a  divifion  of  five-and-twcnty  Englii'h  and 
Dutch  {hips  of  the  line,  with  their  frigates,  firefhips,  and 
ketches,  was  deftined  for  the  fervice.  In  order  to  facili 
tate  the  attack,  the  duke  of  Ormond  landed  with  2500 
men,  at  the  diftance  of  fix  miles  from  Vigo,  and  took  by 
aflault  a  fort  and  platform  of  forty  pieces  of  cannon,  at 
the  entrance  of  the  harbour.  The  Britifh  enfign  was  no 
fooner  feen  flying  at  the  top  of  this  fort,  than  the  fhips 
advanced  to  the  attack.  Vice-admiral  Hopfon,  in  the 
Torbay,  crowding  all  his  fail,  ran  diredtly  againft  the 
boom,  which  was  broken  by  the  firft  fhuck  :  Then  the 
whole  fquadron  entered  the  harbour,  through  a  prodi 
gious  fire  from  the  enemy's  {hips  and  batteries.  Thefe 
laft,  however,  were  foon  ftormed  and  taken  by  the  gre 
nadiers  who  had  been  landed.  The  great  {hips  lay  againft 
the  forts  at  each  fide  of  the  harbour,  which  in  a  little 
time  they  filenced  ;  though  vice-admiral  Hopfon  narrow 
ly  efcaped  from  a  fire-lfoip,  by  which  he  was  boarded. 
After  a  very  vigorous  engagement,  the  French,  finding 
themfelves  unable  to  cope  with  fuch  an  adverfary,  refolv- 


350  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 


B 


o  O  K  ed    to   deftroy    their  fhips  and  galleons,   that  they  might 
.  not  fall   into  the  hands  of  the  vigors.     They  accordingly 

*"Y**  burned  and  ran  afhore  eight  fhips  and  as  many  advice- 
boats;  but  ten  fhips  of  war  were  taken,  together  with  ele 
ven  galleons.  Though  they  had  fecured  the  beft  part  of 
their  plate  and  merchandife before  the  Englifli  fleet  arrived, 
the  value  of  fourteen  millions  of  pieces  of  eight,  in  plate 
and  rich  commodities,  was  deftroyed  in  fix  galleons  that 
perifhed,  and  about  half  that  value  was  brought  off  by  the 
conquerors  ;  fo  that  this  was  a  dreadful  blow  to  the  enemy, 
and  a  noble  acquisition  to  the  allies.  Immediately  after 
this  exploit,  Sir  George  Rooke  was  joined  by  Sir  Clou- 
defley  Shovel,  who  had  been  fent  out  with  a  fquadron  to 
intercept  the  galleons.  This  officer  was  left  to  bring 
home  the  prizes,  and  difmantle  the  fortifications,  while 
Rooke  returned  in  triumph  to  England. 

The  glory  which  the  English  acquired  in  this  expedition 
was  in  feme  meafure  tarnifhed  by  the  conducl  of  f  >me  offi 
cers  in  the  Weft  Indies.  Thither  Admiral  Benbow  had 
been  detached  with  a  fquadron  of  ten  fail,  in  the  courfe  of 
of  the  preceding  year.  At  Jamaica,  he  received  iru 
gence,  that  Monfieur  Du  CafTe  was  in  the  neighbourhood 
of  Hifpaniola,  and  refolved  to  beat  up  to  that  Ifland;  At 
Leogane  he  fell  in  with  a  French  fhip  of  fifty  guns,  which 
her  captain  ran  a  ihore  and  blew  up.  He  took  feveral  o- 
ther  vefTels,  and  having  alarmed  Pettit-Guavas,  bore  '-way 
for  Donna  Maria  Bay,  where  he  underftood  that  Du  C~fle 
had  failed  for  the  coaft  of  Carthagena.  Benbow  refolved  to 
follow  the  fame  courfe;  and  on  the  igth  of  Auguft,  difco- 
vered  the  enemies  fquadron  near  St.  Martha,  confifiing  of 
ten  fail,  fteering  along  fhore.  He  formed  the  line,  and  an 
engagement  enfued,  in  which  he  was  very  ill  feconded  by 
fome  of  his  captains.  Neverthelefs,  the  battle  continued 
till  night,  and  he  determined  to  renew  it  next  morning, 
when  ne  perceived  all  his  fhips  at  the  diftance  of  three  or 
four  miles  aflern,  except  the  Ruby,  commanded  by  Captain 
George  Walton,  who  joined  him  m  plying  the  enemy 
with  chafe-guns.  On  the  21  ft,  thefe  two  fhips  engaged 
the  French  fquadron;  and  the  Ruby  was  fo  difabled,  that 
the  admiral  was  obliged  to  fend  her  back  to  Jamaica.  Next 
day,  the  Green.wich,  commanded  by  Wade,  was  five 
leagues  aftern  ;  and  the  wind  changing,  the  enemy  had  the 
advantage  of  the  weather-gage.  On  the  23d,  the  Admiral 
renewed  the  battle  with  his  Jingle  fhip,  unluftained  by  the 
reft  of  the  fquadron.  On  the  24th  his  leg  was  Shattered 
by  a  chain -fliot;  notwithftanding  which  accident,  he  re 
mained  on  the  quarter-Jeck  in  a  cradle,  and  continued  the 
engagement.  One  of  the  largeft  fhips  of  the  enemy  lying 


ANNE.  351 

like  a  wreck  upon  the  water,  four  fail  of  the  Englifti  fqua-  CHAP. 
dron  poured  their  broadfides  into  her,  and  then  ran  to  Ice- 
ward,  without  paying  any  regard  to  the  fignal  for  battle. 
Then  the  French  bearing  down  upon  the  Admiral  with 
their  whole  force,  fhot  away  his  main-top-fail-yard,  and 
damaged  his  rigging  in  fuch  a  manner,  that  he  was  obliged 
to  lie  by  and  refit,  while  they  took  their  difabled  (hip  in 
tow.  During  this  interval,  he  called  a  council  of  his  cap 
tains,  and  expoftulated  with  them  on  their  behaviour. 
They  obferved,  that  the  French  were  very  ftrong,  and  ad- 
vifed  him  to  defift.  He  plainly  perceived  that  he  was  be 
trayed,  aud  with  the  utmoft  reluctance  returned  to  Jamaica, 
having  not  onjy  loft  a  leg,  but  alfo  received  a  large  wound 
in  his  face,  and  another  in  his  arm,  while  he  in  perfon 
attempted  to  board  the  French  Admiral.  Exafperated  at 
the  treachery  of  his  captains,  he  granted  a  commiffion  to 
Rear-admiral  Whetftone,  and  other  officers,  to  hold  a 
court-martial,  and  try  them  for  cowardice.  Hudfon,  of 
the  Pendenuis  died  hefore  his  trial:  Kirby  and  Wade  were 
convicted,  and  fentenc^d  to  be  fhot:  Conftable  of  the 
Windfor  was  cafhiered  and  imprifoned :  Vincent  of  the 
Falmuth,  and  Fogg,  the  admiral's  own  captain  of  the  Bre 
da,  were  convicted  of  having  figned  a  paper,  that  they 
would  not  fight  under  Benbow's  command  ;  but,  as  they 
behaved  gallently  in  the  action,  the  court  inflicted  upon 
them  no  other  punifhment,  than  that  of  a  provifional  fuf- 
penfion.  Captain  Walton  had  likewife  joined  in  the  con- 
piracy  while  he  was  heated  with  the  fumes  of  intoxication; 
but  he  afterwards  renounced  the  engagement,  and  fought 
with  admirable  courage  until  his  {hip  was  difabled.  The 
boifterous  manners  of  Benbow  had  produced  this  bafe  con 
federacy.  He  was  a  rough  feaman  ;  but  remarkably  brave, 
honeft,  and  experienced  *.  He  took  this  mifcarriage  fo 
much  to  heart,  that  he  became  melancholy,  and  his  grief 
co-operated  with  the  fever  occafioned  by  his  wounds,  put 
a  period  to  his  life.  Wade  and  Kirby  were  fent  home  in 
the  Briitol ;  and,  on  their  arrival  at  Plymouth,  fhot  on 
board  of  the  fhip,  by  virtue  of  a  dead  warrant  for  their  im- 

*  When  one  of  his  lieutenants  exprefTed  his  forrow  for  the  lofs  of  the  Ad 
mirals  leg,  "  I  am  forry  for  it  toe  (replied  the  gallant  Benbow)  but  I  had  ra- 
"  iht;r  have  loft  them  both  than  h  ave  feen  this  dilhenour  brought  upon  the 
"  Engliih  nation.  But,  do  you  hear  ?  If  another  fhot  ihould  take  me  oft",  bc- 
*'  have  like  brave  men,  and  fight  it  out."— When  Du.  Cail'e  arrived  at  Car- 
thagena,  he  wrote  a  letter  to  Benbow  to  this  eifeft  : 
"  SIR, 

"  I  Had  little  hope  o'n  Monday  !aft  but  to  have  Tupped  in  your  cabin  ;  but 
*'  itpleaied  God  to  order  it  otherwise.  I  am  thankful  for  it.  As  for  thofe  covv- 
"  ardly  captains  who  deferted  you,  hang  them  up  ;  for,  by  God,  they  de- 
"  ferve  it.  Yuur's, 

DU  CASSE." 


352  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  mediate  execution,  which  had  lain  their  for  fome  time. 
The  fame  precaution  had  been  taken  in  all  the  weitern 
ports,  in  order  to  prevent  applications  in  their  favour. 

During  thefe  tranfactions,  the  queen  feemed  to  be  happy 
in  the  affection  of  her  fubjects.     Though  the  continuance 
of  rtie  parliament  was  limited  to  fix  months  after  the  king's 
deceafe,  fhe  diflblved  it  by  proclamation   before    the   term 
was  expired  ;    and   iffued   writs   by  electing  another,    in 
which  the  Tory  intereft  predominated.     In  the  fummer  the 
cjueen  gave  audience  to  the  count  de  Platens,  envoy  extra 
ordinary  from  the  elector  of  Hanover  ;   then  fhe   made  a 
piregrefs  with  her  hufbaad  to  Oxford,   Bath,    and   Briflol, 
where  fhe  was  received  with  all  the  marks  of  the  moft  ge 
nuine   affection.      The  new  parliament  meeting  on   the 
2Oth  day  of  October,  Mr.  Harley  was  chofen  fpcaker.  The 
queen  in  fpeech  declared,  fhe  had  furnmoned  them  to  a/lift 
her  in  carrying  on  the  juft  and  neceffary  war  in  which  the 
nation  was  engaged.     She  defired  the  commons  would  in- 
fpect  the  accounts  of  the  public  receipts  and  payments,  that 
if  any  abufes  had  crept  into  the  management  of  the  finances, 
they  might  be  detected,  and  the  offenders  punifhed.     She 
told  them,  that  the  funds  affigned  in  the  laft  parliament  had 
not  produced  the   fums  granted ;   and   that  the   deficiency 
wasnotfupplied  even  by  the  hundred  thoufand  pounds  which 
file  had  paid  from  her  own  revenue  for  the   public  fervice. 
She  expiefied  her  concern  for  the  difappointment  at  Cadiz, 
as  well  as   for  the  abufes   committed   at  port    St.  Mary's, 
which  had  obliged  her  to  give   directions  for  the  ftrictefl 
examination  of  the  particulars.     She  hoped  they  would  find 
time  to  confider  of  fome  better    and   n-ore    effectual   me 
thod  to  prevent  the  exportation  of  wocl,  and  improve  that 
manu  fadture,     which  fhe  was  determined  to  encourage. 
She  profeffed  a  firm  perfuation,   that  the   affection  of  her 
fubjects  was  the  fureft  pledge  of  their  duty  and  obedience. 
She  promifed  to  defend  and  maintain  the  church  as  by  law 
eftablifhed;  and  to  prote  A  her  fubjects  in  the   full  enjoy 
ments  of  all  their  rights  and  liberties.     She  protefted,  that 
fhe  relied  on  their   care  of  her  ;   fhe  faid  her  intereft  and 
their's  were  infeparable;    and  that  her  endeavours  fhould 
never  be  wanting  to  make  them  all  fafe  and  happy.     She 
was  prcfented  with  a  very  affectionate  addrefs  from  either 
houfe,  congratulating  her  upon  the  glorious  fuccefs  of  her 
arms,  and  thofe  of  her  allies,   under  the   command  of  the 
earl  of  Marlborough ;  but  that  of  the  commons  was  diftin- 
guifhed  by  an  implicated  reproach  on  the  late  reign,   im 
porting,  that  the  wonderful  progrefs  of  her  majefty's  arms 
under  the  earl  of  Marlborough  had  fignally  "retrieved"  the 
ancient  honour  and  glory  of  the  £-nglifh  nation.     This  ex- 


ANNE.  353 

prefHon  had  excited  a  warm  debate  in  the  houfe,  in  the  courfe   C  H  A  p. 
of  which  many  fevere  reflections  were  made  on  thememory          n- 
of  King  William..     At  Ic-ngth,  the  queftion  was  put,  Whe-   ^V*^ 
ther  the  word  "  retrieved"  fhould  remain?  and  carried   in       '7°z- 
the  affirmative,  by  a  majority  of  one  hundred. 

The  Ifcrength  of  ihe  Tories  appeared  in  nothing  more 
confpicuous  than  in  their  enquiry  concerning  controverted 
elections.  The  borough  of  Hindon,  near  Salifbury,  was 
convicted  of  bribery,  and  a  bill  brought  in  for  disfranchi- 
fing  the  town;  yet,  no  vote  parted  againft  the  perlbn  who 
exercifed  this  corruption,  becaufe  he  happened  to  be  a 
Tory.  Mr.  Howe  was  declared  duly  elected  for  Glou- 
cefterfh ire,  though  the  majority  of  the  electors  had  voted 
for  the  other  candidotte.  Sir  John  Packirigton  exhibited  a 
complaint  againft  the  bifhop  of  Worcefter  and  his  fon,  for 
having  endeavoured  to  prevent  his  election  ;  the  commons 
having  taken  it  into  confederation,  refolved,  that  the  pro 
ceedings  of  William  lord  bifhop  of  Worcefter,  and  his  fon, 
had  been  malicious,  unchriftian,  and  arbitrary,  in  high  vio 
lation  of  the  liberties  and  privileges  of  the  commons  of 
England.  They  voted  an  addrefs  to  the  queen,  defiring 
her  to  remove  the  father  from  the  office  of  lord  almoner  ; 
and  they  ordered  the  attorney-general  to  profccute  the  fon, 
after  his  privilege  as  a  member  of  the  convocation  fhould 
be  expired.  A  counter-addrefs  was  immediately  voted, 
and  prefented  by  the  lords,  befeeching  her  majefty  would  not 
remove  the  bifhop  of  Worcefter  from  the  place  of  lord  al 
moner,  until  he  fhould  be  found  guilty  of  fome  crime  by 
due  courfe  of  law ;  as  it  was  the  undoubted  right  of  every 
lord  of  parliament,  and  of  every  fubjeclof  England,  to  have 
an  opportunity  to  trake  his  defence  before  he  fuffers  any 
fort  of  punifhment.  The  queen  faidfne  had  not  as  yet  re 
ceived  any  complaint  againft  the  bifhop  of  Worcester  ;  but 
(lie  looked  upon  it  as  her  undoubted  right  to  continue  or 
difplace  any  fervant  attending  upon  her  own  perfon,  when 
file  fhould  think  proper.  The  peers  having  received  this 
anfxver,  unanimously  refolved  that  no  lord  of  their  houfe 
ought  to  fuiTer  any  fort  of  puniiliment  by  any  proceedings 
of  the  houfe  of  commons,  otherwife  than  according  to  the 
known  and  ancient  rules  and  methods  of  parliament.  Vv  hen 
the  comvr.oriS  attended  the  queen  with  their  addrefs  a;r:uaft 
tae  biiiiop,  fhe  faid  file  was  forry  there  was  occafion  for 
fuch  a  remonflrap.ee,  and  that  the  biihop  of  Worcefter 
ihould  no  longer  continue  to  fupply  the  place  of  her  almo 
ner.  This  regard  to  their  addrefs  was  a  flagrant  proof  or" 
her  partiality  tj  the  Tories,  who  feemed  to  juftify  her  at 
tachment  by  their  compliance  and  liberality. 

VOL.  I.  2  Y 


354  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK       In  deliberating  on   the  fupplies,  they  agreed    to   all    the1 
demands  of  the  minHtry.     They  voted  forty  thoufand  fea- 

^""Y"^  men,  and  the  like  number  of  land  forces,  to  a£i  in  conjunc- 
J7°2-  tioti  with  thofe  of  the  allies.  For  the  maintenance  of  thefe 
Lift,  they  granted  eight  hundred  and  thirty-three  thoufand 
eight  hundred  and  twenty-fix  pounds ;  b-.fides  three  hundred 
and  fifty  thoufand  pounds  for  guards  and  garrifons  ;  f.-venty 
thoufand  nine  hundred  and  fevehty-three  pounds  for  ord 
nance  ;  and  fifty-one  thoufand  eight  hundred  and  forty- 
three  pounds  for  fubfidies  to  the  allies.  Lord  Shannon  ar 
riving  with  the  news  of  the  fuccefs  at  Vigo,  the  queen  ap 
pointed  a  day  of  thankfgiving  for  the  fignal  fuccefs  of  her 
arms  under  the  earl  of  Marlborough,  the  duke  of  Ormond, 
and  Sir  George  Rooke;  and,  on  that  day,  which  was  the 
I2th  of  November,  fhe  went  in  (late  to  St.  Paul's  Church, 
attended  by  both  houfcs  of  parliament,  Next  day,  the 
peers  voted  the  thanks  of  their  houfe  to  the  duk>^  of  Or 
mond  for  his  fervices  at  Vigo;  and,  at  the  fame  time,  drew 
up  an  add refs  to  the  queen,  defiring  fhe  would  order  the 
duke  of  Ormond  and  Sir  George  Rooke  to  lay  before  them 
an  account  of  their  proceedings  :  A  requeft  with  which  her 
majefty  complied.  Thefe  two  officers  were  likewife  thank 
ed  by  the  houfe  of  commons:  Vice- Admiral  Hopfon  was 
knighted,  and  gratified  with  a  confiderable  penfion.  The 
duke  of  Ormond,  at  his  return  from  the  expedition,  com 
plained  openly  of  Rook's  conduct,  and  feemed  determined 
to  fubject  him  to  a  public  accufation:  But  that  officer  wr.s 
fuch  a  favourite  among  the  commons,  that  the  court  was 
afraid  to  difoblige  them  by  an  impeachment,  and  took  great 
pains  to  mitigate  the  duke's  refentment.  This  nobleman 
was  appointed  lord-lieutenant  of  Ireland,  and  Rooke  was 
admitted  into  the  privy-council.  A  motion,  however,  be 
ing  made  in  the  houfe  of  lords,  that  the  admiral's  inftructions 
and  journals,  relating  to  the  laft  expedition,  might  be  ex 
amined,  a  committee  was  appointed  for  that  purpofe,  and 
prepared  an  unfavourable  report :  But  it  was  rejected  by  a 
majority  of  the  houfe;  and  they  voted,  That  Sir  George 
Rooke  had  done  his  duty,  purfuant  to  the  councils  of  war, 
like  a  brave  officer,  to  the  honour  of  the  Britifh  nation. 

On  the  2ift  day  of  November,  the  queen  fent  a  meflage 
to  the  houfe  of  commons  by  Mr.  Secretary  Hedges,  recom 
mending  further  provision  for  the  prince  her  hufband,  in 
cafe  he  mould  furvive  her.  This  meflage  being  confider- 
ed,  Mr.  Howe  moved,  That  the  yearly  furn  of  one  'hun 
dred  thoufand  pounds  fhould  be  fettled  on  the  prince,  in 
cafe  he  fhould  furvive  her  majefty.  No  oppofition  was 
made  to  the  propofal :  But  warm  debates  were  excited  by 
a  elaufc  in  the  bill,  exempting  the  prince  from  that  part  of 


ANNE.  355 

the  a<Si  of  fuccefiion  by  which  ftrangers,  though  natura-  C  H  A  P. 
lized,  were  rendered  incapable  of  holding  employments. 
This  claufe  related  only  to  thofe  who  fhould  be  naturaliz-  *-'"Y'"x-' 
cd  in  a  future  reign  ;  and  indeed  was  calculated  as  a  re-  I702> 
ftriction  upon  the  houfe  of  Hanover.  Many  members  ar 
gued  againft  the  claufe  of  exemption,  bccaufe  it  feemcd  to 
imply,  that  perfons  already  naturalized  would  be  excluded 
from  employments  in  the  next  reign,  though  already  pof- 
fefL'd  of  the  right  of  natural-born  fubjecls,  a  confequence 
plainly  contradictory  to  the  meaning  of  the  a£h  Others 
oppofed  it,  becaufe  the  lords  had  already  rcfolved  by  a 
vote,  That  they  would  never  pafs  any  bill  fent  up  from 
the  commons,  to  which  a  claufe  foreign  to  the  bill  fhould 
be  tacked  ;  and  this  claufe  they  affirmed  to  be  a  tack,  as 
an  incapacity  to  hold  employments  was  a  circumftance  al 
together  diftincl  from  a  fettlement  in  money.  The  queen 
expreffed  uncommon  eagernefs  in  behalf  of  this  bill ;  and 
the  court  influence  was  managed  fo  fuccefsfully,  that  it 
patted  through  both  houfes,  though  not  without  an  obfti- 
nn^e  oppofition,  and  a  formal  proteft  by  feven-and  twenty 
peers. 

The  earl  of  Marlborough  arriving  in  England  about  Earl  of 
the  latter  end  of  November,  received  the  thanks  of  the  M;irlb(>- 
commons  for  his  great  and  fignal  fervices,  which  were  fo  Created 
acceptable  to  the  queen,  that  file  created  him  a  duke,  gra-  duke. 
tified  him  with  a  penfion  of  five  thoufand  pounds  upon  the 
revenue  of  the  poft-  office  during  his  natural  life;  and,  in  a 
meffage  to  the  commons,  expreffed  a  defire,  that  they 
would  find  fome  method  to  fettle  it  on  the  heir-male  of  his 
body.  This  intimation  was  productive  of  warm  debates, 
during  which  Sir  Christopher  Mufgrave  obferved,  that  he 
would  not  derogate  from  the  duke's  eminent  fervices: 
But  he  affirmed  his  grace  had  been  very  well  paid  for 
them,  by  the  profitable  employments  which  he  and  his 
duchefs  enjoyed.  The  duke,  underftanding  that  the  com-  - 
mons  were  heated  by  the  fubjecl:,  begged  her  majefty 
would  rather  forego  her  gracious  mefTage  in  his  behalf, 
than  create  any  uneafmefs  on  his  account,  which  might 
embarrafs  her  affairs,  and  be  of  ill  confequence  to  the  pub 
lic.  Then  fhe  fent  another  meffage  to  the  houfe,  fignify- 
ing,  that  the  duke  of  Marlborough  had  declined  her  in- 
terpofition.  Notwithstanding  this  declaration,  the  com 
mons  in  a  body  prefented  an  addrefs,  acknowledging  the 
eminent  fervices  of  the  duke  of  Marlborough,  yet  expreff- 
ing  their  apprehenfion  of  making  a  precedent  to  alienate 
the  revenue  of  the  crown,  which  hud  been  fo  much  re 
duced  by  the  exorbitant  grants  of  the  late  reign,  and  fo 
"/fettled  and  fecured  by  her  majefty's  unparalleled 


356  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  aracc  and  goodnefs.  The  queen  was  f^tisfled  with  their 
apology  ;  but  their  refufal  in  all  probability  helped  to  ali- 
enatethe  duke  from  the  Tories,  with  whom  he  had  been 
hitherto  connected. 

Tn  the  beginning  of  January,  the  queen  gave  the  houfe 
of  commons  to  underftand,  that  the  ftates-general  had 
prefled  her  to  augment  her  forces,  as  the  only  means  to 
render  ineffectual  the  great  and  early  preparations  of  the 
enemy.  The  commons  immediately  refolved,  that  ten 
thouiand  men  fhould  be  hired,  as  an  augmentation  of  the 
forces  to  acl  in  conjunction  with  the  allies  ;  but,  on  con 
dition  that  an  immediate  ftop  fhould  be  put  to  all  com 
merce  and  correfpondence  with  France  and  Spain  on  the 
part  of  the  ftates-general .  The  lords  prefented  an  addrefs 
to  the  queen  on  the  fame  fubjeft,  and  to  the  fame  effect ; 
and  flie  owned  that  th°  condition  was  abfolutely  necefiary 
for  the  good  of  the  whole  alliance.  The  Dutch,  even  al 
ter  the  declaration  of  war,  had  canted  on  a  traffic  with  the 
French;  and,  at  this  very  juncture,  Louts  found  it  im- 
pollible  to  make  remittances  of  money  to  the  elector  of 
Bavaria  in  Germany,  and  to  his  forces  in  Italy,  except 
through  the  canal  of  Englifh,  Dutch,  and  Geneva  mer 
chants.  The  ftates-general,  though  fhocked  at  the  impe 
rious  manner  in  which  the  parliament  of  England  prefcrib- 
ed  their  conduct,  complied  with  the  demand  without  be- 
fitation,  and  publifhed  a  prohibition  of  all  commerce,  with 
thefubje<5r.s  of  France  and  Spain. 

The  commons  cf  this  parliament  had  nothing  more  at 
heart  than  a  bill  agp.inft  occafional  conformity.  The  To 
ries  affecSied  to  diftinguifh  themfelves  as  the  only  true 
friends  to  the  church  and  monarchy;  and  they  hated  the 
diflenters  with  a  mixture  of  fpiritual  and  political  difguft. 
They  looked  upon  thefc  laic  as  an  intruding  fe<5r,  which 
conftituted  great  part  of  the  Whig  faction  that  extorted 
fuch  immenfe  fums  of  money  from  the  nation  in  the  late 
reign,  and  involved  it  in  pernicious  engagements,  from 
whence  it  had  no  piofpect  of  deliverance.  They  confi- 
dered  them  as  encroaching  fchifmatics  that  difgraccd  and 
endangered  the  hierarchy  ;  and  thwfe  of  their  own  commu 
nion  who  recommended  moderation,  they  branded  with 
the  epithets  of  lukewarm  Chiifuans,  betrayers,  and  apo- 
fratcs.  7"hey  now  refolved  to  approve  themfelves  zealous 
fons  of  the  church,  by  feizing  the  firft  opportunity  that 
was  in  their  power  to  diflrefs  the  dill-enters.  In  order  to 
pave  the  way  to  this  perfecution,  fermcns  were  preached, 
and  pamphlets  were  printed  to  blacken  the  character  of 
the  fe<5l,  and  inflame  the  popular  refcntment  againft  their. 
On  the  4th  day  of  November,  Mr.  Cromely,  Mr.  St, 


ANNE.  357 

John  and  Mr.  Ann?fley,  were  ordered  by  the  houfe  of  C  H  A  P. 
commons  to  bring  in  a  bill  for  preventing  occafional  con 
formity.  In  the  preamble  all  perfecution  for  confcience  V-*V**^ 
fake  was  condemned  :  Neverthelefs,  it  enacted,  that  all 
thofs  who  had  taken  the  facrament  and  teft  for  offices  of 
truft,  or  the  magiftracy  of  corporations,  and  afterwards 
frequented  any  meeting  of  diffenters,  fhould  be  diiabled 
from  holding  their  employments,  pay  a  fine  of  one  hun 
dred  pounds,  and  five  pounds  for  every  day  in  which  they 
continued  to  a£t  in  their  employments  after  having  been 
at  any  fuch  meeting:  They  were  alfo  rendered  incapable 
of  holding  any  other  employment,  till  after  one  whole 
year's  conformity ;  and,  upon  a  relapfe,  the  penalties  and 
time  of  incapacity  were  doubled.  The  promoters  of  the 
bill  alledged,  that  an  eftablifhed  religion  and  national 
church  were  abfolutely  necefiary,  when  fo  many  impi 
ous  men  pretended  to  infpiration,  and  deluded  fuch  num 
bers  of  the  people :  That  the  moft  effectual  way  to  pre- 
ferve  this  national  church,  would  be  the  maintenance  of 
the  civil  power  in  the  hands  of  thofe  who  exprefied  their 
regard  to  the  church  in  their  principles  and  pra6bice :  That 
the  parliament,  by  the  corporation  and  teft  acl:s,  thought 
they  had  raifed  a  fufficient  barrier  to  the  hierarchy,  never 
imagining  that  a  fet  of  men  would  rife  up,  whole  confci- 
ences  would  be  too  tender  to  obey  the  laws,  but  hardened 
enough  to  break  them :  That,  as  the  laft  reign  began  with 
an  acl:  in  favour  ofdilTenters,  fo  the  commons  were  defir- 
ous  that  in  the  beginning  of  her  majefty's  aufjncious  go 
vernment,  an  acl:  fhould  pafs  in  favour  of  the  church  of 
England :  That  this  bill  did  not  entrench  on  the  acl  of 
toleration,  or  deprive  the  diffenters  of  any  privileges  they 
enjoyed  by  law,  or  add  any  thing  to  the  legal  rights  of  the 
church  of  England:  That  occafional  conformity  was  an 
evafion  of  the  law,  by  which  the  diflenters  might  infinu- 
ate  themfelves  into  the  management  of  all  corporations  : 
That  a  feparation  from  the  church,  to  which  a  man's  con 
fcience  will  allow  him  occafionally  to  conform,  is  a  mere 
fchifm,  which  in  itfelf  was  finful,  without  the  fuperaddi- 
tionofa  temporal  law  to  m-'.ke  it  an  offence:  That  the 
toleration  was  intended  only  for  the  eafe  of  tender  confci- 
ences,  ard  not  to  give  a  licenfe  for  occafional  conformity: 
T  hat  conforming  and  nonconforming  were  contradictions ; 
for,  nothing  but  a  firm  perfuafion  that  the  terms  of  com 
munion  required  are  finful  and  unlawful,  could  juftify  the 
one  ;  and  ihis  plainly  condemns  the  other.  The  mem 
bers  who  oppofed  the  bill  argued,  that  the  diiTenters  were 
generally  well  afFecled  TO  the  prefent  conftitution:  That 
to  bring  any  real  hardfhip  upon  them,  or  give  rife  to  jea- 


358  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

E  O  OK  loufies  and  fears  at  fuch  a  jun&ure,  might  be  attended 
with  dangerous  confequences :  That  the  toleration  had 
greatly  contributed  to  the  fecurity  and  reputation  of  the 
church,  and  plainly  proved,  that  liberty  of  conscience,  and 
gentle  meafures,  were  the  moft  effectual  means  for  cn- 
creafing  the  votaries  of  the  church,  and  diminiihino;  the 
number  of  dilTenters :  TJiat  the  diflenters  could  not  be 
termed  fchifmatics  without  bringing  an  heavy  charge  upon 
the  church  of  England,  which  had  not  only  tolerated  fuch 
fchifm,  but  even  allowed  communion  with  the  reformed 
churches  abroad :  That  the  penalties  of  this  bill  were 
more  fevere  than  thofe  which  the  law  irnpofed  on  Papifts, 
for  ailiftine:  at  the  moft  folemn  acl:  of  their  religion:  In  a 
word,  that  toleration  and  tenclernefs  had  been  always  pro 
ductive  of  peace  and  union,  whereas  perfecution  had  never 
failed  to  excite  difcord,  and  extend  fuperftition.  Many 
alterations  and  mitigations  were  propofed,  without  effect. 
In  the  courfe  of  the  debates  the  difTenters  were  mentioned 
and  reviled  with  great  acrimony;  and  the  bill  palled  the 
lower  houfe  by  virtue  of  a  confiderable  majority. 

The  lords,  apprehenfive  that  the  commons  would  tack 
it  to  fome  money-bill,  voted,  That  the  annexing  any 
claufe  to  a  money-bill  was  contrary  to  the  conftitution  of 
the  Englifti  government,  and  the  ufage  of  parliament. 
The  bill  met  with  a  very  warm  oppofition  in  the  upper 
houfe,  where  a  confiderable  portion  of  the  Whig  intereft 
ilill  remained.  Thefe  members  believed,  that  the  inten 
tion  of  the  bill  was  to  model  corporations,  fo  as  to  ejecl  all 
thofe  who  would  not  vote  in  elections  for  the  Tories. 
Some  imagined  this  was  a  preparatory  ftep  towards  a  re 
peal  of  the  toleration;  and  others  concluded,  that  the  pro 
moters  of  the  bill  defigned  to  raife  fuch  difturbances  at 
home,  as  would  difcourage  the  allies  abroad,  and  render 
the  profecutian  of  the  war  impracticable.  The  majority 
of  the  bifhops,  and  among  thefe  Burnet  of  Sarum,  objected 
againft  it  on  the  principles  of  moderation,  and  from  mo 
tives  of  confcience.  Neverthelefs,  as  the  court  fupported 
this  meafure  with  its  whole  power  and  influence,  the  bill 
made  its  way  through  the  houfe,  though  not  without  al 
terations  and  amendments,  which  were  rejected  by  the 
commons.  The  lower  houfe  pretended,  that  the  lords  had 
no  right  to  alter  any  fines  and  penalties  that  the  commons 
fhould  fix  in  bills  fent  up  for  their  concurrence,  on  the 
fuppofition  that  thofe  were  matters  concerning  money,  the 
peculiar  province  of  the  lower  houfe  :  The  lords  ordered 
a  minute  enquiry  to  be  made  into  all  the  rolls  of  parlia 
ment  fmce  the  reign  of  Henry  VII.  and  a  great  number 
c.i  ir.Runcef.  were  found,  in  which  the  lords  had  begun  the 


A    N     N     E, 

claufes  impofmg  fines  and  penalties,  altered  the  penalties  CHAP. 
v/hich  had  been  fixed  by  the  commons,   and  even  changed  _• 

the  ufes  to  which  they  were  applied.  Thefe  precedents  V-*"Y"S'' 
were  entered  in  the  books  ;  but  the  commons  refolved  to  I702" 
maintain  their  point  without  engaging  in  any  difpute  upon 
the  fubjecl:.  After  warm  debates,  and  a  free  conference 
between  the  two  houfes,  the  lords  adhered  to  their  amend 
ments,  though  this  refolution  was  carried  by  a  majority 
of  one  vote  only :  The  commons  perfifted  in  rejecting  them ; 
the  bill  mifcarried  ;  and  both  houfes  publifheJ  their  pro 
ceedings,  by  way  of  appeal  to  the  nation*.  A  bill  was 
now  brought  into  the  lower  houfe,  granting  another  year's 
confideration  to  thofe  who  had  not  taken  the  oath,  abjuring 
the  pretended  prince  of  Wales.  The  lords  added  three 
claufes,  importing,  That  thofe  perfons  who  fhould  take  the 
oath  within  the  limited  time  might  return  to  their  bene 
fices  and  employments,  unlefs  they  fhould  be  already  le 
gally  filled  :  That  any  perfon  endeavouring  to  defeat  the 
fucceffion  to  the  crown,  as  now  limited  by  law,  fhould  be 
deemed  guilty  of  high  treafon  ;  and  that  the  oath  of  ab- 
juiation  fhould  be  impofed  upon  the  fubjects  in  Ireland. 
The  commons  made  ibme  oppofition  to  the  firft  claufe  ; 
but,  at  length,  the  queftion  being  put,  Whether  they 
fhould  agree  to  the  amendments  ?  it  was  carried  in  the  af 
firmative  by  one  voice. 

No  object  engrafted  more  time,  or  produced  more  vlo-  Violent dif- 
lent  debates,  than  did  the  enquiry  into  the  public  accounts.  fentlon  be- 

^  .  •        *••*«  twixt  the 

i  he  commiflioners  appointed  for  this  purpofe  pretended  two  houfes 
to  have  made  great  difcoveries.     They  charged  the  earl  of  of  parlia- 
Ranelagh,   paymafter-general  of  the  army,  with   flagrant  ment< 
mifmanagement.     He   acquitted  himfelf  in  fuch  a  manner 
as  fcreened  him  from   all  feverity  of  punifhment :  Never- 
thelefs,  they  expelled  him  from  the  houfe   for  a  high  crime 
and  mifdcmeanor,  in  rnifapplying  feveral  Aims  of  the  pub 
lic  money;  and  he   thought   proper   to  refign  his  employ 
ment.     A  long  ad<lrefs  was  prepared  and  prefented  to  the 
queen,  attributing  the  national  debt  to  mifmanagement  of 
the  funds  ;  complaining   that   the  old  methods  of  the  ex 
chequer  had  been  neglected  ;  and  the  iniquitous  frauds  had 
been  committed  by  the  commilTioners  of  the  prizes.     Pre 
vious  to  this  remonftrance,  the  houfe,   in  confequence  of 
the  report  of  the  comrnitter,   had   paffed  feveral  fevere  re- 

*  Wliile  this  bill  was  depending,  Daniel  de  Foe  published  a  pamphlet, 
entitled,  "  Tlie  fhoiteft  way  with  the  diffcnters  5  or,  propofals  for  the  efta- 
Miihrnujt  of  the  church."  The  piece  was  a  fevers  fatire  on  the  violence  of 
the  church-party.  The  commons  ordered  it  to  be  burned  by  the  hands  of  the 
common  hangman,  and  the  author  to  be  profecute.l.  He  was  accordingly  com 
mitted  to  Newgate,  trkd,  condcsin;:d  to  py  a  fine  of  t\va  hundred  pounds,  aai 
i"s-.;id  in  the  pillory. 


360  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

B  OO  K  folutions,  particularly  againft  Charles  Lord  Hallifax,  au- 
H-  clitor  of  the  receipt  of  the  exchequer,  as  having  ne- 

***~Y*^  glecled  his  duty,  and  been  guilty  of  a  breach  of  trufL  For 
I702-  thefe  reafons,  they  actually  befought  the  queen,  in  an  ad- 
drefs,  that  {lie  would  give  directions  to  the  attorney-gene 
ral,  to  profecute  him  for  the  faid  offences  ;  and  fhe  pro- 
mifed  to  comply  with  their  requell.  On  the  other  hand, 
the  lords  appointed  a  committee  to  examine  all  the  obfer- 
vations  which  the  commiffioners  of  accounts  had  offered 
to  both  houfes.  They  afcribed  the  national  debt  to  defi 
ciencies  in  the  funds:  They  acquitted  Lord  Hallifax,  the 
lords  of  the  treafury,  arid  their  officers,  whom  the  com 
mons  had  accufed  ;  and  reprefented  thefe  circumftances  in 
an  addrefs  to  the  queen,  which  was  afterwards  printed, 
with  the  vouchers  to  every  particular.  This  difference 
blew  up  a  fierce  flame  of  difcord  between  the  two  houfcs, 
which  manifefted  their  mutual  animofity  in  fpeeches,  votes, 
refolutions,  and  conferences.  The  commons  affirmed, 
that  no  cognizance  the  lords  could  take  of  the  public  ac 
counts  would  enable  them  to  fupply  any  deficiency,  or 
appropriate  any  furplufage  of  the  public  money  :  That 
they  could  neither  acquit  nor  condemn  any  perfon  what- 
foever,  upon  any  enquiry  arifmg  originally  in  their  own 
houfe  ;  and  that  their  attempt  to  acquit  Charles  Lord 
Hallifax  was  unparliamentary.  The  lords  infifted  upon 
their  right  to  take  cognizance  originally  of  all  public  ac 
counts  ;  they  affirmed,  that  in  tn:ir  refolutions  with  ref- 
pecl:  to  Lord  Hallifax,  they  had  proceeded  according  to 
the  rules  of  juftice.  They  owned,  however,  that  their 
refolutions  did  not  amount  to  any  judgment  or  acquittal  ; 
but  that  finding  a  vote  of  the  commons  reflected  upon  a 
member  of  their  houfe,  they  thought  fit  to  give  their  opi 
nion  in  their  L-giflative  authority.  The  queen  interpofed 
by  a  meffage  to  the  lords,  defiring  they  would  difpatch  the 
bufmefs  in  which  they  were  engaged.  The  difpute  con 
tinued  even  after  this  intimation:  One  conferrence  was 
held  after  another,  till  at  length  both  fides  defpaired  of  an 
accommodation.  The  lords  ordered  their  proceedings  to 
be  punted,  and  the  commons  followed  their  example. 
On  the  27th  day  of  February  the  queen  having  palled  all 
the  bills  that  were  ready  for  the  royal  affent,  ordered  the 
lord  keeper  to  prorogue  the  parliament,  after  having  pro 
nounced  a  fpeech,  in  the  ufual  tlile.  She  thanked  them 
for  their  zeal,  affection  and  difpatch  ;  declared,  fne  would 
encourage  and  maintain  the  church  as  by  law  eftablifbed  ; 
defired  they  would  coniider  fome  further  laws  for  reftrain- 
ing  the  great  licenfc  z.iTumed  of  publifhing  fcandalous 
pamphlets  and  libels  ;  and  allured  them,  that  all  her  {hare 


ANNE.  361 

Hzes  \vhirh  might  be  taken   in  the  war  fhouKl  be  C  H  A  p. 
'  to  the  pul^ic  fjrvice.     By   this   time  the   earl    of 
'        :        ;entir  Iv  removed  from  the  queen's  councils. 

ufelf  outweighed  by  the  intereft  of  the  duke  of      J7oa- 

•  \1  Lord  Godolphin,  he  had  become  fallen 
'••: ;  and  rather  than  re-pair  to  his  government 
of  Ireland,  chofe  to  refign  the  office,  which,  as  ye  have 
already  obf-.n'Vv.d,  was  conferred  upon  the  duke  of  Or- 
irjorid,  an  accomplished  nobleman,  who  had  acquired  great 
popularity  by  the  fuccefs  of  the  expedition  to  Vrigo.  The 
parties  in  the  hodffe  of  lords  were  fo  nearly  matched,  that 
the  queen,  in  order  to  afcertain  an  undoubted  majority  in 
the  next  fefiion,  created  four  new  peers*,  who  had  fignd- 
izcd  themfelyes  by  the  violence  of  their  fpeeches  in  the 
ho ufe  of  commons. 

The  two  houfes  of  convocation,  which  were  fuminoned  And  t>e- 
with  the  parliament,  bore  a  rtron?  affinity  with  this  alTem-  tween. th;: 

111  i-rt-  •  n        i    ""  M      i    •         i  'wo    houleg 

oly,  by  the  diiterent  intereits  that  prevailed  in  trie  upper  Of  convocu- 
and  lower.  Tbe  laft,  in  imitation  of  the  commons,  was  tion. 
defirous  of  branding  the  preceding  rei^n  ;  and  it  was 
with  great  difficulty  that  they  concurred  with  the  pre 
lates  in  an  addrcfs  of  congratulation  to  her  ma  jefi:y.  Then 
their  former  conteft  was  revived.  The  lower  houfe  de- 
fired,  in  r.n  application  to  the  archbifliop  of  Canterbury 
and  his  fufnv.^.ir;.5:,  that  tlie  matters  in  difpute  concerning 
the  manner  of  fynodical  proceedings,  and  the  rio;ht  of  the 
lower  houfe  to  hold  intermediate  afiemblies,  misht  be  ta 
ken  into  conhderation,  and  fpeedily  determined.  The 
bilhcps  propofed,  that  in  the  interval  of  feiTions,  the  lower 
houfe  niii^hi  appoint  committees  to  prepare  matters  ;  and 
when  bufinefs  ihould  be  brought  regularly  before  them, 
the  archbifhop  would  regulate  the  prorogations  in  fuch  u 
manner,  that  they  fhould  have  fufRcient  time  to  fit  and  de 
liberate  on  the  fubjec~t.  This  offer  did  not  fatisfy  the  low 
er  houfe,  which  was  emboldened  to  perftft  in  its  demand 
by  a  vote  of  the  commons.  Thefe,  in  confequence  of  ai 
addrefs  of  thanks  from  the  cbrgy,  touching  Mr.  Lloyd, 
fou  to  the  bifhop  of  Worcefter,  whom  they  ordered  to  be 
profecuted  after  his  privilege  as  member  of  the  convocation 
fhould  be  expired,  had  refclvcd,  that  they  would  on  all  oc- 
VOL.  I.  2  Z 


362  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  cafions  affert  the  juft  rights  and  privileges  of  the  lower 
houfe  of  convocation.  The  prelates  refufed  to  depart 
from  the  archbifhop's  right  of  proroguing  the  whole  con- 
vocation  with  confent  of  his  fuffragans.  The  lower  houfe 
propofed  to  refer  the  controverfy  to  the  queen's  dccifion. 
The  biftiops  declined  this  expedient,  as  inconfitlent  with 
the  epifcopal  authority,  and  the  prcfidency  of  the  arch- 
bifhop.  The  lower  houfe  having  incurred  the  imputation 
of  favouring  prefbytery,  by  this  oppofition  to  the  biftiops, 
entered  in  their  books  a  declaration,  acknowledging  the 
order  of  bifhops  as  fuperior  to  prcfbyters,  and  to  be  a  di 
vine  apoftolical  inftitution.  Then  they  defired  the  bi 
fliops,  in  an  addrefs,  to  concur  in  fettling  the  doctrine  of 
the  divine  apoftolical  right  of  epifcopacy,  that  it  might  be 
a  {landing  rule  of  th?  church.  They  iikewife  p^efented 
a  petition  to  the  queen,  complaining,  that  in  the  convo 
cation  called  in  the  year  1700,  after  an  interruption  of 
ten  years,  fcveral  queftions  having  arifen  concerning  the 
rights  and  liberties  of  the  lower  houfe,  the  bifhops  had 
refufed  a  verbal  conference ;  and  afterwards  declined 
a  propofal  to  fubmit  the  difpute  to  her  majefty's  determi 
nation :  They,  therefore,  fled  for  protection  toher  majefly, 
begging  fhe  would  call  the  queftion  into  her  own  royal  au 
dience.  The  queen  promifed  to  confider  their  petition, 
which  was  fupported  by  the  earl  of  Nottingham  ;  and  or 
dered  their  council  to  examine  the  affair,  how  it  confifled 
with  law  and  cuftom.  Whether  their  report  was  un 
favourable  to  the  lower  houfe,  or  the  queen  was  unwil 
ling  to  encourage  the  divifion,  no  other  anfwer  was  made 
to  their  addrefs.  The  archbifhop  replied  to  their  requefl 
preferred  to  the  upper  houfe,  concerning  the  divine  right 
of  prefbytery,  that  the  preface  to  the  form  of  ordination 
contained  a  declaration  of  three  orders  of  minifters  from 
the  times  of  the  apoflles  ;  namely,  bifhops,  priefts,  and 
deacons,  to  which  they  had  ftibfcribed ;  but  he  and  his 
brethren  conceived,  that,  without  a  royal  licenfe,  they 
had  not  authority  to  attempt,  enacl,  promul^e,  or  exe 
cute  any  canon,  which  fhould  concern  either  doiSlrine  or 
difcipline.  The  lower  houfe  anfwered  this  declaration  in 
very  petulant  terms  ;  and  the  difpute  fubfifted  when  the 
parliament  was  prorogued.  But  thcfe  contefts  produced 
divifions  through  the  whole  body  of  the  clergy,  who  rang 
ed  themfelves  in  different  fa6lion^,  diftmguifhed  by  the 
names  of  High-church  and  Low-church.  The  firft  con 
fifled  of  ecclefiaflical  Tories;  the  other  included  thofe 
who  profcffed  Revolution  principles,  and  recommended 
moderation  towards  the  difTenters.  The  High-church 
party  reproached  the  other  as  time-fervsrs,  and  Prefbyte- 


ANNE.  363 

rians  in  difguife;  and  were  in  their  turn  ftigmatifed  as  CHAP, 
the  friends  and  abettors  of  tyranny  and  pcrfccution.  At  1J< 
prefent,  however,  the  Tories  both  in  church  and  ftate  tri-  ^-""V""^ 
umphed  in  the  favour  of  their  fovereign.  Ths  right  of 
parliaments,  the  memory  of  the  late  king,  and  even  the 
a<ft  limiting  the  fucceflton  of  the  houfe  of  Hanover,  be 
came  the  ftibjects  of  ridicule.  The  queen  was  flattered  as 
pofleiibr  of  th;  prerogatives  of  the  ancient  monarchy  : 
Th^  hiftory  written  by  her  grandfather,  the  earl  of  Cla 
rendon,  was  now  for  the  firft  time  published,  to  inculcate 
the-  principles  of  obedience,  and  infpire  the  people  with  an 
abhorrence  of  oppofition  to  an  annointed  fovereign.  Her 
majefty's  hereditary  right  was  deduced  from  Edward  the 
Corifeflbr,  and,  as  heir  of  his  pretended  fandlity  and  vir 
tue,  fhe  was  perfuaded  to  touch  perfons  afrli&ed  with  the 
king's  evil,  according  to  the  office  inferted  in  the  liturgy 
for  this  occafion. 

The  change  of  the  miniftry  in  Scotland  feemed  favour-  Affairs  in 
able  to  the  Epifcopalians  and  Anti-revolutioners  of  that  Scotland, 
khgdom.  The  earls  of  Marchmont,  Melvil,  Selkirk, 
Leven,  and  Hind  ford  were  laid  afide.  The  earl  of  Sea- 
field  was  appointed  chancellor;  the  duke  of  Quecnfberry, 
and  the  lord  vifcount  Tarbat,  were  declared  fecretaries  of 
ftatc,  the  marquis  of  Annandale  was  made  prefident  of 
the  council,  and  the  earl  of  Tullibardin,  lord  privy-feal. 
A  new  parliament  having  been  fummoned,  the  earl  of 
Seafield  employed  his  influence  fo  fuccefsfully,  that 
a  great  number  of  Anti-revolutioners  was  returned  as 
members.  The  duke  of  Hamilton  had  obtained  from  the 
queen,  a  letter  to  the  privy-council  in  Scotland,  in 
•which  fhe  exprefled  her  defire,  that  the  Prefbyterian  cler 
gy  fhould  live  in  brotherly  love  and  communion  with 
fuch  diflenting  minifters  of  the  reformed  religion  as  were 
in  pofleflion  of  benefices,  and  lived  with  decency  and  fub- 
miflion  to  the  law.  The  Epifcopal  clergy,  encouraged  by 
thefe  expreflions  in  their  favour,  drew  up  an  addrefs  to 
the  queen,  imploring  her  protection  ;  and  humbly  be- 
feeching  her  to  allow  thofe  pariihes,  in  which  there  was 
a  majority  of  Epifcopal  freeholders,  to  beftow  the  bene 
fice  on  minifters  of  their  principles.  This  petition  was 
prefented  by  Dr.  Skeen  and  Dr.  Scot,  who  were  intro 
duced  by  the  duke  of  Queenfberry  to  her  majefty.  She 
allured  them  of  her  protection  and  endeavours  to  fupply 
their  neceffities  ;  and  exhorted  them  to  live  in  peace  and 
Chriftian  love  with  the  clergy,  who  were  by  law  in  veiled 
with  the  church  government  in  her  ancient  kingdom  of 
Scotland.  A  proclamation  of  indemnity  having  been  pu- 
blifned  in  March,  a  great  number  of  Jacobites  returned 


364  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND, 

O  O  K  from  France  and    other   countries,    pretended    to    i. . 
n-       changed    their  fentiments,  and    took   the  oaths,  that  they  * 

mighr  be  qualified  to  fit  in  parliament:,     They  formed  an 
J7°3-      accellion  to  the   ftrength   of  the  Aati-revolutioners  nud 
Barnet.        £pifcopalians,  who  now  hoped  to  out-number  the  Prefby- 
To-c"'*011     t-r'an?5  and  outweigh  their  intereft.    But  this  confederacy 
Mem.          was   eOmpofed  of  difTonant  parts,  from  which  no  harmony 
Lamberty's  could  be  expected.    The  Prefbyterians  and  Revolutioners 
were  headed  by  the  duke  of  Argyle.     The  country  party 

Feun  meres.  J  .  &-'  .  .   J    l  .      J 

Burchet.  °'  malcontents,  which  took  its  nie  rrom  the  uuappoint- 
Thd.il.  ments  of  the  Dauen  fettlement,  ailed  under  the  aufpices 
Loekhart's  of  tke  ^uke  of  Hamilton  and  marquis  of  Tweedalt :;  and 
Lives  of  the  tne  ear^  °f  Hume  appeared  as  chief  of  the  Anti-revolu- 
Admirais.  tioners.  The  different  parties  who  now  united,  purfued 
Hilt  of  the  t]lc  mol^  oppose  enns.  The  majority  of  the  country  oar- 

D.  ot  Marl-  ,.  i-ni-;iri' 

borough.       ly    were    friends    to  the  Revolution,  and  fought  onty  n> 
Duchefs  of  drefs   of  the  grievances  which  the  nation  had  fiiftained  in 
Manbo-      j-^g  iatc   reign.     The  Anti-revolutioners  conftdered  the 
polo''V  J"   acc^^*ion  and    government   of  King    William  as  an  ex 
traordinary  event,  which  they  were  willing  to  forget,  be 
lieving  that  all   parties  were  fafe  under  the  flicker  of  her 
majefty's  general  indemnity.    The  Jacobites  fubmitted  to 
the    queen,  as  tutrix    or    regent  for  the  prince  of  Wales, 
whom   they   firmly   believed    (he  intended  to  eftablifh  on 
the   throne.     The    Whigs    under  Argyle,  alarmed  at  the 
coalition  of  all  their  enemies,  refclved  to   procure  a  par 
liamentary  fanclion  for  the  Re-/olution. 

The  parliament  being  opened  on  the  6th  day  of  May  at 
Edinburgh,  by  the  duke  of  Queenfberry  as  commiffionfer, 
the  queens  letter  was  read,  in  which  (he  demanded  a  fupply 
for  the  maintenance  of  the  forces,  advifed  them  to  encou 
rage  trade,  and  exhorted  them  to  proceed  with  wifdon:, 
prudence,  and  unanimity.  The  duke  of  Hamilton  imme 
diately  offered  the  draft  of  a  bill  for  recognizing  her  ma- 
jefiy's  undoubted  right  and  title  to  the  Imperial  crown  of. 
Scotland,  according  to  the  declaration  of  the  eftates  of  the 
kingdom,  containing;  the  claim  of  ri^ht.  It  was  immcdi- 

O  '  O  O 

ately  received;  and  at  the  fecond  reading,  the  queen's  ad 
vocate  offered  an  additional  claufe,  denouncing  the  penal 
ties  of  treafon  againft  any  perfon  who  fhould  quarrel  her 
in;!.je(l'y  right  and  title  to  the  crown,  or  her  exercife  of  the 
government,  from  her  aclual  entry  to  the  fame.  This,  after 
a  long;  and  warm  debate,  was  carried  by  the  concurrence  of 
the  Anti-revolutioners.  Then  the  earl  of  Hume  produced 
the  draft  of  a.  bill  for  the  fupply.  Immediately  after  it  was 
re.;d  the  marquis  of  Tweedale  made  an  overture,  that  be 
fore  all  the  other  bufmefs,  the  parliament  v/ould  proceed  to 
i::.;ks  i'uch  conditions  of  government,  and  r^uhuonsiu  the 


A     N     N     E. 

r-nfhuiion  of  the  kingdom,  to  take  phce  after  the  c'eceafe  C  II  A  P. 
of  her  majefty  and  the  heirs  of  her  body,  as  fhould  be  ne- 
ceiTary  for  the  prefervr.t;on  of  their  religion  and  liberty.  ^V**' 
This  overture  and  the  bin  were  ordered  to  lie  upon  the  table  ;  7°3' 
and,  in  the  mean  time,  the  commiflioner  found  himfelf  in 
volved  in  great  perplexity.  The  cluke  of  Argyle,  the  mar 
quis  of  Annanch-Je,  and  the  carl  of  Marchmont,  gave  him 
to  undedlund  in  private,  that  they  were  revived  to  move, 
for  an  r.<5S:,  ratifying  the  Revolution;  and  for  another,  con 
firming  the  Prefbyterir.n  government :  That  they  would 
innft  upon  their  bein:^  difcufTed  before  the  bill  of  fupply; 
and  that  they  we1  e  certain  of  carrying  the  points  at  which 
they  aimed.  The  coinmifuoncr  now  found  himfelf  re 
duced  to  a  very  difagreeable  alternative.  There  was  ane- 
ceflity  for  relinquishing  all  hope  of  a  fupply,  or  abandon 
ing  the  Anti-revoltttioners,  to  whom  he  was  connected  by 
prom ifes  of  concurrence.  The  Whigs  were  determined 
to  oppofe  all  fchemes  of  fupply  that  fhould  come  from  the 
cavaliers:  And  thefe  lafr.  refolved  to  exert  their  whole  pcn»- 
r  -  in  preventing  the  confirmation  of  the  Revolution  and 
the  Prefbytcrian  dicipline.  Heforcfiw  that  on  this  occafi- 
on  the  Whigs  would  be  joined  by  the  duke  of  Hamilton 
ar.d  his  party,  fo  as  to  preponderate  againft  the  cavaliers. 
He  endeavoured  to  cajole  both  parties,  but  found  the  tafk 
impracticable.  He  deiired  in  parliament,  that  the  act  for 
the  fupply  might  be  read,  promifing  that  they  ihould  have 
full  time  afterwards  to  deliberate  on  other  fubje&s.  The 
marquis  ofTweedale  infifted  upon  his  overture;  and,  after 
warm  debater,  the  houfe  refolved  to  proceed  with  fuch  acts 
as  might  be  neceflary  for  fecuring  the  religion,  liberty,  and 
trade  of  the  nation,  before  any  bill  for  fupply  or  other  bufi- 
nefs  fhould  be  difcufled.  The  marquis  of  A  thole  offered 
rn  act  for  the  fecurity  of  the  kingdom,  in  caf^  of  her  maje- 
fiy's  deceafe  :  But  before  it  was  read,  the  duke  of  of  Argyle 
prefented  his  draft  of  a  bill  for  ratifying  the  Revolution 
and  all  the  a6h  following  thereupon.  An  act  for  limiting, 
the  fucceffion  after  the  death  of  her  msjefty,  and  the  heirs 
of  her  body,  was  produced  by  Mr.  Fletcher  of  Saltoun. 
The  earl  of  Rothes  recommended  another,  importing,  that 
after  her  majefty's  death,  and  failing  heirs  of  her  body,  no 
perfon  coming  to  the  crown  of  Scotland,  being  at  the  ;' 
time  king  or  queen  of  England,  ihould,  as  king  or  queen 
of  Scotland,  have  power  to  make  peace  or  war  v/i>;h;,iK  the 
confent  of  parliament.  The  earl  of  Marchmont  recited  she 
draft  of  an  a£t  for  fecuring  the  true  Pro': 
Preibytcrian  government  :  One  was  alf  >  tl  by  Sir 

Patrick  Johniton,  allowing  the  i  r-port:.'.  ,  aad 

other  foreign  liquors.     All  thefe    bills    were  < 


366  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  upon  the  table.     Then  the  earl  of  Strathmore  produced  an 
act  for  toleration  to  all  Proteitants  in  the  exercife  of  religi- 

V-*Y""'*'  ous  worfhip.  But  againft  this  the  general  afTembly  pre- 
I/"°3'  fented  a  mod  violent  remonflrance  ;  and  the  promoters  of 
the  bill,  forefeeing  that  it  would  meet  with  great  oppofi- 
tion,  allowed  it  to  drop  for  the  prefcnt.  On  the  3d  day  cf 
June,  the  parliament  pafTed  the  act  for  preferving  the  true 
reformed  Proteftant  religion,  and  confirming  Prefbyterian 
church-government,  as  agreeable  to  the  word  of  God,  and 
the  only  government  of  Chrift's  church  within  the  king 
dom.  The  fame  party  enjoyed  a  further  triumph  in  the 
fuccefs  of  argyle's  a6t,  for  ratifying  and  perpetuating  the 
firft  act  of  King  William's  parliament;  for  declaring  it 
high  treafon  to  difown  the  authority  of  (.hat  parliament; 
or  to  alter  or  innovate  the  claim  of  right,  or  any  article 
thereof.  This  laft  claufe  was  ftrenuoufly  oppofed ;  but  at 
laft  the  bill  pafTed,  with  the  concurrence  of  all  the  miniftry, 
except  the  marquis  of  Athole  and  the  Vifcount  Tarbat, 
who  began  at  this  period  to  correfpond  with  the  oppoiite 
party. 

The  cavaliers  thinking  themfelves  betrayed  by  the  duke 
of  Queenfberry,  who  had  aflented  to  thefe  acts,  firft  expof- 
tulated  with  him  on  his  breach  of  promife,  and  then  re 
nounced  his  intereft,  refolving  to  feparate  themfelves  from 
the  court,  and  jointly  purfue  fuch  meafures  as  might  be  for 
the  intereft  of  thdir  party.  But  of  all  the  bills  that  where 
produced  in  the  courfe  of  this  remarkable  fellion,  that 
which  produced  the  moft  violent  altercation  was  the  a6t  of 
fecurity,  calculated  to  abridge  the  prerogative  of  the  crown, 
limit  the  fuccefTor,  and  throw  a  vaft  additional  power  into 
the  hands  of  the  parliament.  It  was  confidered  paragraph 
by  paragraph  :  Many  additions  and  alterations  were  pro- 
poled,  and  fome  adopted  :  Inflammatory  fpeeches  were  utter 
ed  ;  bitter  farcafms  retorted  from  party  to  party  ;  and  differ 
ent  votes  pafTed  on  different  claufes.  At  length,  in  fpite  of 
the  molt  obftinate  oppofition  from  the  miniftry  and  the  ca 
valiers,  it  was  palled  by  a  majority  of  fifty-nine  voices. 
The  commiflioner  was  importuned  to  give  it  the  royal  af- 
fent;  but  declined  anfwering  their  entreaties  till  the  tenth 
day  of  September.  Then  he  made  a  fpeech  in  parliament, 
giving  them  to  underfland  that  he  had  received  the  queen's 
pleafure,  and  was  empowered  to  give  the  royal  affent  to  all 
the  nets  voted  in  this  feflion,  except  to  the  act  for  the  fecu- . 
rity  of  the  kingdom.  A  motion  was  made,  to  folicit  the 
royal  alien t  in  an  addrefs  to  her  Majefty;  but  the  queilion 
being  put,  it  was  carried  in  the  negative  by  a  fmall  nrajori  - 
ty.  On  the  lixth  day  of  the  fame  month,  the  carl  bfMarch- 
mor.t  had  nroduced  a  bill  to  fettle  the  fuccciiion  on  th? 


A     N     N     E.  367 

houfe  of  Kanover.  At  firft  the  import  of  it  was  not  CHAP. 
known  ;  but  when  the  clerk  in  reading  it  mentioned  the 
Princefs  Sophia,  the  whole  houfe  was  kindled  into  aflame. 
So:ne  propofed  that  the  overture  fhould  be  burned;  others 
moved,  that  the  earl  might  be  fent  prifoner  to  the  caftle  ; 
and  a  general  difTatisfaction  appeared  in  the  whole  afiembly. 
Not  that  the  majority  in  parliament  were  averfe  to  the  fuc- 
ceffion  in  the  houfe  of  Hanover;  but  they  rcfoived  to  avoid 
a  nomination  without  ftipulating  conditions  ;  and  they  had 
already  provided,  in  the  act  of  fecurity,  that  it  fhould  be 
high  treafon  to  own  any  perfon  as  king  or  queen  after  her 
majefty's  deceafe,  until  he  or  fhe  fhould  take  the  coronation 
oath  and  accept  the  terms  of  the  claim  of  right,  and  fucli 
conditions  as  ibould  be  fettled  in  this  or  any  enfuing  parli 
ament. 

Andrew  Fletcher  of  Saulton,  a  man  of  undaunted  cou 
rage  and  inflexible  integrity,  who  profeficd  republican 
principles,  and  feemed  defiened  by  nature  as  a  member  of 
fome  Grecian  commonwealth,  after  having  obferved,  that 
the  nation  would  be  enflavcd,  lliould  it  fubmit,  cither  wil 
lingly  or  by  commiflion,  to  the  fucceflbr  of  England, 
without  fuch  conditions  of  government  as  fhould  fecure 
them  againft  the  influence  of  an  Englifh  miniftry,  of 
fered  the  draft  of  an  a£t,  importing,  That  after  the  de 
ceafe  of  her  majefty,  without  heirs  of  her  body,  no  pcr- 
fon  being  fucceilbr  to  the  Englifh  throne  fhould  fucceed  to 
the  crown  of  Scotland,  but  under  the  following  limita 
tions,  which,  together  with  the  coronation-oath  and  claim 
of  right,  they  fhould  fwear  to  obferve;  namely,  That  all 
offices  and  places,  civil  and  military,  as  well  as  penfions, 
fhould  for  the  future  be  conferred  by  a  parliament  to  be 
ohofen  at  every  Michaelmas  head-court  to  fit  on  the  firfl 
•lay  of  November,  and  adjourn  themfelves  from  time  to 
time,  till  the  enfuing  Michaelmas:  That  they  fhould 
chufe  theii  own  prefident:  That  a  committee  of  fix-and- 
thirty  members,  chofen  out  of  the  whole  parliament,,  with 
out  diftin&ion  of  eflates,  fhould,  during  the  intervals  of 
parliament,  be  veiled,  under  the  kins:,  with  the  admini- 
ff  ration  of  the  government,  a<5l  as  his  council,  be  account 
able  to  parliament,  and  call  it  together  on  extraordinarv 
occafions.  He  propofed,  that  the  fucceflbr  fhould  be  no 
minated  by  the  majority;  declaring  for  himfeJf,  that  he 
would  rather  Concur  in  nominating  the  moic  rigid  Papift 
with  thofe  conditions,  than  the  trueft  Proteftant  without 
therr.  The  motion  was  feconded  by  many  members  ; 
and  though  poftponed  for  the  prefent,  "in  favour  of  an  act 
of  trade  under  the  confideration  of  the  houfe,  it  was  after 
wards  relumed  with  great  warmth.  In  vain  the  lord  trea- 


368  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  Aircr  reprefented,  that  no  funds  were  as  yet  provided   for 
the  army,  r.nd  moved  for  a  reading  of  the  act  prcfcntcd  for 
""        that  purpofo:  A  certain  member  obferved,  that:  t!i>  was  a 
very  unfeaf;nable  jun6hire   to  propofc  a  fuppl/,  v/hen  the 
houfe  h«d   fo  much  to  do  for  the   fecurity  of  the    nation: 
He  faid    they  had  very  little  encouragement  to  cr;;uit  fup- 
plics,  wh-.-n  they  found  themfelves  friiftrated  of  all  their  la 
bour  arid  c::prnce  for  thefe  feveral   months  ;  and  when  the 
whole  kingdom  faw  that  fupplies  fcrvcd  for  no  other  ufes 
but  to    gratify    the   avarice  cf  fome  iivfatiablc  nTinifrcrs. 
Mr.   Fletcher  expatiated  upon  the  good  confluences  that 
would  arife    from    the   act  which  he  had   propofed.     The 
chancellor  anfwered,  That  fuch  an  act  was  laying  a  fchems 
fora  commonwealth,  and  tending   to  innovate  the  confti- 
tution  of  the  monarchy.     The  miniitry  propofed  the  ilate 
of  a  vote,    whether   they  fhould   firft   give   a    reading  to 
Fletcher's  act,  or  to  the  act   of  fubfidy.     The  country- 
party  moved  that  the  queftion  might  be,  "  Overtures  for 
<c  fubfidies,    or  overtures    for   liberty."     Fletcher   with 
drew  his  act,  rather  than  people  fhould  pervert  the  mean 
ing  of  laudable  dcfigns.     The    houfe  rcfounded    with  the 
cry  of  "  Liberty    or   fubfldy."     Bitter   invectives    were 
Uttered  againfl  the   miniilry.     One  member  faid,  it   was 
now  plain   the  nation  was  to  expect   no  other  return  for 
their  expencc  and  toil,  than  that  of  being  loaded  with  a 
fubiidy,  and  being  obliged  to  behd  their  necks  under   the 
yoke  of  ilaverr,  which  was    prepared  for  them  from  that 
throne:   Another   obfervcd,  that   as  their    liberties    were 
fupprefifed,  fo  the  privileges  of  parliament  were  like  to  be 
torn  from  them  ;  but  that  he  would  venture  his  life  in  de 
fence  of  his  birthright,  and    rather    die  a   free  man   than 
live  a  flave.     When  the  vote  was  demanded,  and  declined 
by  the  commifTioner,  the  earl  of  P,oxburgh  declared,  that 
if  there  was  no  other  way  of  obtaining  fo  natural  and  un 
deniable  a  privilege  of  parliament,  they  would   demand  it 
with  their  iWords  in  their  hands.     The  commiiTioner  fore- 
feeing   this   fpirit   of  freedom   and  contradiction,  had  or 
dered  the  foot-guards  to   be   in  readme  is,  and    placed  a 
ilrong  guard  upon    the    caftern    gate   of  the  city.     Not- 
Wkhftanding  th.fj  precautions,  he  ran   the  rifle   of  being 
torn   in  pieces :  and,    in    this   apprehenfion,  ordered    the 
chancellor  to  inform  the  houfr,  that  the  parliament  fhould 
proceed  upon  overtures  for   liberty  at  their    next  .fitting. 
This  promife  allayed  the  ferment  which  had  begun  to  rife. 
Next  day  the   irrj.~-.bcrs  prepared   an  overture,  implying, 
that  the  elective  members    fhould  be  chofen  for  every  fear 
at  the  Michae'rr.r-,  hcr.ci-ccurts:  That  a  parliament  mould 
be  held  once  in  t  rs  at  lead:  That  the   (hort  ad- 


ANNE.  369 

journments  c!c  die  tlioi:ld  be   made  by  the   parlia-  CHAP. 

ments  thexnfelves,  as  i;i  England  ;  andfthat  no  officer  in 
the  army,  cuuoivis,  or  "xoife,  nor  any  gratuitous  pensioner, 
iiiould  fir  as  an  eleclive  member.  Tiie  coichim iffi oner  be 
ing  apprifed  of  their  proceedings,  called  for  fuch  a6ts  as 

...s  empowered  to  pafs,  and  having  given  the  royal  af- 
fent  tothcui  prorogued  the  parliament  to  the  12th  day  oi 
October  *.  Such  was  the  iiiue  of  this  remarkable  feffion 
of  the  Scottifn  parliament,  in  which  the  duke  of  Queenf- 
berry  v/as  abandoned  :  :atelT:  part  of  the  n  iniitiy; 

i:.nd  fuch  a  fpirit  of  ferocity  and  oppofition  prevailed,  as 
trfreattrv./d  the  whole  kingdom  \viih  civil  war  and  confu- 
fion.  The  queen  conferred  titles  upon  thofe  f  who  ap 
peared  to  have  influence  in  the  r.a.ion,  ana  attachment  to 
her  government,  and  revived  the  order  of  the  Thiftle, 
which  the  Lite  king  had  dropped. 

Ireland  was   filled   with    difcontent,  by   the   behaviour  Affairs  of 
and  conduct  of  the  tfuftees  for  the  forfeited  eftates.     The  Ireland, 
earl  of  Rochester  had  contributed  to  foment  the  troubles 
of  the  kingdom,  by  encouraging   the   factions  which   had 
Iv-en  imported  from  England.     The  duke  of  Ormond  \ 

•veJ  with  open  arms,  as  heir  to  the  virtues  of  his  .an- 
ceflors,  who  had  been  the  bulwarks  of  the  Proteftant  in- 
terefr.  in  Ireland.  He  opened  the  parliament  on  the  2  lit 
day  of  September,  with  a  fpeech  to  both  honks,  in  which 
he  told,  them,  that  his  inclination  his  intercft,  and  the  ex 
amples  of  his  progenitors,  were  indifpenilblc  obligations 
upon  him,  to  improve  every  opportunity  to  the  aclvar.;. 

yr  of  his  native  country.     The  commons  hav- 

'.hofen  Alien  Broderick  to  be  their  fpeaker,  proceeded 
to  draw  up  very  affectionate  addrefTes  to  the  queen  and  the 
lord-lieutenant.     In   that   to  the  queen  they  complained, 
VOL.  I.  3  A 

*   Though  the  qv.oer.  rcft-f/-!  to  pafs  the  aft  of  fecuiity,  tlie   royal   a  (Tent 

V.MS  granted  to  an  a€t  of  limitation  on    the  fuccflior,  in  -.vhich  it  was  declared, 

thjt  no  king  or  queen    of  Scotland  ihoull  have  power  to  make  war  or   peace 

C>ut  confent  of  parliament.     Another  law    was    enaftad,  allowing  French 

wines  and  other  liquors  to  be  imported  in  neutral  hnttoms  :   Without  this  ex- 

pn^i'-rt,  it  V.MS   aileaged,  tr>a.  •:    would   Lave    bt:t:ii  insufficient  to 

••  gove:'.;ment.     An  a^'t   pr.fi:-d   in    favour  of  the    co-npany  trading 

Indi.-,  ;  a.icrhjr  far  a  co  n  •ncerning  the  public  ac- 

•  :    .     ..         <•   ivuiii  n'nr;    flanderp  is    f]      i  A  \v  '.iings.     The  com- 

;  for  tr:.ii.iiig  of  an  union  with  I'p^l-'ii'-i  -vis  v.r.at'.d,  with  a  prohibi- 

ilou  to  g'-ant  any  other  co:p.miffion  for  that  puvpofs   without  confent  of  p:trli.i- 

m\  n1:  •  iply  having  been  provided  Uef  ,re  the  adjournment,  the  anj.y 

sin!  ;  .:ri--;nt  were  mainfained  upon  en    it. 

•f-  The          :        jfAthjlc;  anl   tivs  marquis  of  !">(>•  •.  'i   this  laft 

was  a  minor,  w^-ve  created  uukes  j    Lo  was  isv.fted  with  the  title   of 

•(       -n-r:v;   The  Vifcounts  Stair. and  Rofcbc-rry  were  promoted  to   the 

;,''.inn-le   was    created    tavl    of  Gl\'if.'r.\'  ;     k;:n'.s    Stuart    of 

:   Chr.vles    Hop;   of   I-L>^.  t.-.)  r»,   ea,  1    of  Hopetoun  ;    J-vin 

i.'u\v;\.ra  ,.'  die,       ifci  .in-.ock.  ;  sad   Sir  jarr.r-s  Primrcie  ct"  Car- 

rington,  Vi!ci.i;n;:  Primrofe. 


37o  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  that  their  enemies  had  mifreprefented  them,  as  defirous  of 
II-  being  independent  of  the  crown  of  England ;  they,  there- 

<~*"Y"V-''  fore,  to  vindicate  themfelves  from  fuch  falfe  afperiions,  de- 
I7°3-  clared  and  acknowledged,  that  the  kingdom  of  Ireland  was 
annexed  and  united  to  the  Imperial  crown  of  England. 
In  order  to  exprefs  their  hatred  of  the  truftees,  they  re- 
folvcd,  That  all  the  Proteftant  freeholders  of  that  kingdom 
had  been  falfely  and  rnaliciouily  mifreprefented,  traduced, 
and  abufed,  in  a  book  entitled.  "  The  Report  of  the 
"  cornmiiiioners  appointed  to  enquire  into  the  Irifh  for- 
"  fdtures;"  and  it  appearing  that  Francis  Anneiley, 
member  of  the  houfe,  John  Trenchard,  Henry  Lang- 
ford,  and  James  Hamilton,  were  authors  of  that  book, 
ih^y  further  refolved,  That  thefe  perfons  had  fcandalouf- 
]y  and  malicioufly  mifreprefented  and  traduced  the  Pro 
teftant  freeholders  of  that  kingdom,  and  endeavoured  to 
create  a  mifunderftanding  and  jealoufy  between  the  people 
of  England  and  the  Proteftants  of  Ireland.  Annefley  was 
expelled  the  houfe,  Hamilton  was  dead,  and  Trenchard 
had  returned  to  England.  They  had  finiftied  the  enquiry 
before  the  meeting  of  this  parliament;  and  fold,  at  an  un 
der  value,  the  beft  of  the  forfeited  eftates  to  the  Sword- 
blade  Company  of  England.  This,  in  a  petition  to  the 
Irifh  parliament,  prayed,  that  heads  of  a  bill  be  brought  in 
for  enabling  them  to  take  conveyances  of  lands  in  Ireland; 
but  the  parliament  was  very  little  difpofcd  to  confirm  the 
bargains  of  the  truftees,  and  the  petition  lay  neglected  on 
the  table.  The  houfe  expelled  John  Afgill,  who,  as  a- 
gent  to  the  Swordblade  Company,  had  offered  to  lend 
money  to  the  public  in  Ireland,  on  condition  that  the  pat,- 
liament  would  pals  an  act  to  confirm  the  company's  pur- 
chafe  of  the  forfeited  eftates.  His  conftituents  difovvned 
his  propofal ;  and  when  he  was  fummoned  to  appear  be 
fore  the  houfe,  and  anfwer  for  his  prevarication,  he  plead 
ed  his  privilege,  as  member  of  the  Englifh  parliament. 
The  common?,  in  a  reprefentation  of  the  ftate  and  griev 
ances  of  the  nation,  gave  her  majefty  to  underftand,  that 
the  conftitution  of  Ireland  had  been  of  late  greatly  lhaken  ; 
and  their  lives,  liberties,  and  eftates  called  in  queftion, 
and  tried  in  a  manner  unknown  to  their  anceftors :  That 
the  expence  to  which  they  had  been  unneceflarily  expofed 
by  the  late  truftees  for  the  forfeited  eftates,  in  defending 
their  juft  rights  and  titles,  hr-d  exceeded  in  value  the  cur 
rent  cafh  of  the  kingdom:  That  their  trade  was  decayed, 
their  money  exhaufted,  and  that  they  were  hindered  from 
maintaining  their  own  manufactures  :  That  many  Protef 
tant  families  had  been  conftrained  to  quit  the  kingdom,  in 
order  to  earn  a  livelihood  in  foreign  countries :  That  the 


ANNE.  371 

want  of  frequent  parliaments  in  Ireland  had  encouraged  C  H  A  I*, 
evil-mhidcd  iren  to  opprefs  the  fubject:  That  many  ci-  IL 
vil  oinc-r?  had  acquired  great  f... -tunes  in  that  impoverished 
country,  by  the  excrciie  of  curruption  and  oppi^Tion  : 
That  others,  in  confiderable  employments,  refided  in  an 
other  kingdom,  neglecting  pcrfonal  attendance  on  their  du 
ty",  while  their  offices  were  ill  executed,  to  the  detriment 
of  the  public,  and  the  failure  of  juftice.  They  declared, 
that  it  was  from  her  majefty's  gracious  interpoution  alone 
they  propofed  to  themfelves  relief  from  thofe  manifold 
groans  and  misfortunes.  The  commons  afterwards  voted 
the  necefTary  fupplies,  and  granted  one  hundred  and  fifty 
thoufand  pounds  to  make  good  the  deficiencies  of  the  no- 
ceffary  branches  of  the  efrablifhment. 

They  appointed  a  committee  to  infpect  the  public  ac 
counts,  by  which  they  difcovered,  that  above  one  hundred 
thoufand  pounds  had  been  faliely  charged  as  a  debt  upon 
the  nation.  The  committee  was  thanked  by  the  houfe  for 
having  favedthis  fum,  and  ordered  to  examine  vvhatperfons 
were  concerned  in  fucha  mifreprefentation,  which  was  ge 
nerally  imputed  to  thofe  who  acted  under  the  duke  of  Or- 
mond.  He  himfelf  was  a  nobleivan  of  honour  and  gene- 
rofity,  addicted  to  pleafure,  and  fond  of  popular  applaufej 
but  he  was  furrounded  by  people  of  more  fordid  principle?, 
who  had  ingratiated  themfelves  into  his  confidence  by  the 
arts  of  adulation.  The  commons  voted  a  provision  for  the 
half-pay  officers,  and  abolifhed  penfions  to  the  amount  of 
feventeen  thoufand  pounds  a-year,  as  unneceflary  branches 
of  the  eftablifhment.  They  pafled  an  aft  fettling  the 
fUcceffion  of  the  crown,  after  the  pattern  fet  them  by 
England ;  but  the  moft  important  tranfaction  of  this  feffion 
was  a  fevere  bill  to  prevent  the  growth  of  Popery.  It 
bore  a  ftrong  nffinity  to  that  which  had  pafled  three  years 
before  in  England,  but  contained  more  effectual  claufes. 
Among  others,  it  enacted,  That  all  eftates  of  Papiils 
fhould  be  equally  divided  among  the  children,  notwith- 
ftancling  any  fettlement  to  the  contrary,  unlefs  the  perfons 
to  whom  they  might  be  fettled  mould  qualify  themfelves 
by  taking  the  oaths,  and  communicating  with  the  church 
of  England.  The  bill  was  not  at  all  agreeble  to  the  mi- 
niftry  in  England,  who  expected  large  prefents  from  the 
Papiils,  by  whom  a  confiderable  fum  had  been  actually 
railed  for  this  purpofe.  But,  as  they  did  not  think  pro 
per  to  reject  fuch  a  bill  while  the  Englidi  parliament  was 
fitting,  they  added  a  claufb  which  they  hoped  the  parlia 
ment  of  Ireland  would  refufe;  namely,  that  no  perfons 
in  that  kingdom  fliould  be  capable  of  any  employment,  or 
of  being  in  the  magiftracy  of  any  city,  who  did  not  qua- 


372  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  "fy  themfelves  by  receiving    the    facrament,  according  to 
n.       the  teft-acb  p afi't-J    in  Ei^S-id.     Though    this    was  ceN 

v-*"Y'"s^  t.iinly  a  great  hardship  on  the  cli (Tenters,  the  parliament  of 
1703-  Irela.kl  H-icrificed  thisconfiJenition  to  their  common  fecu- 
nty  agaii-.i1  the  Ron- at;  Catholics,  and  accepted  the  amend 
ment  without  hefitation.  This  affairs  being  difcufled,  the 
commons  of  Ireland  palled  a  vote  againft  a  book  intituled, 
"  Memoirs  of  the  late  King  James  II."  as  a  fetlitious 
libel.  The/  ordered  it  to  be  burned  by  the  hands  of  the 
corrttnbn  hangman  j  and  the  bookfeller  and  printer  to  be 
profccuted.  When  this  motion  was  made  a  member  in- 
fortred  the  houfe,  that  in  the  county  of  Limerick,  thelrifh 
Fapifts  had  begun  to  form  themfdves  into  bodies;  to 
plunder  the  Proteftants  of  their  arms  and  money  ;  and  to 
maintain  a  correspondence  with  the  difafvedlcd  in  England. 
The  houfe  immediately  refolved,  that  the  Papjfts  of  the 
kingdom  ftill  retained  hopes  of  the  acceffion  of  the  perfon 
known  by  the  name  of  the  Prince  of  Wales  in  the  life 
time  of  the  late  King  James,  and  now  by  the  name  of 
James  III.  In  the  midil:  of  this  zeal  againft  Popery  and 
the  Pretender,  they  were  fuddenly  adjourned  by  the  com 
mand  of  the  lord-lieutenant,  and  broke  up  in  great  ani- 
mofity  againft  that  nobleman  *. 

The  attention  of  the  Englifn  miniftry  had  been  for 
fome  time  chiefly  ensrofitd  by  the  affairs  of  the  conti 
nent.  The  emperor  agreed  with  the  allies,  that  his  fon 
the  Archduke  Charles  mould  aflame  the  title  of  King  of 
Spain,  demand  the  infanta  jgf  Portugal  in  marriage,  and 
undertake  fomething  of  importance,  with  the  alfiftance  of 
the  maritime  powers.  Mr.  Methuen,  the  Englifh  rninif- 
ter  at  Lifbon,  had  already  made  fome  progrefs  in  a  treaty 
with  his  Portuguese  rnajcfty  ;  and  the  court  of  Vienna 
promifed  to  fend  fuch  an  army  into  the  field  as  would  in 
a  little  time  drive  the  elector  of  Eavaria  from  his  domi 
nions.  But  they  were  fo  dilatory  in  their  preparations, 
that  the  French  king  broke  ail  their  meafure?,  by  fending 
powerful  reinforcements  to  the  elector,  in  whofe  ability 
iind  attachment  Louis  repofed  great  confidence.  Aiare- 
fchal  Villars,  who  commanded  an  army  of  thirty  thoufand 
men  at  Strafburg,  pafled  the  Rhine,  and  reduced  fort 
Kehl,  the  garrifon  cf  which  was  conduced  to  Philipf- 
burgh.  The  emperor,  alarmed  at  this  event,  ordered 


A   N    N    ::.  .  373 

count   SoMiek  to    enter   Bavaria  on  the    fide  of  Saitz-  CH  A  P, 
\vhn   a  considerable    body  offerees;  and   fent  an-  , 

oihcr  under  count  Stirum,  to  invade  the  fame  elector-  ^y 
at-  by  the  way  of  Newmfcrk,  which  was  furrendered  to 
h: -,-:,  ;:f;ur  he  h:v.i  routed  a  party  of  Bavarians.  The  city 
of  Amberg  met  with  th_  fams  late.  Mean  while,  count 
Schlick  defeated  a  body  of  militia  that  defended  the  lines 
of  Saltzburg,  and  made  himfelf  mafter  of  Riedt,  and  fe- 
veral  other  places.  The  elector  affembling  his  forces  near 
E<rsna'i,  cliiTufl-d  r  report  that  he  intended  to  : 

to   c-.v/cr   v/hich  place    Schlick    advanced   vk!»    the 
of  his  i  .;  his  cavalry 

J;-.;K);I.     The  el  .  v  his  feint  divided  the  ImPcriali{h 

Imperials,  pafTed  the  bridge  of  Scardingen  with  twelve 
thoufancl  men,  and,  after  an  obfvinate  engagement,  com 
pelled  the  Imperialifts  to  abandon  the  field  of  battle : 
Then  he  marched  agair.ft  the  Saxon  troops  which  guarded 
the  artillerv,  and  attacked  them  with  fuch  impetuofity, 
that  they  were  entirely  defeated.  In  a  few  days  after  thefe 
actions,  he  took  Newburg  on  the  Inn  by  capitulation. 
Ke  obtained  another  advantage  over  an  advanced  poft  of 
the  Irr.perialifts  near  Burgenfeldt,  commanded  by  the 
young  prince  of  Brandenburg  Anfpach,  who  was  mor 
tally  wounded  in  the  engagement.  Fie  advanced  to  Ra- 
tifbon,  where  the  diet  of  the  empire  was  affembled,  and 
demanded  that  he  fhould  be  immediately  put  in  peffefiion 
of  the  bridge  and  gate  of  the  city.  The  burghers  imme 
diately  took  to  their  arms,  and  planted  cannon  on  the 
ramparts  ;  but  when  they  faw  a  battery  creeled  againft 
them,  and  the  eleclor  determined  to  bombard  the  place, 
they  thought  proper  to  capitulate,  and  comply  with  his 
demand?.  Ke  took  poueillon  of  the  town  on  the  8th  day 
of  April,  and  figned  an  instrument  obliging  himfelf  to 
withdraw  his  troops,  as  foon  as  the  emperor  fhould  ratify 
the  diet's  refolution  for  the  neutrality  of  Ratiibon.  Mare- 
fchal  Villars  having  received  orders  to  join  the  eleclor  at 
all  events,  and  being  reinforced  by  a  body  of  troops  un- 
cler  count  Tallard,  refolved  to  break  through  the  lines 
which  the  prince  of  Baden  had  made  at  Stolhoffcn.  This 
general  had  been  luckily  joined  by  eight  Dutch  battalions, 
and  received  the  French  army,  though  double  his  num 
ber,  with  fuch  obflinate  refolution,  that  Villars  was 
obliged  to  retreat  with  great  lofs,  and  directed  his  route 
towards  Offin^en.  Neverthelefs,  he  penetrated  through 
the  Black  Foreft,  and  effected  a  junction  with  the  eleclor. 
Count  Stirum  endeavoured  to  join  prince  Louis  of  Ba 
den  ;  but  being  attacked  near  Schwemmiwgen,  retired 
under  the  cannon  of  Nortlingen. 


3/4  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND 

BOOK  The  confederates  were  more  fuccefsful  on  the  Lower 
,JL  Rhine  and  in  the  Netherlands.  The  duke  of  Marlbo- 
^"V**^  rough  crciTed  the  fea  in  the  beginning  of  April,  and  af- 
I7°3'  fembling  the  allied  army,  refolvcd  that  the  campaign 
|  of  ihould  be  begun  with  the  liege  of  Bonne,  which  was  ac- 
Maribo-00  cordingly  inverted  on  the  24th  day  of  April.  Three  dif- 
rough.  ferent  attacks  were  carried  on  againft  this  place  ;  one  by 
the  hereditary  prince  of  Hcfle-Caflel  ;  another  by  the  ce 
lebrated  Coehorn;  and  a  third  by  Lieutenant-General 
Fagel.  The  garrifon  defended  themfelves  vigorously  till 
the  14th  day  of  May,  when  the  fort  having  been  taken  by 
aflault,  and  the  breaches  rendered  practicable,  the  mar 
quis  d'Alegre,  the  governor,  ordered  a  parley  to  be  beat : 
Hoftages  were  immediately  exchanged  :  On  the  i6th  the 
capitulation  was  figned  ;  and  in  three  days  the  garrifon 
evacuated  the  place,  in  order  to  be  conducted  to  Luxem 
burg.  During  the  fiege  of  Bonne,  the  Marefchals  Bouff- 
lers  and  Villeroy  advanced  with  an  army  of  forty  thoufand 
ir.en  towards  Tongeren,  and  the  confederate, army,  com 
manded  by  M.  d'Auvcrquerque  was  obliged,  at  their  ap 
proach,  to  retreat  under  the  cannon  of  Maeftrich.  The 
enemy  having  taken  pofiefiion  of  Tongeren,  made  a  mo 
tion  againft  the  confederate  army,  which  they  found  alrea 
dy  drawn  up  in  order  of  battle,  and  fo  advantageoufly 
poff.ec!,  that,  notwithstanding  their  great  fuperiority  in 
point  of  number,  they  would  not  hazard  an  attack  ;  but 
retired  to  the  ground  from  whence  they  had  advanced. 
Immediately  after  the  reduction  of  Bonne,  the  duke  of 
Marlberough,  who  had  been  prcfcnt  at  the  fieee,  return 
ed  to  the  confederate  army  in  the  Netherlands,  now 
amounting  to  one  hundred  and  thirty  fquadrons,  and 
fifty-nine  battalions.  On  the  25th  day  of  May,  the  duke 
having  pafied  the  river  Jecker,  in  order  to  give  battle  to 
the  enemy,  they  marched  with  precipitation  to  Bockwcrn, 
and  abandoned  Tcngeren,  after  having  blown  up  the 
walls  of  the  place  with  gunpowder.  The  duke  continued 
to  follow  them  to  Thys,  where  he  encamped,  while  they 
retreated  to  Hannye,  retiring  as  he  advanced.  Then  he 
refolved  to  force  their  lines  :  This  fervice  was  effectually 
performed  by  Coehorn,  at  the  point  of  Callo,  atid  by  ba 
ron  Spaar,  in  the  county  of  Waes,  near  Stokcn.  The 
duke  had  formed  the  defign  of  reducing  Antwerp,  which 
was  garrifoned  by  Spanifh  troop?,  under  the  command  of 
the  marquis  cle  Bedmar.  He  intended  with  the  grand  ar 
my  to  attack  the  enemy's  lines  on  the  fide  of  Louvaine 
ancj  Mechlin  :  He  detached  Coehorn  with  his  flying  camp 
on  the  right  of  the  Scheldt,  towards  Dutch  Flanders,  to 
:'.snufe  the  marquis  the  .Bedmar  on  that  fide ,  and  he  or- 


ANNE.  375 

dered   the   baron  Opdam,  with    twelve  thoufand  men,  to  c  H  A  P- 
take  poft  between    Eckeren  and  Capelle,  near  Anhtwerp,       n- 
that   he   might  act  againft  that  part  of  the  lines  which  was  (^y^J 
guarded  by  the  Spanifh  forces.  '7*3  • 

The  French  generals,  in  order  to  fruftrate  the  fcheme  of 
Marlborough,  reiblved  to  cut  off  the  retreat  of  Opdam. 
Boufflers,  with  a  detachment  of  twenty  thoufand  men  from 
Villeroy's  army  furprifed  him  at  Eckeren,  where  the  Dutch 
were  put  into  diforder;  and  Opdam,  believing  all  was  loft, 
fled  to  Breda.  Neverthelefs,  the  troops  rallying  under 
General  Schlangenburg,  maintained  their  ground  with  the 
moft  obftinate  valour,  till  night,  when  the  enemy  was  oblig 
ed  to  retire,  and  left  the  communication  free  with  Fort 
Lillo,  to  which  place  the  confederates  marched  without 
further  moleftation,  having  loft  about  fifteen  hundred  men  . 
in  the  engagement.  The  damage  fuftained  by  the  French 
was  more  confiderable.  They  were  fruftrated  in  their  de- 
fign,  and  had  actually  abandoned  the  ficW  of  battle ;  yet 
Louis  ordered  Te  Deurn  to  be  fung  for  the  victory :  Ne 
verthelefs,  Boufflers  was  cenfured  for  his  conduct  on  this 
occafion,  and  in  a  little  time  totally  difgraced.  Opdam 
preferred  a  j  unification  of  his  conduct  to  the  ftates-gene- 
ral ;  but,  by  this  overfight,  he  forfeited  the  fruits  of  a  lon^ 
fbrvice,  during  which  he  had  exhibited  repeated  proofs  or 
courage,  zeal,  aud  capacity.  The  ftates  honoured  Schlang 
enburg  with  a  letter  of  thanks  for  the  valour  and  fkill  he 
had  rnanifefted  in  this  engagement;  but,  in  a  little  time, 
they  difmifled  him  from  his  employment,  on  account  ofhis 
having  given  umbrage  to  the  duke  of  Marlborough,  by 
cenfuring  his  Grace  for  expofing  fuch  a  fmall  number  of 
men  to  this  difafter.  After  this  action,  Villeroy  who  lay 
encamped  near  St.  Job,  declared  he  would  v/ait  for  the  duke 
of  Marlborough,  who  forthwith  advanced  to  Hoo^ftraat, 
with  a  view  to  give  him  battle  ;  but,  at  his  approach,  the 
French  general,  fetting  fire  to  his  camp,  retired  within  his 
lines  with  great  precipitation.  Then  the  duke  inverted 
Huy,  the  garrifon  of  which,  after  a  vigourous  defence,  fur- 
rendered  themfelves  prifoners  of  war  on  the  27th  day  of 
Auguft.  At  a  council  of  war,  held  in  the  camp  of  the 
confederates,  the  duke  propofed  to  attack  the  enemy's  lines 
between  the  Mehaigne  and  Leuwe,  and  was  feconded  by 
the  Danifh,  Hanoverian,  and  Heilian  generals;  but  the 
fcheme  was  oppofed  by  the  Dutch  officers,  and  the  deputies 
of  the  ftates,  who  alledged  that  the  fuccefs  was  dubious, 
and  the  coufequences  of  forcing  the  lines  would  be  inconfi- 
derable  :  They,  therefore,  recommended  the  flege  of  Lini- 
burg,  by  the  reduction  of  which  they  would  acquire  a 
whole  province,  and  cover  their  own  country,  as  well  as 


376  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  Juliers  and  Guilders,  from  the  defigns  of  thc-ir  en;my. 
"  The  fiege  of  Limburg  was  accordingly  undertaken.  The 
trenches  were  opened  on  the  25th  duy  of  Sc^ 
in  two  days  the  place  was  furn-ndered  ;  die  <cairif>:i  re 
maining  prifoners  of  war.  By  this  conque.fr,  the  allies  i'j- 
cured  the  country  of  Liege,  and  the  electorate  of  Cologn, 
from  the  incurfions  of  the  enemy :  Before  the  end  of  the 
year,  they  remained  mafters  of  the  whole  Spanifh  Gu'-lder- 
land,  by  the  reduflion  of  Gueldres  which  furrendered  on 
the  lyth  day  of  September,  after  having  been  long  blockaded, 
bombarded,  and  reduced  to  a  heap  oi  uflies,  by  the  Pru  ;:;:i 
general,  Lottuih.  Such  was  the  campaign  of  the  Nether 
lands,  which  in  all  probability  would  have  produced  events 
of  greater  importance,  had  not  the  duke  of  Marlborough 
been  reftricted  by  the  deputies  of  the  ftatcs-general,  who 
began  to  be  influenced  by  the  intrigues  of  the  Louveftein 
faction,  ever  averfe  to  a  fingle  dictator. 

The  French  king  redoubled  his  efforts  in  Germany. 
The  duke  de  Vendome  was  ordered  to  march  from  the 
Milanefe  to  Tyrol,  and  there  join  the  elector  of  Bavaria, 
who  h"d  already  made  himfelf  mafter  of  Infpruck.  But  the 
boors  rifmg  in  arms,  drove  him  out  of  the  country  before 
he  could  be  joined  by  the  French  general,  who  was,  there 
fore,  obliged  to  return  to  the  Milanefe.  The  Imperialifts 
in  Italy  were  fo  ill  fupplied  by  the  court  of  Vienna,  that 
they  could  not  pretend  to  act  offensively.  The  French  in 
verted  Dftiglia,  which,  however,  they  could  not  reduce  : 
But  the  fort  re  fs  of  Barfillo,  in  the  duchy  of  Reggio,  capitu 
lating  after  a  long  blokade,  they  took  pofleffion  of  the  duke 
of  Modena's  country.  The  elector  of  Bavaria  rejoining 
Villers,  refolved  to  attack  Count  Stirum,  whom  Princ.? 
Louis  of  Baden  had  detached  from  his  army.  With  this 
view,  they  pafled  the  Danube  at  Donawert,  and  difcharged  fix 
guns  as  a  ftgnal  for  the  marquis  d'UiTon,  whom  they  had  left 
in  the  camp  at  Lavingen,to  fall  upon  the  rear  of  the  Imperi 
alifts,  while  they  (hould  charge  them  in  front.  Stirum  no 
fooner  perceived  the  fignal,  than  he  gueffed  the  intention  of 
the  enemy,  and  inftantly  refolved  to  attack  d'Uflon  before  the 
elector  and  marefhal  fliould  advance.  He,  accordingly, 
charged  him  at  the  head  of  fome  felect  fquadronr7,  with  fucli 
iinpetuofity,  that  the  French  cavalry  v/ere  totally  defeated ; 
and  all  his  infantry  would  have  been  killed  and  taken,  had 
not  the  elector  and  Villers  come  up  in  time  to  turn  the 
fate  of  the  day.  The  action  continued  from  fix  in  the 
morning  till  four  in  the  afternoon,  when  Stirum  being  over 
powered  by  numbers,  was  obliged  to  retreat  to  NorFingen, 
with  the  lofs  of  twelve  thoufand  men,  and  all  his  baggage 
.Mid  artillery.  In  the  rheati  time,  the  au.:;e  cf  Burgundy,  a'f- 


i 


ANNE.  377 

fifted  by  Tallard,  undertook  the  fiege  of  Old  Brifac,  with  CHAP. 
a  prodigious  train  of  artillery.  The  place  was  very  II- 
flrongly  fortified,  though  the  garrifon  was  fmall,  and  ill  ^~Y*'*J 
provided  with  necefTaries.  In  fourteen  days,  the  governor  I/03- 
furrcndered  the  place,  and  was  condemned  to  lofe  his  head 
for  having  made  fuch  flender  defence.  The  duke  of  Bur 
gundy  returned  in  triumph  to  Verfailles,  and  Tallard  was 
ordered  to  invert  Landau.  The  Prince  of  HefTe  CafTel  be 
ing  detached  from  the  Netherlands,  for  the  relief  of  the 
place,  joined  the  Count  of  NafTau-Weilbourg,  general  of 
the  Palatine  forces,  near  Spires,  where  they  refolved  to  at 
tack  the  French  in  their  lines.  But,  by  this  time,  Monf. 
Pracontal,  with  ten  thoufand  men,  had  joined  Tallard,  and 
enabled  him  to  flrike  a  flroke  which  proved  decifive.  He 
fuddenly  quitted  his  lines  and  furprifed  the  prince  at  Spire- 
bach  where  the  French  obtained  a  complete  victory,  after 
a  very  obftinate  and  bloody  engagement,  in  which  the 
Prince  of  HefTe  diflinguiihed  himfelf  by  uncommon  marks 
of  courage  and  prefence  of  mind.  Three  horfes  were  fuc- 
ceffively  killed  under  him,  and  he  flew  a  French  officer 
with  his  own  hand.  After  incredible  efforts,  he  was  fain 
to  retreat  with  the  lofs  of  fome  thoufands.  The  French 
paid  dear  for  their  victory,  Pracontal  having  been  flain  in 
the  action.  Neverthelefs,  they  refumed  the  fiege,  and  the 
place  was  furrendered  by  capitulation.  The  campaign  in 
Germany  was  finifhed  with  the  reduction  of  Augfbur^  by 
the  elector  of  Bavaria,  who  took  it  in  the  month  of  Decem 
ber,  and  agreed  to  its  being  fecured  by  a  French  garrifon. 
The  emperor's  affairs  at  this  juncture  wore  a  very  un- 
promifmg  afpedt.  The  Hungarians  were  fleeced,  andbar- 
baroufly  opprefTcd,  by  thofe  to  whom  he  entrufled  the  go 
vernment  of  their  country.  They  derived  courage  from 
defpair.  They  feized  this  opportunity,  when  the  emperor's 
forces  were  divided,  and  his  councils  diflracted,  to  exert 
themfelves  in  defence  of  their  liberties.  They  ran  to  arms 
under  the  aufpices  of  Prince  Ragotzki.  They  demanded 
that  their  grievances  fhould  be  redrefled,  and  their  privile 
ges  reflored.  Their  refentment  was  kept  up  by  the  emif- 
faries  of  France  and  Bavaria,  who  likewife  encouraged 
them  to  perfevere  in  their  revolt,  by  repeated  promifes  of 
protection  and  afliftance.  The  emperor's  profpect,  however, 
was  foon  mended,  by  two  incidents  of  very  great  confc- 
quence  to  his  interefr.  The  duke  of  Savoy,  forefjeing  Treaty  be- 
how  much  he  fhould  lie  expofed  to  the  mercy  of  the  French  tween  the 
kin?,  fhould  that  monarch  become  maflcr  of  the  Milanefe,  eniPerer 

,  .          ,-  .      .  •  i      ,  ,  •    i       and  the 

engaged  in  a  fecret  negotiation  with  the  emperor,  which,  ^uke  of 
notwithftanding  ail  his  caution,  was  difcovered  by  the  court  Savoy. 
cf   Verfailies.     Louis    immediately  ordered  the  duke    de 
VOL.  I.  3  B   J 


378  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK    Vendome  to  difarm  the  troops  of  Savoy  that  were  in  his  ar 
my,  to  the  number  of  two-and-twenty  thoufand  men  :  To 

V-*"Y'^  infift  upon  the  duke's  putting  him  in  pofleffion  of  four  ccn- 
7°3'  fiderable  fortrefles ;  and  demand  that  the  number  of  his 
troops  fhould  be  reduced  to  the  eflablifhment  ftipulated  in 
the  treaty  of  1696.  The  duke,  exafperated  at  thefe  infult?, 
ordered  the  French  ambaflador,  and  feveral  officers  of  the 
fame  nation,  tobearrefted.  Louis  endeavoured  to  intimidate 
him  by  a  menacing;  letter,  in  which  he  gave  him  to  under- 
ftand,  that  fmce  neither  religion,  honour,  intereft,  nor  alli 
ances,  had  been  able  to  influence  his  conduct,  the  duke  de 
Vendome  fhould  make  known  the  intentions  of  the  French 
monarch,  and  allow  him  four-and -twenty  hours  to  delibe 
rate  on  the  meafures  he  fhould  purfue.  This  letter  was 
anfwered  by  a  manifesto  :  In  the  mean  time,  the  duke  con 
cluded  a  treaty  with  the  court  of  Vienna;  acknowledged  the 
Archduke  Charles  as  king  of  Spain;  and  fent  envoys  to 
England  and  Holland.  Queen  Anne,  knowing  his  impor 
tance,  as  well  as  his  felfifh  difpofition,  aflured  him  of  her 
friendfhip  and  affiftance ;  and  both  fhe  and  the  ftates  fent 
ambafladors  to  Turin.  He  was  immediately  joined  by  a 
body  of  Imperial  horfe  under  Vifconti,  and  afterwards  by 
count  Staremberg,  at  the  head  of  fifteen  thoufand  men, 
with  whom  that  general  marched  from  the  Modenefe,  in 
the  worft  feafon  of  the  year,  through  an  enemy's  country, 
and  roads  that  were  deemed  impaffable.  In  vain  the  French 
forces  harrafled  him  in  his  march,  and  even  furrounded  him 
in  many  different  places  on  the  route :  He  furmounted  all 
thcfe  difficulties  with  incredible  courage  and  perfeverance, 
and  joined  the  duke  of  Savoy  at  Canelfi,  fo  as  to  fecure  the 
country  of  Piedmont.  The  other  incident  which  proved 
fo  favourable  to  the  Imperial  intereft,  was  a  treaty  by  which 
the  king  of  Portugal  acceded  to  the  grand  alliance.  His 
miniftry  perceived,  that  fhould  Spain  be  once  united  to  the 
crown  of  France,  their  mafter  would  fit  very  infecure  up 
on  his  throne.  They  were  intimidated  by  the  united  fleets 
of  the  maritime  powers,  which  maintained  the  empire  of 
the  fea ;  and  they  were  allured  by  the  fplendour  of  a  match 
between  their  Infanta  and  the  Archduke  Charles,  to  whom 
the  emperor  and  the  king  of  the  Romans  promifed  to  tranf- 
fcr  all  their  pretenfions  to  the  Spanifh  crown.  By  this 
treaty,  concluded  at  Lifbon,  between  the  emperor,  the 
queen  of  Great  Britain,  the  king  of  Portugal,  and  the  ftates- 
general,  it  was  ftipulated,  That  king  Charles  fhould  be  con 
veyed  to  Portugal  by  a  powerful  fleet,  having  on  board 
twelve  thoufand  foldiers,  with  a  great  fupply  of  money, 
arms,  and  ammunition ;  and  that  he  ftiould  be  joined,  im- 


ANNE.  379 

mediately  upon  his  landing,  by  an  army  of  eight- and-twen-  CHAP. 
ty  thoufand  Portuguefe. 

The   confederates  reaped  very  little  advantage  from  the    ^~Y~*~^ 
naval   operations   of  this   fummer.      Sir   George  Rooke 
cruized  in  the    channel,  in  order  to  alarm   the  coaft   of  Naval  t«a- 
France,  and  protect  the  trade  of  England.     On  the  I  ft  day 
of  July,  fir  Cloudefley   Shovel    failed  from    St.  Helen's, 
with  the  combined   fquadrons  of  England   and   Holland : 
He  directed  his  courfe  to   the   Mediterranean,  and   being 
reduced  to  great  difficulty  by   want  of  water,  fleered    to 
Altea,  on  the  coaft  of  Valentia,  where  brigadier  Seymour 
landed,  and  encamped  with  five-and-tvventy   hundred  ma 
rines.     The   admiral  published  a  fhort  manifefto,  figni- 
fying  that  he  was  not  come   to  difturb,  but  to  protect,  the 
good  fubjects  of  Spain,   who  mould   fwear   allegiance  to 
their  lawful  monarch,  the  Archduke  Charles,  and    endea-- 
vour  to  (hake  off  the  yoke   of  France.     This    declaration 
produced  little  or  no  effect ;  and  the   fleet  being  watered, 
fir   Cloudefley  failed  to  Leghorn.     One  defign  of  this  ar 
mament  was  to  aflift  the  Cevennois,  who  had  in  the  courfe 
of  the  preceding   year  been  perfecuted  into  a  revolt  on  ac 
count  of  religion,  and    implored  the  affiftance  of  England 
and  the  ftates-general.     The   admiral   detached  two  fhips 
into  the  gulf  of  Narbonne,  with  fome  refugees  and  French 
pilots,  who  had  concerted  fignals  with  the  Cevennois  ;  but 
the  marefchal  de  Montrevil  having  received   intimation  of 
their  deilgn,  took  fuch   meafures  as  prevented  all  commu 
nication  ;  and  the  Englifli  captains   having  repeated  their 
fignals  to  no  purpofe,  rejoined  fir  Cloudefley  at  Leghorn. 
This  admiral,  having  renewed  the  peace  with  the  piratical 
ftates  of  Barbary,  returned  to  England,  without  having  ta 
ken  one  effectual  ftep  for  annoying  the  enemy,  or  attempt 
ed  any  thing  that  looked   like   the  refult   of  a  concerted 
fcheme  for  that  purpofe.     The  nation  naturally  murmured 
at  the  fruitlefs  expedition,  by  which  it  had  incurred  fuch  a 
confiderable    expence.     The  merchants   complained   that 
they  were  ill   fupplied  with  convoys.     The   fhipsofwar 
were     victualled    with    damaged     provifion  ;    and   every 
article  of  the  marine  being   mifmanaged,    the   blame    fell 

upon  thofe  who   acted   as  council  to  the  lord  hioh   ad- 

•    i  ° 

aural. 

Nor  were  the  arms  of  England  by  fea  much  more  fuc- 
cefsful  in  the  Weft-Indies.  Sir  George  Rooke,  in  the 
preceding  year,  had  detached  from  the  Mediterranean  cap 
tain  Hovenden  Walker,  with  fix  fhips  of  the  line  and 
tranfports,  having  on  board  four  regiments  of  foldiers,  for 
the  Leeward  Iflands.  Being  joined  at  Antigua  by  fome 
troops  under  colonel  Codrington,  they  made  a  defcent 


380  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  upon  the  Ifland  of  Guadaloupe,  where  they  raifcd  the  fort, 
burned  the  town,  ravaged  the  country,  and  re-embarked 

**~y~**'  with  precipitation,  in  confequence  of  a  report  that  the 
X7°3-  French  had  landed  nine  hundred  men  on  the  back  of  the 
iiland.  They  retired  to  Nevis,  where  they  ir.uil  have 
perifhed  by  famine,  had  not  they  been  providentially  re 
lieved  by  vice  admiral  Graydon,  in  his  way  to  Jamaica. 
This  officer  had  been  fent  out  with  three  fhips  to  fucceed 
Benbovv,  and  was  convoyed  about  one  hundred  and  fifty 
leagues  by  two  other  {hips  of  the  line.  He  had  not  failed 
many  days,  when  he  fell  in  with  part  of  the  French  fqua- 
dron,  commanded  by  Du  Gaffe,  on  their  return  from  the 
Weft-Indies,  very  foul  and  richly  laden.  Captain  Cle- 
land,  of  the  Tvlontagu,  engaged  the  fternmoft;  but  he  was 
called  off  by  a  fignal  from  the  admiral,  who  proceeded  on 
his  voyage,  without  taking  further  notice  of  the  enemy. 
When  he  arrived  at  Jamaica,  he  quarrelled  with  the  prin 
cipal  planters  of  the  ifland  ;  and  his  fhips  beginning  to  be 
crazy,  he  refolved  to  return  to  England.  He,  accordingly> 
failed  through  the  gulf  of  Florida,  with  a  view  to  attack 
the  French  at  Placentia,  in  Newfoundland;  but  his  mips 
were  difperfe'd  in  a  fog  that  lafted  thirty  days ;  and  after 
wards  the  council  of  war  which  he  convoked  were  of  opi 
nion  that  he  could  not  attack  the  fettlement  with  any 
profpefl  of  fuccefs.  At  his  return  to  England,  the  houfe 
of  lards,  then  fitting,  fet  on  foot  an  enquiry  into  his  con- 
duel.  They  prefcnted  an  addrefs  to  the  queen,  defiring 
fhe  would  remove  him  from  his  employments  ;  and  he 
was  accordingly  difmified.  The  only  exploit  that  tended 
to  diftrefs  the  enemy  was  performed  by  rear-adrciral 
Dilkes,  who,  in  the  month  of  July,  failed  to  the  coaft  of 
France  with  a  fmall  fquadron  ;  and  in  the  neighbourhood 
of  Granville,  took  or  deftroyed  about  forty  fhips  and  their 
convoy.  Yet  this  damage  was  inconfiderable,  when  com 
pared  to  that  which  the  Engliih.  navy  fuftained  from  the 
dreadful  tempeft  that  began  to  blow  on  the  2yth  day  of 
November,  accompanied  with  fuch  flafhes  of  lightning, 
and  peals  of  thunder,  as  overwhelmed  the  whole  kingdom 
with  confternation.  The  houfes  in  London  fliook  from 
their  foundations,  and  fome  of  them  falling,  buried  the  in 
habitants  in  their  ruins.  The  water  overflowed  feveral 
ilreets,  and  rofe  to  a  confiderable  tide  in  Weftminfter-hall. 
London-bridge  was  almoft  choaked  up  with  the  wrecks  of 
vefiels  that  periihed  in  the  river.  The  lofs  fuftained  by 
the  capital  was  computed  at  a  million  ftcrling  ;  and  the 
city  of  Briftol  fuffered  to  a  prodigious  amount:  But  the 
chief  national  damage  fell  upon  the  navy.  Thirteen  fhips 
of  war  were  loft,  together  with  fifteen  hundred  fcamen3 


33 1 

including  rear-admiral  Beaumont,  who  had  bcjcn  employ-  CHAP, 
ed  in  observing   the  Dunkirk   fquadron,   and  was    then  at         n- 
anchor  in  the  Downs,  v.v,c;2    his   {hip    foundered.     This   ^"Y"^ 
2;reatlofs,  however,  was  repaired  with  incredible  diligence,      I?°3- 
to  the  aftonifhmcnt  of  all  Europe.  The  queen  immediately 
iflued  orders  for  building  a  greater   number  of  fhips    than 
that  which  had   been    dc.ftfoy.ed  ;    and   the   exercifed  her 
bounty  for  the  relief  of  the  ihip-wrecked  featnen,  and   the 
widows  of  thofe  who  were  drowned,  in  fuch  a  manner   as 
endeared  her  to  all  her  fubjects. 

The  emperor  hiving  declared  his  fecond  fon  Charles  The  duke 
king  of  Spain,  that  young  prince  fet  out  from  Vienna  to  of  Madbo- 
Holland,  'and  r.t  DdTeldocp  was  vifited  by  the  duke  of  ™g£jjfits 
Marlborough,  who,  in  the  name  of  his  miftrefs,  congratu-  Of  Spain, 
latcd  him  upon  his  acceffion  to  the  crown  of  Spain. 
Charles  received  him  with  the  moft  obliging  courtefy. 
In  the  courfe  of  their  converfation,  taking  ofFhis  fwprd, 
he  prefented  it  to  the  Englifh  general,  with  a  very  gra 
cious  afpect,  faying  in  the  French  language,  "  I  am  not 
"  anumed  to  own  myfelf  a  poor  prince.  I  poflefs  nothing 
"  but  my  cloak  and  fvvord  ;  the  latter  may  be  of  ufe  to 
"  your  grace;  and  I  hope  you  will  not  thinx  it  the  worfe 
"  for  my  wearing  it  one  day."  "  On  the  contrary,  (re- 
"  plied  the  duke),  it  will  always  put  me  in  mind  of  your 
"  raajefty's  juft  right  and  tide,  and  of  the  obligations  I  lie 
"  under  to  hazard  my  life  in  making  you  the  greatefr. 
"  prince  in  Christendom." — -This  nobleman  returned  to 
England  in  October;  and  king  Charles  embarking  for 
the  fame  kingdom,  under  convoy  of  an  Engliih  and  Dutch 
fquadron,  arrived  at  S pithead,  on  the  26th  day  of  Sep-  who  arrive* 
tember.  .There  he  was  received  by  the  dukes  of  Somerfet  'n  E"slanci- 
and  Marlborough,  who  conducted  him  to  Wincifor  ;  and, 
on  the  road,  he  was  met  by  prince  George  of  Denmark. 
The  queen's  deportment  towards  him  was  equally  noble 
and  obliging  ;  and  he  exprefTed  the  moft  profound  refpe-ft: 
and  veneration  for  this  illuftrious  princefo.  Me  fpoke  but 
littb ;  yet  what  he  faid  w:'iS  judicious;  and  he  behaved 
with  fuch  politenefs  and  affability  as  conciliated  the  affec 
tion  of  the  Engliih  nobility.  After  having  been  magni 
ficently  entertained  for  three  days,  he  returned  to  Portf- 
inouth,  from  whence,  on  the  4th  of  January,  he  failed  for 
Portugal,  with  a  great  fleet,  commanded  by  fir  George 
Rool-ce,  having  on  board  a  body  of  land  forces,  under  the 
duke  of  Schomberg.  When  the  admiral  had  aimoft  reach 
ed  Cape  Finifterre,  he  was  driven  back  by  a  florm  to 
Spithead,  where  he  was  obliged  to  remain  till  the  middle 
of  February.  Then  being  favoured  with  a  fair  wind,  he 
happily  performed  the  voyage  to  Lifbon,  whsre  kin? 


382  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  Charles  was  received  with  great  fplendour,  though  the 
court  of  Portugal  was  overfpread  with  forrow,  excited  by 

^-"V"*^  the  death  of  the  infanta,  whom  the  king  of  Spain  intended 
17°3-  to  efpoufe.  In  Poland,  all  hope  of  peace  feemed  to  vanifh. 
The  cardinal  primate,  by  the  inftigation  of  the  Swedifh 
king,  whofe  army  lay  encamped  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
Dantzick,  affembled  a  diet  at  Warfaw,  which  folemnly 
depofed  Auguftus,  and  declared  the  throne  vacant.  Their 
intention  was  to  ele£t  young  Sobiefki,  fon  of  their  late 
monarch,  who  refided  at  Breflau  in  Silefia  :  But  their 
fcheme  was  anticipated  by  Auguftus,  who  retired  haftfly 
into  his  Saxon  dominions,  and  feizing  Sobiefld,  with  his 
brother,  fecured  them  as  prifoners  at  Drefden. 


CHAP.        III. 


Lovat's  pretended  confpiracy  -  Proceedings  in  Parlia 
ment  -  Violent  oppofition  to  the  mini/fry  in  the  Parlia 
ment  of  Scotland  -  Duke  of  Marlborough  defeats  the 
Bavarians  at  Scheltenberg  -  Gains  a  complete  viflory 
over  the  French  at  Blenheim  -  Gibraltar  taken  - 
Proceedings  in  relation  to  the  Union  -  State  of 
the  war  in  Spain  -  Conferences  opened  for  a  treaty 
of  Union  -  Subftance  of  it  -  Battle  of  Ramillies 
-  French  defeated  at  Turin  -  Union  confirmed 
by  Parliament,  though  contrary  to  the  fentiments  of 
the  majority  of  the  nation. 


WHEN  the  parliament  met  in  O£bober,  the  queen  CHAP. 
in  her  fpeech  took  notice  of  the  declaration  by  in. 
the  duke  of  Savoy,  and  the  treaty  with  Portugal,  as  cir-  '•""V^ 
cumftances  advantageous  to  the  alliance.  She  told  them,  r7°3- 
that  although  no  provilion  was  made  for  the  expedition  to 
Lifbon,  and  the  augmentation  of  the  land-forces,  the  funds 
had  anfwered  fo  well,  and  the  produce  of  prizes  been  fo 
confiderable,  that  the  public  had  not  run  in  debt  by  thofe 
additional  fervices  :  That  fhc  had  contributed  out  of  her 
own  revenue  to  the  fupport  of  the  circle  of  Suabia,  whofe 
firm  adherence  to  the  intereft  of  the  allies  deferved  her 
feafonable  afliftance.  She  faid,  fiie  would  not  engage  in 
any  unneeoTary  expence  of  her  own,  that  fhe  might  have 
the  more  to  fpare  towards  the  eafe  of  her  fubje&s.  She 
recommended  difpatch  and  union,  and  earneftly  exhorted 
them  to  avoid  any  heats  or  divifions  that  might  give  en 
couragement  to  the  common  enemies  of  the  church  aoid 
ftate.  Notwithftanding  this  admonition,  and  the  addrefles 
of  both  houfes,  in  which  they  promifed  to  avoid  all  divi 
fions,  a  motion  was  made  in  the  houfe  of  commons  for  re 
newing  the  bill  againft  occafional  conformity,  and  carried 
by  a  great  majority.  In  the  new  draft,  however,  the  pe- 


384  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  nalties  were  lowered,  and  the  fevereft  claufes  mitigated. 
As  the  court  no  longer  interefted  itfelf  in  the  fuccefs  of 
%^^y^^>  this  meafure,  the  houfe  was  pretty  equally  divided  with 
J7°3-  refpe<5l  to  the  fpeakers,  and  the  debates  on  each  fide  were 
maintained  with  equnl  fpirit  and  ability.  At  length  it 
pafied,  and  was  fent  up  to  the  lords,  who  handled  it  ftill 
more  feverely.  It  was  oppofed  by  a  fmall  majority  of  the 
bifhcps,  and  particularly  by  Burnet  of  Sarum,  who  de 
claimed  againft  it,  as  a  fcheme  of  the  Papifts  to  fet  the 
church  and  Proteftants  at  variance.  It  was  fuccefiively 
attacked  by  the  duke  of  Devon/hire,  the  earl  of  Pembroke, 
the  lords  Haverfharn,  Mohun,  Ferrars,  and  Wharton. 
Prince  George  of  Denmark  abfented  himfelf  from  the 
houfe;  and  the  queftion  being  put  for  a  fecond  reading, 
it  was  carried  in  the  negative  :  Yet  the  duke  of  Marlbo- 
rough  and  lord  Godolphin  entered  their  diflent  againft 
its  being  rejected,  though  the  former  had  pofitively  declar 
ed,  that  he  thought  the  bill  unfeafonable.  The  commons 
having  per u fed  a  copy  of  the  treaty  with  Portugal,  voted 
40,000  men,  including  5000  marines,  for  the  fea  ferviceof 
the  enfuing  year;  and  a  like  number  of  land-forces,  to  acl: 
in  conjunction  with  the  allies, bciides  the  additional  10,000 . 
They  likewife  refblved,  That  the  proportion  to  be  em 
ployed  in  Portugal  mould  amount  to  8000.  Sums  were 
granted  for  the  maintenance  cf  thtfe  great  armaments,  as 
well  as  for  the  fubfidies  payable  to  fier  majefty's  allies ; 
and  funds  appointed  equal  to  the  occasion.  Then  they 
afiured  the  queen,  in  an  addrefr,  that  they  would  provide 
for  the  fupport  of  fuch  alliances  as  file  had  made,  or  mould 
make,  with  the  duke  of  Savoy. 

Pretended  At  this  period  the  nation  was  alarmed  by  the  detection 
confpuacy.  of  a  confpiracy  faid  to  be  hatched  by  the  Jacobites  of 
Scotland.  Simon  Frafer  Lord  Lovat,  a  man  of  defperate 
cnterprife,  profound  difiimulation,  abandoned  morals,  and 
ruined  fortune,  who  had  been  outlawed  for  having  ravifhcd 
a  fifter  of  the  marquis  of  Athole,  was  the  perfon  to  whom 
the  plot  feems  to  have  owed  its  origin.  He  repaired  t«> 
the  court  of  St.Germain's,  where  he  undertook  to  aflemble 
a  body  of  12,000  Highlanders  to  acl  in  favour  of  the  pre 
tender,  if  the  court  of  France  would  affift  them  with  a 
fmall  reinforcement  of  troops,  together  with  officers,  arms, 
ammunition  and  money.  The  French  king  feemed  to 
liilen  to  the  propofal ;  but,  as  Frafer's  character  was  infa 
mous,  he  doubted  his  veracity.  He  was,  therefore,  fent 
back  to  Scotland  with  two  other  perfons  who  were  in- 
ftriufted  to  learn  the  ftrcngth  and  fentirnents  of  the  clans, 
and  endeavour  to  engage  forne  of  the  nobility  in  the  defign 
of  an  infurre£tion.  Frafer  no  iooner  returned,  than  he 


ANNE.  385 

privately  difcovered  the  whole   tranfaclion   to   the  duke  of  C  H  A  P. 
Queenfberry,  and  undertook  to  make  him  acquainted  with 
the  whole  correfpondence  between  the  pretender  and  the  l*-**"Y^ 
Jacobites.     In  confequence  of  this  fervice  he  was  provided       17°1- 
with  a  pafs,  to  fecure  him  from  all  profecution;  and  made 
a  progrefs  through  the  Highlands,  to  found  the  inclination 
of  the  chieftains.     Bofore  he  fct  out  on  this  circuit,  he  de 
livered  to  the  duke  a  letter  from  the    queen  Dowager  at 
St.  Germains,  directed  to  the  marquis  of  Athole  :     It  was 
couched  in  general  terms,  and    fuperfcribed  in  a   different 
character;  fo  that,  in  all  probability,  Frafer  had  forged  the 
direction,   with  a  view  to  ruin  the  marquis,  who  had  pro- 
fbcuted  him  for  the  injury  done  to  his  filler.     He  propofed 
a  fecond  journey  to   France,  where  he    fliould   be  able  to 
difcover  other  more  material  circumftances;  and  the  duke 
of  Queenfberry   procured  a  pafs  for  him  to  go  to  Holland 
from  the  earl  of  Nottingham,  though  it  was  expedited  un 
der  a  borrowed  name.     The  duke  had  communicated  his 
difcovery  to  the  queen,  without  difclofing  his  name,  which 
he  defired  might  be  concealed  :   Her  majefty  believed  the 
particulars,  which  were  confirmed  by  her  fpies  at  Paris,  as 
well  as  by   the  evidence  of  Sir  John   Maclean,    who  had 
lately  been  conveyed  from  France  to  England  in  an  open 
boat,  and  apprehended  at  Folkftone.     This  gentleman  pre 
tended  at  firft,  that  his  intention  was  to  go  through    Eng 
land  to  his  own  country,  in  order  to  take  the   benefit  of 
the  queen's  pardon  ;    and  this,  in  all  probability,   was   his 
realdefign:  But,  being  given  to  under/land  that  he  would 
be  treated  in  England  as  a  traitor,  unlefs  he  ihould  merit 
forgivenefs,  by  making  important  difcoveries,  he  related  all 
he  knew  of  the  purpofed  infurrection.     From  his  informa 
tion,  the   miniftry  gave   directions  for  apprehending   one 
Keith,  whofe  uncle  had  accompanied   Frafer  from    France, 
and  knew  all  the  intrigues   of  the  court  of  St.    Germains. 
He  declared  that  there  was  no  other  defign   on  foot,   ex 
cept  that  of  paving  the   way  for  the  pretender's    afccmiing 
the  throne  after  the  queen's    dcceafe.     Fergufon,  that   ve 
teran  confpirator,  affirmed  that  Frafer  had    been   employed 
by  the  duke  of  Queenfberry  to  decoy  fome    perfons    whom 
he  hated  into  a  confpiracy,  that  he  might  have  an  opportu 
nity  to  effect  their  ruin  ;  and  by  the  difcovery  eftablilh  his 
own  credit,  which  began  to  totter.     Perhaps  there  was  too 
much  reafon  for  this  imputation.     Among  thofe  who  were 
feized  at  this  time,  was  a  gentleman  of  the  name  of  Lind- 
iay,  who  had  been  under-fecretary  to  the  earl  of  Middleton. 
He  had  returned  from  France  to  Scotland,  in  order  to  ta!:e 
the  benefit  of  the  queen's  pardon,    under  the   flicker   of 
which  he  came  to  EnH.-.nd,  thinking   himfelf  fecure  from 
VOL.  I.  3  C 


386  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK,  profeculion.     He  protefted  he  knew  of  no  defign 
,  the  queen  or  her  government;  and  that  he  did  not   believe 

if  fhe  would  ever  receive  the  leaft  injury  or  moleflation  from 
the  court  of  St.  Germains.  The  houfe  of  lords  having 
received  intimation  of  this  confpiracy,  refolved,  That  a 
co;  imittee  fhould  be  appointed  to  examine  into  the  par 
ticulars  ;  and  ordered,  That  Sir  John  Maclean  fliould  be 
next  d;iy  brought  to  their  houfe.  The  queen,  who  was  far 
from  being  pleafcd  with  this  inftance  of  their  officious  in- 
terpofition,  give  them  to  underftand  by  mefTage,  that  fhe 
thought  it  would  be  inconvenient  to  change  the  method  of 

O  O 

examination  already  begun  ;  and  that  fhe  would  in  a  (hort 
time- inform  the  houfe  of  the  whole  affair.  On  the  iyth 
day  of  December,  the  queen  went  to  the  houfe  of  peers, 
and  having  pafied  the  bill  for  the  land-tax,  made  a  fpeech 
to  both  houfes,  in  which  fhe  declared,  that  fhe  had  unquef- 
tionable  information  of  ill  practices  and  defigns  carried  on 
by  the  emiflaries  of  France  in  Scotland.  The  loids  per- 
iiiting  in  their  refolution  to  bring  the  enquiry  into  their 
own  houfe,  chofe  their  fele6l  committee  by  ballot  ;  and,  in 
an  addrefs,  thanked  her  majefty  for  the  information  fhe  had 
been  pleafed  to  communicate. 

The  commons,  taking  it  for  granted  that  the  queen  was 
difobliged  at  thefe  proceedings  of  the  upper  houfe,  which, 
indeed,  implied  an  infult  upon  her  miniftry,  if  not  upon 
her  herfelf,  prefented  an  addrefs,  declaring  themfelves  fur- 
prifed  to  find,  that  when  perfons  fufpe6ted  of  treafonable 
practices  were  taken  into  cuilody  by  her  majefty's  mef- 
fengefSj  in  order  to  be  examined,  the  lords,  in  violation  to 
the  known  laws  of  the  land,  had  wrefted  them  out  of  her 
hands,  and  arrogated  the  examination  folely  to  themfelves-, 
fo  that  a  due  enquiry  into  the  evil  practices  and  defigns 
againft  her  rmjefty's  perfon  and  government  might  in  a 
great  meafure,  be  oburuclied.  They  earneftly  defired,  that 
ihe  would  fufter  no -diminution  of  the  prerogative;  and 
they  afllired  her  they  would,  to  the  utmoft  of  their  power, 
fupport  her  in  the  exercife  of  it  at  home,  as  well  as  in  af- 
ferting  it  againft  all  invafions  whatfoever.  The  queen 
thanked  them  for  their  concern  and  affurances  ;  and  was 
not  ill  pleafed  at  the  nature  of  the  addrefs,  though  the  charge 
againit  the  peers  was  not  ftriclly  true  ;  for  there  were 
many  inita.ices  of  their  having  afTamed  fuch  a  right  of 
enquiry.  The  upper  houfe  deeply  refented  the  accufation. 
They  declared,  that  by  the  known  laws  and  cuftoms  of 
parliament,  they  had  an  undoubted  right  to  take  examina 
tions  of  perfons  charged  with  criminal  matters,  whether 
thofe  perfons  were,  or  were  not  in  cuftody.  They  re- 
folved.  That  the  adurcii  of  the  commons  was  unparlia- 


A    N     N    £.  387 

vnentary,  groundlefs,  without,  precedent,  highly  injurious  c  H  HP. 
to  the  houfc  of  peers,  tending  to  interrupt  the  good  cor-  1!L 
refpondence  between  the  two  houfes,to  creare  an  ill  ooi- 
nion  in  her  majefty  of  the  houfe  of  peers,  of  dangerous 
confequence  to  the  liberties  of  the  people,  the  conftitution 
of  the  kingdom,  and  privileges  of  parliament.  They 
prefented  a  long  remonftrance  to  the  queen,  juftifying 
their  own  conduct,  explaining  the  fteps  they  had  taken, 
recriminating  upon  the  commons,  and  cxpre/iin;:;  the 
moil  fervent  zeal,  duty,  and  affection  to  her  m?  jetty.  In 
her  anfwer  to  this  representation,  which  was  drawn  up 
with  elegance,  propriety,  and  preciiion,  (lie  profefTed 
her  farrow  for  the  mifunderftanding  which  had  happened 
between  the  two  houfes  of  parliament,  and  thanked  them 
for  the  concern  they  had  expreffed  for  the  rights  of  the 
crown  and  the  prerogative,  which  fhe  fhould  never  ex 
ert  fo  willingly  as  for  the  good  of  her  fubjecl;s,  and  the 
protection  of  their  liberties. 

Among  other  pcrfons  feized  on  the  craft  of  Sufiex,  on 
their  landing  from  France,  was  one  Boucher,  who  had 
been  aid-du-camp  to  the  duke  of  Berwick.  This  man, 
when  examined,  denied  all  knowledge  of  any  confpiracy: 
He  faid,  that  being  weary  of  living  fo  long  abroad,  and 
having  made  fome  unfuccefsful  attempts  to  obtain  a  pafs, 
he  had  chofen  rather  to  caft  himfelf  on  the  queen's  mercy, 
than  to  remain  longer  in  exile  from  his  native  country. 
He  was  tried  and  condemned  for  high  treafon,  yet  conti 
nued  to  declare  himlelf  ignorant  of  the  plot.  He  proved, 
that  in  the  war  of  Ireland,  as  well  as  in  Flanders,  he  had 
treated  the  Englifh  prifoners  with  great  humanity.  The 
lords  deiifted  from  the  profecution ;  he  obtained  a  re 
prieve,  and  died  in  Newgate.  On  the  29th  day  of  Janu 
ary,  the  earl  of  Nottingham  told  the  hcufe,  that  the 
queen  had  commanded  him  to  lay  before  them  the  papers 
containing  all  the  particulars  hitherto  difcovered  of  the 
confpiracy  In  Scotland  ;  but  that  there  was  one  circum- 
ftance  which  could  not  yet  be  properly  communicated, 
without  running  the  rifque  of  preventing  a  difcovery  of 
greater  importance.  They  forthwith  drew  up  and  p re 
lented  an  addrefs,  defiring,  that  all  the  papers  might  be 
immediately  fubmitted  to  their  infpcclion.  The  qucca 
faid,  fhe  did  not  expect  to  be  prciTed  in  this  manner  im 
mediately  after  the  declaration  fhe  had  made;  but  ia 
a  few  days  the  earl  of  Nottingham  delivered  the  pah_rs 
fealed  to  the  houfe,  and  all  the  lords  were  fummoned  to 
attend  en  the  8th  day  of  February,  that  they  might  be 
opened  and  perufed.  Nottingham  was  fufpecled  of  a  de- 
to;n  to  ilifle  the  ccnfbiracv-  Complain!  , 


388  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  houfe  of  commons,  that  he  had  difchargcd  an  officer  be 
longing  to  the  lute  King  James,  who  had  been  feized  by 
^"Y"*1*^  the  governor  of  Berwick.  A  warm  debate  enfued,  and  at 
7°3-  length  ended  in  a  refolve,  That  the  earl  of  Nottingham, 
one  of  her  majeity's  principal  fccretaries  of  (late,  for  his 
great  ability  and  diligence  in  the  execution  of  his  office, 
for  his  unqueftionablc  fidelity  to  the  queen  and  her  go 
vernment,  and  for  his  ftcady  adhering  to  the  church  of 
England  as  by  law  eftablifhed,  highly  merited  the  truft 
her  majefty  had  repofed  in  him.  They  ordered  the  fpeaker 
to  pretent  this  refclution  to  the  queen,  who  faid  fhe  \vas 
glad  to  find  them  fo  well  fatisfied  with  the  earl  of  Not 
tingham,  who  was  trufted  by  her  in  fo  confiderablc  an  of 
fice.  They  perufed  the  examinations  of  the  witnefTes 
which  were  laid  before  them,  without  pafling  judgment, 
or  offering  advice  on  the  fubject ;  but  they  thanked  her 
majefty  for  having  communicated  thofe  particulars,  as 
well  as  for  her  wifdom  and  care  of  the  nation.  When  the 
lords  proceeded  with  uncommon  eagernefs  in  their  enqui 
ry,  the  lower  houfe,  in  another  addrefs,  renewed  their 
complaints  againft  the  conduct  of  the  peers,  which  they 
ftill  affirmed  was  without  a  precedent.  But  this  was  the 
language  of  irritated  faction,  by  which  indeed  boih  fides 
were  equally  actuated. 

The  felect  committee  of  the  lords  profecuted  the  en 
quiry,  and  founded  their  report  chiefly  on  the  confefilon 
of  fir  John  Maclean,  who  owned,  that  the  court  of  St. 
Ger  mains  had  Hftened  to  Lovat's  propofa!  :  That  fevcral 
councils  had  been  held  at  the  pretender's  court  on  the 
fubje£t  of  an  invafion  ;  and  that  perfons  were  fent  over  to 
found  fome  of  the  nobility  in  Scotland.  But  the  nature  of 
their  private  corrcfpondence  and  negotiation  could  not  be 
difcovered.  Keith  had  tampered  with  his  uncle  to  difclofe 
the  whole  fecret ;  and  this  was  the  circumftance  which 
the  queen  declined  imparting  to  the  lords,  until  fhe 
fhould  know  the  fuccefs  of  his  endeavour?,  which  proved 
ineffectual.  The  uncle  ftood  aloof;  and  the  miniftry  did 
not  heartily  engage  in  the  enquiry.  The  houfe  of  lords 
having  finished  thefe  examinations,  and  being  warmed 
with  violent  debates,  voted,  That  there  had  been  danger 
ous  plots  between  fome  perfons  in  Scotland  and  the  courts 
of  France  and  St.  Germain?;  and,  that  the  encourage 
ment  for  this  plotting  arofe  from  the  not  fettling  the  fuc- 
ceffion  to  the  crown  of  Scotland  in  the  houfe  of  Hanover. 
Thefe  votes  were  f:gnified  to  the  queen  in  an  addrefs  ; 
and  they  promifed,  that  when  the  fucceffion  fhould  be 
thus  let-led,  thry  would  endeavour  to  promote  the  union 
of  the  two  kingdoms  upon  juft  and  reaibnable  terms. 


ANNE.  389 

Then  they  compofed  another  reprcfentation,  in  anfwer  to  C  H  A  P. 
the   fecond  addrefs   of  the  commons,  touching  their  pro 
ceedings.     They   charged   the   lower  houfe  with  want  of  ^Y"*"1^ 
zeal  in  the  whole  progrefs  of  this  enquiry.     They  produc-      17°3- 
ed   a  great  number  of  precedents,  to  prove  that  their  con 
duce    had   been    regular   and  parliamentary  ;  and  they,  in 
their  turn,  accufed  the  commons  of  partiality  and  injuftice 
in  vacating  legal  elections.     The  queen,  in  anfwer  to  this 
remonftrance,  faid,  (lie  looked  upon  any  mifunderftanding 
between   the  two  houfes  as  a  very  great  misfortune  to  the 
kingdom  ;  and   that  fhe  fhould   never   omit  any  thing  in 
her  power  to  prevent  all  occafions  of  them  for  the  future. 

The   lords    and    commons,  animated    by  fuch  oppofite  Difputcs 
principles,  feized   every   opportunity   of  thwarting  each  bctw'--ei1^  c 

I  A  o  •  1  •  1  11  liif  1  tWO    "°uleS' 

other.     An    action  having  been  brought  by  one  Matthew 
Afhby   againft    William  White,  and  the  other  conftables 
of  Aylefbury,  for  having  denied  him  the  privilege  of  vot 
ing   in    the  laft  election,  the  caufe  was  tried  at  the  aflizes, 
and  the  coi, (tables  were  call  with  damages.     But  an  order 
v/ac   given  in  the  queen's  bench  to  quafh  all  the  proceed 
ings,  fince    no   action   had  ever  been  brought  on  that  ac 
count.     The  caufc  being  moved  by  writ  of  error  into  the 
houfe    of  lords,  was  argued  with  great  warmth  ;  at  length 
it  was   carried   by  a  great  majority,  that  the  order  of  the 
queen's    bench   fhould   be  fet  afide,  and   judgment  pro 
nounced  according   to    the   verdict    given   at  the  aflizes. 
The  commons  considered  thefe  proceedings  as  encroach 
ments   on  their  privileges.     They  pafled  five  different  re- 
fbhitions,  importing,  That   the   commons  of  England,  in 
parliament   aiTembled,  had   the    fole  right  to  examine  and 
determine   all   matters    relating;  to  the  right  of  election  of 
their    own   members:  That   the   practice  of  determining 
the    qualifications  of  electors  in   any  court  of  law  would 
:ie   all   mayors,    bailiff?,    and   returning-officers,    to 
a  multiplicity  of  vexatious  fuits,  and  infupportahle  expcn- 
ces,  i-::d   f abject  them   to  different  and  independent  jurif- 
dictions,  as    well    as  to  inconfiftcnt  determinations  in  the 
fame   cafe,  without   relief:     That   Matthew   Afhby   was 
gu'lty  of  a  breach  of  privilege,  as  were  all  attornies,  foli- 
citors,  ccur.f.llors,  and  ferjeants  at  lav/,  foliciting,  profe- 
cviting,    or    pleading,    in   any    cafe  of  the   fame   nature. 
Thefe    resolutions,  figned   by  the  clerk,  were  fixed  u(  on 
the    gate    of  Weiiminiler-hall.     On   the  ether  hand,  the 
lords    appointed   a   committee   to   draw   up  a  ftate  of  the 
cafe  ;  and,  upon  their  report,    refolved,    That  every  per- 
ic  n  being  wilfully  hindered  to  exercife  his  right  of  voting, 
might  iv;aiatvin  an  action  in  the  queen's  courts  againft  the 
officer   by  whom  his  vots  fnould  be  refufed,   to  affert  his 


390  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

•BOOK  rightj  and  recover  damage  for  the  injury  :  That  an  a/Ter- 
li.  tion  to  the  contrary  was  deftructive  of  the  property  of  the 
fubjecls,  ac;ainft  the  freedom  of  elections,  and  manifefily 
tended  to  the  encouragement  of  partiality  and  corruption  : 
That  the  declaring  Matthew  Afhby  guilty  of  a  breach  of 
privilege  of  the  houfe  of  commons  was  an  unprecedented 
attempt  upon  the  judicature  of  parliament,  and  an  at 
tempt  to  iubje&  the  law  of  England  to  the  votes  of  the 
houfe  of  commons.  Copies  of  the  cafe,  and  thcfe  rtfolu- 
tions,  were  fent  by  the  lord  keeper  to  all  the  fherifFs  of 
England,  to  be  circulated  through  all  the  boroughs  of 
their  refpedb've  counties. 

On  the  7th  day  of  February,  the  queen  ordered  Secre 
tary  Hedges  to  tell  the  houfe  of  commons,  that  fhe  had 
remitted  the  arrears  of  the  tenths  to  the  poor  clergy : 
Tnat  ftie  would  grant  her  whole  revenue  arifing  out  of 
the  firft-fruits  and  tenths,  as  far  as  it  ihould  become  free 
from  incumbrance,  as  an  augmentation  of  their  main 
tenance :  That  if  the  houfe  of  commons  could  find  any 
method  by  which  her  intentions  to  the  poor  clergy  might 
be  made  more  effectual,  it  would  be  an  advantage  to  the 
public,  and  acceptable  to  her  majefly.  The  commons  im 
mediately  brought  in  a  bill,  enabling  her  to  alienate  this 
branch  of  the  revenue,  and  create  a  corporation  by  char 
ter,  to  direct  the  application  of  it  to  the  ufes  propofed  ; 
they  likewife  repealed  the  ftatute  of  mortmain,  fo  far  as  to 
allow  all  men  to  bequeath  by  will,  or  grant  by  deed,  any 
um  they  fhould  think  fit  to  give  towards  the  augmenta 
tion  of  benefices.  Addrefles  of  thanks  and  acknowledg 
ment  from  all  the  clergy  of  England  were  prefented  to  the 
queen  for  her  gracious  bounty;  but  very  little  regard  was 
paid  to  Burner,  bi/hop  of  Sarum,  although  the  queen  de 
clared  that  prelate  author  of  the  project.  He  was  general 
ly  hated  either  as  a  Scot,  a  low-church  man,  or  a  med 
dling  partifan. 

In  March,  an  enquiry  into  the  condition  of  the  navy 
was  begun  in  the  houfe  of  lords.  They  defired  the  queen, 
in  an  addrefs,  to  give  fpeedy  and  effectual  orders,  that 
a  number  of  fhips  fufficient  for  the  home-fervice  fhould 
b:  equipped  and  manned  with  all  pofTible  expedition. 
They  refolved,  That  Admiral  Graydon's  not  attacking 
the  four  French  fuips  in  the  channel  had  been  a  prejudice 
to  the  queen's  fervice,  and  a  difgrace  to  the  nation  :  That 
his  prefHng  men  in  Jauuiica,  and  his  feverity  towards 
matters  of  merchant  vefiels  and  tranfports,  had  been 
a  gvcat  difcouragement  to  the  inhabitants  of  that  ifland,  as 
\vell  as  riTuidicbl  to  her  majefty's  fervice  ;  and  they  pre- 
a^ainft  him,  in  coni  'quence  of  \v  >ch  he 


ANNE.  391 

was  difrnifled.  They  examined  the  accounts  of  the  earl  of  C  n  A  P. 
Orford,  againft  which  great  clamour  had  been  raifed;  m 
and,  taking  cognizance  of  the  remarks  made  by  the  com- 
miffioners  of  the  public  accounts,  found  them  falfe  in  fact, 
ill-grounded,  or  of  no  importance.  The  commons  he- 
fought  the  queen  to  order  a  profecution  on  account  of  ill 
practices  in  the  earl  of  Ranelagh's  office ;  and  they  fent 
up  to  fhe  lords  a  bill  for  continuing  the  commiflton  on  the 
public  accounts.  Some  alterations  were  made  in  the  up 
per  houfe,  efpecially  in  the  nomination  of  commiflioncrs  ; 
but  thefe  were  rejected  by  the  commons.  The  peers  ad 
hering  to  their  amendments,  the  bill  dropped,  and  the 
commiffion  expired.  No  other  bill  of  any  confequence 
pafled  in  this  fefiion,  except  an  adr.  for  railing  recruits, 
which  empowered  juftices  of  the  peace  to  imprefs  idle 
perfons  for  foldiers  and  mariners.  On  the  3d  day  of  April, 
the  queen  went  to  the  houfe  of  peers,  and  having  made 
a  fhort  fpeech  on  the  ufual  topics  of  Acknowledgment, 
unity,  and  moderation,  prorogued  the  parliament  to  the 
4th  day  of  July.  The  divifion  ftill  continued  between  the 
two  houfes  of  convocation;  fo  that  nothing  of  moment 
was  tranfadted  in  that  aflembly,  except  their  addrefs  to 
the  queen  upon  her  granting  the  firft-fruits  and  tenths  for 
the  augmentation  of  fmall  benefices.  At  the  fame  time, 
the  lower  houfe  fent  their  prolocutor  with  a  deputation  to 
wait  upon  the  fpeaker  of  the  houfe  of  commons,  to  return 
their  thanks  to  that  honourable  houfe  for  having  efpoufed 
the  intereft  of  the  clergy ;  and  to  allure  them  that  the 
convocation  would  purfue  fuch  methods  as  mi^ht  heft 
conduce  to  the  fupport,  honour,  intereft,  and  fecurity  of 
the  church  as  now  by  law  eftablifhed.  They  fent  up  to 
the  archbifhop  and  prelates  divers  reprefentadons,  con 
taining  complaints,  and  proposing  canons  and  articles  of 
reformation  ;  but  very  little  regard  was  paid  to  their  re- 
inonftrancetr. 

About  this  period,  the  earl  of  Nottingham,  after  hav 
ing  ineffectually  p  re  fled  the  queen  to  difcard  the  dukes  of 
Somerfet  and  Devonfhire,  refigned  the  feals.  The  earl  of 
Jerfey  and  fir  Edward  Seymour  were  difrnifled  ;  the  earl 
of  Kent  was  appointed  chamberlain,  Harley  fecretary  of 
fb.te,  and  Henry  St.  John  fecretary  of  war.  The  dif- 
covery  of  the  Scottifh  confpiracy  was  no  fooner  known  in 
France,  than  Louis  ordered  Frafer  to  be  imprifoned  in 
the  Eaftile.  In  England,  Lindfay  being  fentericed  to  die 
for  having  correfponded  with  France,  was  given  to  un- 
derftand  that  he  had  no  mercy  to  expect,  unlefs  he  would 
difcover  the  confpiracy.  He  periifted  in  denying  all 
knowledge  of  any  fuch  confpiracy,  and  fcorned  to  fave  his 


39* 


BOOK 


1704. 


Parliament 
of  Scotland 


Bumet. 
Hiih  of 


Lockhart. 
Burchet. 

Lives  ofthe 

Admirals, 

Vpltair:. 

Europe 
Hiit.  of  the 
D.  of  Marl- 

rous  ' 


HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

life  by  giving  falfe  information.  In  order  to  intimidate 
him  into  a  confevHon,  the  miniftry  ordered  him  to  be  con- 
vcyed  to  Tyburn,  where  he  .ftill  rejected  life  upon  tne 
terms  prppofed  :  Then  he  was  carried  Dack  to  N  ewgate, 
where  he  remained  fome  years  :  At  length  he  was  banilh- 
ed,  and  div=:d  of  hunger  in  Holland.  The  minifters  had 
been  fo  lukewarm  and  languid  in  the  inveftigation  of  the 
Scottifh  confpiracy,  that  the  Whigs  loudly  exclaimed  a- 
gainft  them  as  difguifed  Jacobites,  and  even  whifpered  in- 
finuations,  implying,  that  the  queen  herfelf  had  a  fecret 
bias  of  lifterly  affection  for  th.2  court  of  St.  Geamains. 
What  feerned  to  confirm  this  allegation,  was  the  difgrace 
of  the  duke  of  Quecniberry,  who  had  exerted  himfelf  with 
remarkable  zeal  in  the  detection  :  But  the  decline  of  his 
intereft  in  Scotland  was  the  real  caufe  of  his  being  laid 
afide  at  this  juncture. 

The  defign  of  the  court  was  to  procure  in  the  Scottifli 
parliament  the  nomination  of  a  fuccelTor  to  the  crown,  and 
a  fupply  for  the  forces,  which  could  not  be  obtained  in  the 
preceding  feilion.  Secretary  Johnfton,  in  concert  with 
the  marquis  of  Tweedale,  undertook  to  carry  thefe  points, 
j  n  return  for  certain  limitations  on  the  fucceffor,  to  which 
her  majefty  agreed.  The  marquis  was  appointed  commif- 
fioner.  The  office  of  lord  regiiler  was  beftowed  upon 
Johnflon,  and  the  parliament  met  en  the  6th  day  of  July. 
^  ne  queen,  in  her  letter,  exprefied  her  concern  that  thefe 
divifions  fhould  have  rifen  to  fuch  a  height,  as  to  encou- 
rage  the  enemies  of  the  nation  to  employ  their  emiflaries  for 
debauching  her  good  fubje&s  from  their  allegiance.  She 
declared  her  refolution  to  grant  whatever  could  in  reafon 
be  demanded  for  quieting  the  minds  of  the  people.  She 
told  them,  fhe  had  empowered  the  marquis  of  Tweedale  to 
give  unquestionable  proofs  of  her  determination  to  main 
tain  the  government  in  church  and  ftate,  as  by  law  efta- 
blifhed  in  that  kingdom  ;  to  confent  to  fuch  laws  as  fhould 
be  found  wanting  for  the  further  fccurity  of  both,  and  for 
preventing  ^11  encroachments  for  the  future.  She  earneflly 
exhorted  them  to  fettle  the  fucccffion  in  the  Proteftant  line, 
as  a  fitp  abfolutely  neceflary  for  their  own  peace  and  hap- 
pinefs,  the  quiet  and  fecurity  of  all  her  dominions,  ti-e  re 
putation  of  her  affairs  abroad,  and  the  improvement  of  the 
Proteftant  inter  eft  through  all  Europe.  She  declared,  that 
fhe  had  autho.ifcd  the  commiffioner  to  give  the  royal  af- 
frnt  to  whatever  could  be  rer.fonably  dern  tided,  and  \vas 
in  her  power  to  grant,  for  fecuriag  the  fovereignty  and 
liberties  of  that  her  ancient  kingdom.  The  retraining 
part  ofthe  letter  turned  upon  the  neceff  ry  of  their  granting 
a  fupply,  the  difcouragement  of  vice,  the  encouragement 


ANNE.  393 

of  commerce,  and  the  ufual  recommendation  of  moderation  CHAP- 
and  unanimity.  Iir- 

The  duke  of  Hamilton  prefented  a  refolve,  That  the  ^~Y~*"^ 
parliament  would  not  name  a  fucceflbr  to  the  crown,  until  J7C4- 
the  Scots  fhould  have  concluded  a  previous  treaty  with 
England,  in  relation  to  commerce  and  other  concerns. 
This  motion  produced  a  warm  debate,  in  the  courfe  of 
which  Fletcher  of  Salton  expatiated  upon  the  hardfhips  and 
miferies  which  the  Scots  had  fuflained  fince  the  union  of  the 
two  crowns  under  one  fovereign,  and  the  impoflibility  of 
bettering  their  condition,  unlefs  they  fhould  take  care  to 
anticipate  any  defign  that  tended  to  a  continuation  of  the 
lame  calamaties.  Another  refolve  was  produced  by  the 
earl  of  Rothes,  importing,  That  the  parliament  fhould 
proceed  to  make  fuch  limitations  and  conditions  of  govern 
ment  as  might  be  judged  proper  for  rectifying  the  conftitu- 
tion;  for  vindicating  and  fecuring  the  fovereignty  and  in- 
depency  of  the  nation;  and  that  then  the  parliament  would 
take  into  con fi deration  the  other  refolve  offered  by  the  duke 
of  Hamilton,  for  a  treaty  previous  to  the  nomination  of  a 
fucceflbr.  This  propofal  was  feconded  by  the  courty-party, 
at  length  fir  James  Falconer  of  Phefdo,  offered  an  expedi 
ent  which  neither  party  could  refufe  with  any  fhow  of  mode 
ration.  He  fuggeiled  a  refolve,  That  the  parliament  would 
not  proceed  to  the  nomination  of  a  fucceflbr,  until  the  pre 
vious  treaty  with  England  fhould  be  difcuffed ;  and  that  it 
would  make  the  neceffary  limitations  and  conditions  of  go 
vernment,  before  the  fucceflbr  fhould  be  nominated.  This 
joint  refolve  being  put  to  the  vote,  was  carried  by  a  great 
majority.  The  treaty  with  England  was  neglected,  and 
the  affair  of  the  fucceffton  coufequentiy  •  poftponed.  The 
duke  of  Athole  moved,  That  her  majefly  fhould  be 
defired  to  fend  down  the  witneffes,  and  all  the  papers  relat 
ing  to  the  confpiracy,  that,  after  due  examination,  thofe 
who  were  unjuftly  accufed  might  be  vindicated,  and  the 
guilty  punifhed  according  to  their  demerits.  The  commif- 
^ioner  declared,  that  he  had  already  written,  and  wouldwrite 
again  to  the  queen  on  that  fubje<5t.  The  intention  of  the  ca 
valiers  was  to  convict  the  duke  ofQueenfberry  of  malice  and 
calumny  in  the  profecution  of  that  affair,  that  they  might 
wreak  their  vengeance  upon  him  for  that  inftance  of  his 
animofity,  as  well  as  for  his  having  deferted  them  in  the 
former  feffion.  He  found  means,  however,  to  perfuade 
the  queen,  that  fuch  an  enquiry  would  not  only  protracl 
the  feiHon,  but  alfo  divert  them  from  the  fetdement  of  the 
•fucceflion,  and  raife  fuch  a  ferment  as  might  be  productive 
of  tragical  confequences.  Alarmed  at  thefe  fuggeftions, 
Jhe  relolved  to  prevent  the  examination  ;  and  gave  no  an- 

VOL.  I.  3D 


394  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  Ivvcr  to  the  repeated  applications  made  by  her  parliament 
and  miniirers.      Mean  while  the  duke  of  Queen  (berry  apr 
^Y"^  pe:fed  his  enemies  in  Scotland,  Hy  directing  all  his  friends 
J7°4-      to  join  in  the  opposition. 

The  duke  of  Hamilton  again  moved,  That  the  parlia 
ment  (hould  proceed  to  the  limitations,  and  name  cornmif- 
fi oners  to  treat  with  England,  previous  to  all  other  bufi- 
nefs,  except  an  act  for  a  land-tax  of  two  months,  necefTary 
for  the  immediate  fubftrtence  of  the  forces.  The  earl  of 
Marchmont  propofed  an  act  to  exclude  all  Popifh  fuccef- 
fors;  but  this  was  warmly  oppofed  as  unfeafonable,  by 
Hamilton  and  his  party.  A  bill  of  fupply  being  offered  by 
the  lord  ju (lice-clerk,  the  cavaliers  tacked  to  it  great  part 
of  the  acl:  of  fecurity,  to  which  the  royal  aflent  had  been 
refufed  in  the  former  feilion.  Violent  debates  arofe  ;  fo 
that  the  houfe  was  filled  with  rage  and  tumult.  The  na 
tional  fpirit  of  independence  had  been  wrought  up  to  a  dan 
gerous  pitch  of  enthufiafm.  The  ftreets  were  crowded 
with  people  of  all  ranks,  exclaiming  againft  Englifh  influ 
ence  >  and  threatening  to  iacrifice  as  traitors  to  their  coun 
try,  all  who  fhould  embrace  meafures  that  feemed  to  fa 
vour  a  foreign  mtereft.  The  commiflioner  and  his  friends 
were  confounded  and  appalled.  Finding  it  impoflible  to 
item  the  torrent,  he,  wuh  the  concurrence  of  the  other 
minifters,  wrote  a  letter  to  the  queen,  reprefenting  the  un 
comfortable  iituation  of  affairs,  and  advifmg  her  majefty 
to  pafs  the  bill,  incumbered  as  it  was  with  the  act  of  fecu 
rity.  Lord  Godolphin,  on  whofe  council  fhe  chiefly  reli 
ed,  found  himfelf  involved  in  great  perplexity.  The  To 
ries  had  devoted  him  to  deftru<5r.ion.  He  forefaw  that  the 
queen's  conceffion  to  the.  Scots,  in  an  affair  of  fuch  confe- 
quence,  would  furnifh  his  enemies  with  a  plauiible  pre 
tence  to  arraign  the  conduct  of  her  minifler  :  But  he  chofe 
to  run  that  rifque,  rather  than  fee  the  army  difbanded  for 
v/ant  of  a  iupply  and  the  kingdom  left  expofcd  to  an  inva- 
fion.  He,  therefore,  feconded  the  advice  of  the  Scottifh 
minifiers;  and  the  queen  authorifed  the  commiffioner  to 
Aft  of  S:-  pafs  the  bill  that  was  depending.  This  act  provided,  that 
curity  paf-  in  cafe  of  the  queen's  dying  without  iffue,  a  parliament 
{hould  immediately  meet,  and  declare  the  fucceilor  to  the 
crown,  different  from  the  perfon  pofleffing  the  throne  of 
England,  unlefs  before  that  period  a  fettlement  fhould  be 
made  in  parliament  of  the  rights  and  .liberties  of  the  nation, 
independent  of  Englifh  councils  :  By  another  claufe,  they 
were  empowered  to  arm  and  train  the  fuhjects,  Jb  as  to 
put  them  in  a  poilure  of  defence.  The  Scotdih  parlia 
ment  having,  by  a  laudable  exertion  of  fpirit,  obtained 
tj)is  act  of  fecurity,  granted  the  fupply  without  further  he- 


ANNE.  395 

fitation  :  But,  not  yet  fatisfied  with  this  facrifice,  they  C  H  A  P. 
engaged  in  debates  about  the  coiifpiracy,  and  the  proceed 
ings  of  the  houfe  of  lords  in  England,  which  they  termed 
an  officious  intermeddling  in  their  concern?,  and  en 
croachment  upon  the  fovereignty  and  independency  of  the 
nation.  They  drew  up  an  addrefs  to  the  queen,  defiring 
that  the  evidence  and  papers  relating  to  the  plot  might  be 
fubjeiited  to  their  examination  in  the  next  fcffion.  Mean 
while,  the  ccmmiliioner,  dreading  the  further  progrefs  of 
fuch  an  ungovernable  ferocity,  prorogued  the  parliament 
to  the  jth  day  of  October.  The  act  of  fecurity  being 
tranfmitted  to  England,  copies  of  it  were  circulated  by  the 
enemies  of  Godolphin,  who  reprefented  it  as  a  meafure  of 
that  minifter;  and  the  kingdom  was  filled  with  murmurs 
and  difcontent.  People  openly  declared,  that  the  two 
kingdoms  were  now  feparated  by  law,  fo  as  never  to  be 
rejoined.  Reports  were  fpread,  that,  great  quantities  of 
arms  had  been  conveyed  to  Scotland,  and  that  the  natives 
were  employed  in  preparations  to  invade  England.  All 
the  blame  of  thefe  tranfactions  was  imputed  to  lord  Go- 
dolphin,  whom  the  Tories  determined  to  attack,  while  the 
oth^r  party  refolved  to  exert  their  whole  influence  for  his 
prefervation :  Yet,  in  all  probability,  he  owed  his  imme 
diate  fupport  to  the  fuccefsof  his  friend  the  duke  of  Marl- 
borough. 

Nothing  could  be  more  deplorable  than  the  fituation  to  situation  of 
which  the  emperor  was  reduced  in  the  beginning  of  the  the  Emfie- 
fcafen.  The  malcontents  in  Hungary  had  rendered  them-  ror> 
felves  formidable  by  their  fuccefs  :  The  elector  of  Bavaria 
poflefled  all  the  places  on  the  Danube,  as  far  as  Paflau, 
and  even  threatened  the  city  of  Vienna,  which  muft  have 
been  infallibly  loft,  had  the  Hungarians  and  Bavarians, 
acted  in  a  concert.  By  the  advice  of  Prince  Eugene,  the 
emperor  implored  the  aiTiftance  of  her  Britannic  majefty ; 
and  the  duke  of  Marlborougb.  explained  to  her  the  necei- 
fity  of  undertaking  his  relief.  This  nobleman,  in  the 
month  of  January,  had  croffed  the  lea  to  Holland,  and 
concerted  a  fcherne  with. the  deputies  of  the  Hates-general, 
for  the  operations  of  the  enfuing  campaign.  They  agreed 
that  General  Auverquerque,  fhould  lie  upon  the  defen- 
five  with  a  fmall  body  of  troops  in  the  Netherlands,  while 
the  main  army  of  the  allies  fhould  act  upon  the  Rhine,  un 
der  the  command  of  the  duke  of  Marlborough.  Such  was 
the  pretext  under  which  thiscorifummate  general  concealed 
'•.er  plan,  which  was  communicated  to  a  few  or.lv,  in 
whofedifcretionhe  could  coniide.  It  was  approved  by  the 
petitionary  and  fome  leading  men,  who  fecured  its  favour 
able  reception  with  the  ftate^-gefleral,  when  it  became 


396  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  neceflary  to  impart  the  fecret  to  that  numerous  affembly, 
In  the  mean  time,  the  preparations  were  made,  on  pre- 
tence  of  carrying  the  war  to  the  banks  of  the  Mo- 


In  the  month  of  April  the  duke,  accompanied  by  his 
brother  General  Churchill,  Lieutenant-General  Lumley, 
the  earl  of  Orkney,  and  other  officers  of  diftin&ion,  em 
barked  for  Holland,  where  he  had  a  long  conference  with 
a  deputation  of  the  ftates,-  concerning  a  propofal  of  fending 
a  iarge  army  towards  the  Mofdle.  The  deputies  of  Zea 
land  oppofed  this  meafure  offending  their  troops  to  fuch  a 
diftance  fo  ftrenuoufly,  that  the  duke  was  obliged  to  tell 
them,  in  plain  terms,  he  had  received  orders  to  march 
thither  with  the  Britifh  forces.  He  accordingly  afiem- 
bled  his  army  at  Maeftricht;  and,  on  the  8th  day  of  May, 
began  his  march  into  Germany.  The  French  imagined  his 
intention  was  to  begin  the  campaign  with  the  fie^e  of 
Tracrbach,  and  penetrate  into  France  along  the  Mofelle. 
In  this  perfuafion  they  fent  a  detachment  to  that  river  ; 
and  gave  out  that  they  intended  to  inveft  Huy,  a  pretence 
to  which  the  duke  paid  no  regard.  He  continued  his 
route  by  Bedburgh,  Kerpenord,  Kalfecken  :  He  vifited 
the  fortifications  of  Bonne,  where  he  received  certain  ad 
vice,  that  the  recruits  aud  reinforcements  for  the  French 
army  in  Bavaria  had  joined  the  elector  at  Villengen.  He 
redoubled  his  diligence,  parted  the  Neckar  on  the  3d  of 
June,  and  halted  at  Ladenburgh  :  From  thence  he  wrote 
a  letter  to  the  ftates-general,  giving  them  to  underftand, 
that  he  had  the  queen's  orders  to  march  to  the  relief  of  the 
empire;  and  expreffing  his  hope  that  they  would  approve 
thedefign,  and  allow  their  troops  to  fharc  the  honour  of  the 
expedition.  By  the  return  of  a  courier  he  received  their 
approbation,  and  full  power  to  command  their  forces.  He 
then  proceeded  to  Mildenhcim,  where  he  was  vifited  by 
Prince  Eugene  ;  and  thefe  two  great  men,  whofe  talents 
were  congenial  immediately  contracted  in  an  intimacy  of 
friendfhip.  Next  day  Prince  Louis  of  Baden  arrived  in 
the  camp  at  Great  Hippach.  He  told  the  duke,  his  grace 
was  come  to  fave  the  empire,  and  to  give  him  an  opportuni 
ty  of  vindicating;  his  honour,  which  he  knew  was  at  the  laft 
(take  in  the  opinion  of  fome  people.  The  duke  replied,  he 
was  come  to  learn  of  him  how  to  ferve  the  empire  :  That 
they  muft  be  ignorant  indeed,  who  did  not  know  that  the 
prince  of  Baden,  when  his  health  permitted  him,  had  pre- 
fcrved  the  empire,  and  extended  its  conquefts. 

Thofe  three  celebrated  generals  agreed  that  the  two  ar 
mies  ftiouldjoin:  That  the  command  ihould  be  alternately 
vefttd  in  the  duke  and  Prince  Louis,  from  day  to  day  ;  and 


ANNE.  397 

that  Prince    Eugene  fhould  command  a  feparate  army  on  c  H  A  P- 
the  Rhine.     Prince  Louis    returned  to  his  army   on   the       IL 
Danube  :  Prince    Eugene  fet  out   for   Philipfburgh  ;  the  <*-~Y**"> 
duke  of  Marlboreugh  being   joined  by  the  Imperial  army      "Th 
under  Prince  Louis  of  Baden,  at  Wadertellen,  profecuted 
IMS    march   by   Elchingen,    Gingcn,    and   Lanftthauffen. 
On  the  ift  day 'of  July  he  was  in  fight  of  the  enemy's  en 
trenchments  at  Dillingen,  and  encamped  with  his  right  at 
Amerdighem,  and    his  left   at  Onderingen.     Undemand 
ing  that  the  elector  of  Bavaria  had    detached   the  beft  part 
of  his  infantry  to  reinforce  the   Count  D'Arco,  who  was 
pofted  behind  ftrong  lines  at  Schellenberg   near  Donawert, 
he  refolved  to  attack  their   entrenchments   without   delay. 
On  the  2d  day  of  July  he    advanced  towards  the   enemy,  Bavarians 
and  parTed  the  river  Wermitz:  About  five   o'clock  in  the  (Ke?t?db? 
afternoon  the  attack  was  begun  by  the  Englifh  and  Dutch  MaritK»_ 
infantry,  fupported   by   the   horfe  and    dragoons      They  rou^h. 
were  very  feverely  handled,  and  even  obliged  to  give  way, 
v/hen  Prince  Louis  of  Baden  marching  up   at  the  head  of 
the  Imperial  ills,  to  another    part   of  the  line,  made  a  di- 
veriion  in  their  favour.     After  an  obftinate  refiftance  they 
forced  the  entrenchments,  and  the  horfe  entering  with  the 
infantry,  fell  fo  furiouily  upon  the  enemy,  already  difor- 
dered,  that  they  were  routed  with  great  flaughter.     They 
fled  with    the  utmoft  trepidation   to  Donawert,  and   the 
Danube,  leaving  fix  thoufand  men    dead    on   the  field  of 
battle.     The  confederates  took  fixteen   pieces  of  cannon, 
thirteen  pair  of  colours,  with    all  the  tents  and  baggage, 
Yet  the  victory  was  dearly  purchafed  :  Some  thoufands  of 
the  allies  were  flain  in  the  attack,  including  many  gallant 
officers,  among  whom  were  the  Generals  Goor  and  Rein- 
heim,  and   Count  Slirum,  was  mortally  wounded.     Next 
day  the  Bavarian  garrifon  abandoned  Donawert,  of  which 
the  confederates  took  immediate  pcfTefTicn,  while  the  elec 
tor  pafled  the  Danube,  in    his  march  to  the  river   Leche, 
left  the  victors  fhould  cut  off  his  retreat  to  his  own  coun 
try.     The  confederates  having  crofied   the  Danube  on  fe- 
veral  bridges  of  pontoons,  a  detachment  was  ftrnt  to  pafs 
the  Leche,  and  take  poft   in  the    country   of  the   elector, 
who  had  retired  under  the  canon  of  Augiburg.     The  gar 
rifon  of  Neuberg,  retiring    to  Ingolftadt,  the   place  was 
fccured  by  the  confederates;  and  the  count  de  Frize  was 
detached  with  nine  battalions   and  fifteen  fquadrons  to  in- 
veft  the  town  of  Rain.     Advice  arriving  from  Prince  Eu 
gene,    that   the  MarcTchals,    Villeroy,  and   Tallard,    h;\d 
pafi~d  the  Rhine  at  Fort  Kehl,  with  an  arrny  of  five-and- 
forty  thoufand  men,  to  fuccour  the  elector  of  Bavaria,  the 
generals  of  the  allies  irumeuiaiely  detached  Prir.ce  Maxi- 


39s  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  milian  of  Hanover,  with  thirty  fquadrons   of  horfe,  as  a 
•       reinforcement  to  the  prince.      In  a  few  days  Rain  furren- 
"^Y^^   dercd,  and  Aicha  was  taken  by  afiiiult.     The  emperor  no 
(boner  received  a  confirmation  of  the   victory  of  Schellen- 
berg,  than  he    wrote   a  letter  of  acknowledgment  to  the 
duke  ofMailborough,  and  ordered  Count  Wraitflau  to  in 
timate  his  intention  of  inverting  him  with  the  titleof  prince 
of  the  empire,  which  the    duke   declined  accepting,  until 
the  queen   interpofed    her  authority,  at  the  defire  of  Leo 
pold. 

The  allies  advanced  within  a  league  of  Augfburg,   and 
though  they  found  the  elector  of  Bavaria  too  fecurely  ported 
under  the  cannon  of  that  city,    to  be  diflodged  or  attacked 
with  any  prcfpect  of  fuccefs,  they  encamped  with  Friend- 
burg  in  their  centre,  fo  as  to  cut  off  all  communication  be 
tween  him  and  his  dominions.     The  duke  of  Marl  borough 
having  reduced  him  to  this  fituation,  propofed  very  advan 
tageous  terms  of  peace,    provided   he  would  abandon  the 
French  intereft,  and  join  the   Imperialists  in  Italy.       His 
fubje&s  feeing  themfelves  at  the  mercy  of  the  allies,  prefTed 
him  to  comply  with  thefe  offers,  rather   than    expcfe   his 
country  to  ruin  and  defolution.     A  negociation  was  begun 
and  he  feemed  ready  tofign  the  articles,  when  hearing  that 
Marefchal  Tallard  had  paffed  the  Black  Foreft,  to  join  him 
with  a  great  body  of  forces,  he  declared,  that  fince  the  king 
of  France  had  made  fuch  powerful  efforts  to  fupport  him, 
he  thought  himfelf  obliged  in  honour  to  continue  firm  in 
Who  rava-  his  alliance.     The  generals  of  the  allies  were  fo  exafperat- 
gestheeiec-  e(j  at  ^jg  difappoiwtrnent,  that  they  fent  out  detachments 
to  ravage  the  country  of  Bavaria  as  for  as  Munich  :     Up 
wards  of  three  hundred  towns,   villages,  and  caftles  were 
inhumanly  deftroyed,  to  the  indelible  difgrace  of  thofe  who 
countenanced  and  conducted  fuch  barbarous  practices.  The 
elector,   Shocked  at  thefe  brutal   proceedings,  defired,  in  a 
letter  to  the  duke  of  Marlborough,   that  a  flop  might  be 
put  to  acts  of  violence  fo  oppofite  to  true  glory.     The  an- 
iwer  he  received  implied,   that  it  was  in  his  own  power  to 
put  an  end  to  them  by  a  fpeedy  accommodation.     Incenfed 
at  this  reply,   he  declared,  that  fince  they  had  obliged  him 
to  draw  the   fv/ord,  he   would  throw   away  the  fcabbard. 
The  duke   and  Prince  Louis,   finding  k  impracticable    to 
attack  the  elector  in  his  ftrong  camp,  refoived  to  undertake 
the  jiege  of  Ingolft-adt,  and  for  that  purpote  paffed  the  Pacr 
near  the  town  of  Schrobbenhoufen,  where  they  encamped, 
with  their  left  at    CJouftciberg.     On  the  5ch  day  Auguit, 
the  elector  of  Bavaria.  K.a.-cl-.ed  to  Biberach,  where  he  was 
joined  by  Talkrd.     He  refoived  to  pafs    the  Danube   at 
Lawingen,  to  attack  Priucc  Eugene,  who  had  followed  the 


ANNE.  399 

French  army  from  the  lines  of  Biehl,  and  lay  encamped  at  C  H  A  p. 
Hochftadt.  Next  day,  however,  he  made  a  motion  that 
difappointed  the  enemy.  Neverthelefs,  they  perfifted  in  ^"Y"**^ 
their  defign  of  pafiing  the  Danube,  and  encamping  at  Blen-  J7C4" 
heiin.  The  Allies  refolved  that  Prince  Louis  fhould  un 
dertake  the  fiege  of  Ingoldftadr,  whilft  Prince  Eugene  and 
the  duke  fliould  obferve  the  elector  of  Bavaria.  Advice 
being  received  that  he  had  actually  crofled  the  Danube  at 
Lawingen,  the  duke  of  Marlborough  joined  the  forces  of 
Prince  Eugene  at  the  camp  of  Munuer  on  the  nth  day  of 
Au2;uit,  Prince  Louis  having  by  this  time  marched  off  to 
wards  the  place  he  intended  to  befiege.  Next  day,  the 
duke  of  Marlborough  and  Prince  Eugene  obferved  the  po- 
fture  of  the  enemy,  who  were  advantagecufly  pofted  on  a 
hill  near  Hochftadt,  their  right  being  covered  by  the  Da 
nube  and  the  village  of  Blenheim,  their  left  by  the  village 
of  Lutzengen,  and  their  front  by  the  rivulet,  the  banks  of 
which  were  fteep,  and  the  bottom  marfliy. 

Notwithstanding  thefe  difficulties,  the  generals  refolved 
to  attack  them  immediately,  rather  than  lie  inactive  until 
their  forage  and  provifion  fliould  be  confumed.  They 
were  moreover  Simulated  to  this  hazardous  enterprif?,  by  an 
intercepted  letter  to  the  elector  of  Bavaria  from  Marefchal 
Villeroy,  giving  him  to  underftand,  that  he  had  received  or 
ders  to  ravage  the  county  of  Wirtemberg,  and  intercept  all 
the  communication  between  the  Rhine  and  the  allied  army. 
The  difpofitions  being  made  for  the  attack,  and  the  orders 
communicated  to  the  general  officers,  the  forces  advanced 
into  the  plain  on  the  I3th  day  of  Auguft,  and  were  ranged 
in  order  of  battle.  The  cannonading  began  about  nine  in  Battle  ot 
the  morning,  and  continued  on  both  fides  till  one  in  the  af-  Blenheim. 

O  ' 

ternoon.  The  French  and  Bavarians  amounted  to  about 
60,000  men.  Aiarefchal  Tallard  commanded  on  the  right, 
and  polled  feven-and-twenty  battalions,  with  twelve 
fquadrons,  in  the  village  of  Blenheim,  fuppofing  that  there 
the  allies  would  make  their  chief  effort :  Their  left  v/as 
conducted  by  the  elector  of  Bavaria,  affifted  by  Marfm, 
a  French  general  of  experience  and  capacity.  The  num 
ber  of  the  confederates  did  not  exceed  five-and-nfty  thou- 
fand :  Their  right  v/as  under  the  direction  of  the  Prince  of 
Eugene  and  their  left  commanded  by  the  duke  of  Marlbo- 
rou^h.  At  noon,  the  action  was  begun  by  a  body  of  En- 
gli:h  and  Hefiians,  under  Major-general  V/iiks,  who  hav 
ing  paflld  the  rivulet  with  difficulty,  and  filed  of  to  the  left 
in  the  nice  of  the  enemy,  attaked  the  village  of  Blenheim 
with  great  vigour;  but  were  repulfed  after  three  fucceffive 
attempts.  Mean  while,  the  troops  in  the  centre,  and  part 
of  the  right  wing,  psfTed  the  rivulet  on  planks  in  different 


4^3  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  places,  arid  formed  on  the  other  fide  without  any  molefta- 
.  .   fion  from  the   enemy.      At  length,   however,   they  were 

'"V"*  charged  by  the  French  horfe  with  fuch  impetuofity,  and  fo 
terribly  galled  in  flank  by  the  troops  potted  at  Blenheim, 
that  they  fell  into  diforder,  and  part  of  them  repaffed  the 
rivulet:  But  a  reinforcement  of  dragoons  coming  up,  the 
French  cavalry  were  broke  in  their  turn,  and  driven  to  the 
very  hedges  of  the  village  of  Blenheim.  The  left  wing  of 
the  confederates  being  now  completely  formed,  afcended 
the  hill  in  a  firm  and  compacted  body,  charging  the  ene 
my's  horfe,  which  could  no  longer  {land  the  ground,  but 
rallied  feveral  times  as  they  gave  way.  Tallard,  in  order 
to  make  a  vigourous  effort,  ordered  ten  battalions  to  fill 
up  the  intervals  of  his  cavalry.  The  duke,  perceiving  his 
tiefign,  fent  three  battalions  of  the  troops  of  Zell  to  fuftain 
his  horfe.  Neverthelefs,  the  line  was  a  little  difordered  by 
the  prodigious  fire  from  the  French  infantry,  and  even  o- 
bliged  to  recoil  about  fixty  paces:  But  the  confederates 
advancing  to  the  charge  with  redoubled  ardour,  routed  the 
French  horfe  ;  and  their  battalions  being  thus  abandoned, 
were  cut  in  pieces.  Tallard  having  rallied  his  broken  ca 
valry  behind  fome  tents  that  were  ftill  ftanding,  refolved  to 
draw  off  the  troops  he  had  pofted  in  the  village  of  Blen 
heim,  and  fent  an  aic!-du-camp  to  Marfin,  who  was  with 
the  elector  of  Bavaria  on  the  left,  to  defire  he  would  face 
the  confederates  with  fome  troops  to  the  right  of  the  village 
of  Oberklau,  fo  as  to  keep  them  in  play,  and  favour  the 
retreat  of  the  forces  from  Blenheim.  That  officer  affured 
him,  he  was  fo  far  from  being  in  a  condition  to  fpare  troops, 
that  he  could  hardly  maintain  his  ground.  The  fate  of 
the  day  was  now  more  than  half  decided.  The  French 
cavalry  being  vigouroufly  attacked  in  flank  were  totally  de 
feated.  Part  of  them  endeavoured  to  gain  the  bridge  which 
they  had  thrown  over  the  Danube  between  Hochitadt  and 
Blenheim ;  but  they  were  fo  clofely  purfued,  that  thofc  who 
tfcaped  the  (laughter  threw  themfclves  into  the  river, 
where  they  perifhed.  Tallard  being  furrounded,  was  tak 
en  near  a  mill  behind  the  village  of  Sunderen,  together  with 
the  marquis  de  Montperouz,  general  of  horfe,  the  major- 
generals  de  Seppeville,  de  Silly,  de  la  Valiere,  and  many 
other  officers  of  diftinclion.  Whilft  thefe  occurrences 
pafled  on  the  left  wing,  Marfin's  quarters  at  the  village 
of  Oberklau,  in  the  centre,  were  attacked  by  ten  battalion?, 
under  the  prince  of  Holfteinbeck,  who  pafied  the  rivulet 
v.'ith  undaunted  refclution  :  But,  before  he  could  form  his 
men  on  the  other  fide,  he  was  overpowered  by  number?, 
mortally  wounded,  and  taken  prifoner,  His  battalions  be 
ing  fupported  by  fome  Danifh  and  Hanoverian  cavalry,  re- 


ANNE.  401 

newed  the  charge,  raid  were  again  repulfed  :  At  length,  CHAP. 
the  duke  of  Marlborough  in  perfon  brought  up  feme  frefh  ni> 
fquadrons  from  the  body  of  referve,  and  compelled  the  ene- 
my  to  retire.  By  this  time,  Prince  Eugene  had  obliged 
the  left  wing  of  the  enemy  to  give  ground,  after  having 
furmounted  a  great  number  of  difficulties,  fuitained  a  very 
obftinate  oppofition,  and  feen  his  cavalry,  in  which  his  chief 
ftrength  feeined  to  lie,  three  times  repulfed.  The  duke  of 
Marlborough  had  no  fooner  defeated  the  right  wing,  than 
he  made  a  difpofition  to  reinforce  the  prince,  when  he  un- 
derftood  from  an  aid-du-camp,  that  his  highncfs  had  no  oc- 
cafion  for  affiftance  ;  and  that  the  elector,  with  Monficur,- 
de  Marfin  had  abandoned  Oberklau  and  Lutzingen.  They 
were  purfued  as  far  as  the  villages  of  Morfelingen  Teiflen- 
hoven,  from  whence  they  retreated  to  Dillingen  and  Law- 
ingen.  Th  e  confederates  being  now  mafters  of  the 
field  of  battle,  furrounded  the  village  of  Blenheim,  in  which, 
as  we  have  already  obferved,  feven-and-twenty  battalions 
and  twelve  fquadrons  were  pofccd.  Thefe  troops,  feeing 
th^mfelves  cut  of?  from  all  communication  with  the  reft  of 
their  army,  and  difpairing  of  being  able  to  force  their  way 
through  the  allies,  capitulated  about  eight  in  the  evening, 
laid  down  their  arms,  delivered  their  colours  and  ftandards, 
and  furrendered  themfelves  prifoners  of  war,  on  condition  The  French 
that  the  officers  fhould  not  be  rifled.  This  was  one  of  the  entirely  de- 
moft  glorious  and  complete  victories  that  ever  was  obtain-  ^'att'j- 
ed.  Ten  thoufand  French  and  Bavarians  were  left  dead 
on  the  field  of  battle:  The  greater  part  of  thirty  fquadrons 
of  horfe  and  dragoons  perifhed  in  the  river  Danube  :  Thir 
teen  thoufand  were  made  prifoners:  One  hundred  pieces  of 
cannon  were  taken,  with  twenty-four  mortars,  one  hundred 
and  twenty-nine  colours,  one  hundred  and  feventy-one 
Standards  feventeen  pair  of  kettle-drums,  three  thoufand  fix 
hundred  tents,  four-and-thirty  coaches,  three  hundred  laden 
mules,  two  bridges  of  boats,  fifteen  pontoons,  fifteen  barrels 
and  eight  calks  filled  with  filver.  Of  the  allies,  about  four 
thoufand  five  hundred  men  were  killed,  and  about  eight 
thoufand  wounded  or  taken.  The  lofs  of  the  battle  was  im 
puted  to  two  capital  errors  committed  by  Marefchal  Tal- 
lard  ;  namely,  his  weakening  the  centre,  by  detaching  fuch 
a  number  of  troops  to  the  village  of  Blenheim,  and  his  fuf- 
fering  the  confederates  to  pafs  the  rivulet,  and  form  unrno- 
lefted.  Certain  it  is,  thefe  circumftances  contributed  to 
the  fuccefs  of  the  duke  of  Maryborough*  who  rode 
through  the  hotteft  of  the  fire  with  the  calmeft  intrepidity, 
giving  his  orders  with  that  prefence  of  mind  and  delibera 
tion  which  were  fo  peculiar  to  his  character.  When  he 
next  day  vifited  Tallard,  he  told  that  general,  he  was  forry 
VOL.  I.  3  E 


402  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  fuch  a  misfortune  fhould  happen  perfonally  to  one  for  whom 
IJ-       he  had  a  profound  efteem.     The  marefchal   congratulated 
^"Y^**"^  him   on  having  vanquifhed  the  belt  troops  in  the  world;  a 
I7°'*"      compliment  to  which  the  duke  replied,  That  he  thought  his 
own  the  bell  troops  in  the  world,  feeing  they  had  conquer 
ed  thofe  upon  whom  tlie  marefchal  had  bellowed  fuch   an 
encomium. 

The  victorious  generals  having  by  this  deciuve  ftroke 
faved  the  houfe  of  Auftria  from  entire  ruin,  and  entirely 
changed  the  face  of  affairs  in  the  empire,  fignified  their 
opinion  to  Prince  Louis  of  Baden,  that  it  would  be  for  the 
advantage  of  the  common  caufe  to  join  all  their  force?,  and 
drive  the  French  out  of  Germany,  rather  than  lofe  time  at 
the  fiege  of  Ingoldftadt,  which  would  furrender  of  courfe. 
This  opinion  was  confirmed  by  the  conduct  of  the  French 
garrifon  at  Augfburg,  who  quitted  that  place  on  the  1 6th 
day  of  AugufK  The  magistrates  fent  a  deputation,  crav 
ing  the  protection  of  the  duke  of  Marlborough,  who  forth 
with  ordered  a  detachment  to  take  pofleffioh  of  that  impor 
tant  city.  The  duke  having  fent  Marefchal  de  Tallard 
under  a  guard  of  dragoons  to  Frankfort,  and  difpofed  of 
the  other  prifoners  of  diffcinctkm  in  the  adjacent  places,  en 
camped  at  Sefil!inp;en,  within  half  a  leage  of  Ulm.  Kere 
he  held  a  conference  with  the  Princes  Eugene  and  Louis  of 
Baden,  in  which  they  agreed  that,  as  the  enemy  retreated 
towards  the  Rhine,  the  confederate  army  fhould  take  the 
fame  route,  excepting  three-and-twenty  battalions  and  forne 
fquadrons,  to  be  left  for  the  fiege  of  Ulm,  under  General 
Thungen.  They  began  their  march  on  the  26th  day  of 
Auguir,  by  different  routes,  to  the  general  rendezvous  at 
-  Brufcha!,  near  Philipfburg.  Then  they  refolved,  that 
Prince  Louis  of  Baden  mould  undertake  the  fiege  of  Lan 
dau,  in  order  to  fecure  the  circle  of  Suabia  from  the  incur- 
fions  of  that  garrifon.  Confidcring  the  confirmation  that 
prevailed  all  over  France,  nothing  could  be  more  impolitic 
than  this  meafure,  which  gave  the  enemy  time  for  the  re 
collection,  and  recruiting  their  forces.  It  was  a  propofal  on 
which  the  Prince  of  Baden  infilled  with  uncommon  obici- 
nacy.  He  was  even  fufpected  of  corruption.  He  was 
jealous  of  the  glory  which  the  duke  of  Marlborough  had 
acquired,  and  fuch  a  bigoted  Papift,  that  he  repined  at  the 
Landau  he-  fuccefsofan  heretical  general.  On  the  twelfth  day  of 
lieged  and  September,  he  marched  towards  Landau  with  the  troops 
taken.  deftined  for  the  fiege,  and  the  duke  of  Marlborough,  with 
Prince  Eugene,  encamped  at  Croon  Weiffenburg,  to  cover 
the  enterprise.  By  this  time  Ulm  had  furrendered  to 
Thungen,  even  before  the  trenches  were  opened.  Ville- 
roy  advanced  with  his  army  towards  Land;";,  as  if  he  had 


ANNE.  4.03 

intended  to  attack  the   confederates  ;  but  he  retired  with-  CHAP, 
out  having  made  any  attempt  for  the    relief  of  the  place, 
which  was  defended  with  the  moft  obftinate  valour  till  the   ^^V*-* 
23d  day  of  November,  when  the  befiegers  having  lodged      1'°4» 
themfelves  on  the  counterfcarps,  the  breaches  being  prac 
ticable,  and  the  difpofitions  made  for  a  general  aftault,  the 
ganilon  capitulated  upon  honourable  conditions.       The 
kins;  of  the  Romans   had   arrived    in    the  camp,  that   he 
might  have  the  credit  of  taking  the  place,  the  command  of 
v.hlch  he  beftowed    on  the  Count   de  Frize,  who  had  be 
fore  defended  it  with  equal  courage  and  ability. 

The  next  enterprise  which  the  confederates  undertook,  »nd  Traer- 
was  the  fiege  of  Traerbach.  The  hereditary  prince  of  atl1' 
Heffe-Caflel  being  entrufted  with  the  direction  of  the  at 
tacks,  inverted  the  caiTle  in  the  beginning  of  November. 
Though  it  was  ftrongly  fortified,  and  well  defended,  he 
cariied  on  his  operations  with  fuch  fpiritand  afliduity,  that 
in  about  fix  weeks  the  garriibn  furrendered  the  place  on 
honourable  terms,  In  the  meantime,  the  duke  of  Marl- 
borough  repaired  to  Berlin,  where  he  negociated  for  a  rein- 
f>  rcement  of  ti^ht  thoufand  Pruffians,  to  f^rve  under 
Prince  Eugene  in  Italy  during  -the  next  campaign. 
Thence  he  proceeded  to  the  court  of  Hanover,  where,  as 
in  all  other  places,  he  was  received  with  particular  marks 
of  cliftinclion.  When  he  arrived  at  the  Hague,  be  was 
congratulated  by  the  {rates-general  on  his  victories  ?.t 
Schellenberg,  and  Blenheim,  and  as  much  confidered  in 
Holland  as  if  he  had  been  actually  ftadtholder.  He  had 
received  a  fecond  letter  from  the  emperor,  couched  in  the 
warmeft  terms  of  acknowledgment,  and  was  declared 
prince  of  the  empire.  In  December  he  embarked  for 
England,  where  he  found  the  people  in  a  tranfport  of  joy, 
and  was  welcomed  as  a  hero  who  had  retrieved  the  glo- 
of  the  nation. 

In  Flanders,  nothing  of  moment  was  executed,  ex 
cept  the  bombardment  of  Bruges  and  Namur  by  Baron 
Spaar,  with  nine  thoufand  Dutch  troops  ;  and  two  at 
tempts  upon  the  French  lines,  which  were  a£lually  pene 
trated  by  Auverquerque,  though  he  was  notable  to  main 
tain  the  footing  he  had  gained.  The  elector  of  Bavaria, 
who  had  retired  to  BrufTels  after  his  defeat,  formed  a 
fcheme  for  furpriilng  the  Dutch  general  at  the  of  the  cam 
paign,  and  aflembled  all  his  troops  at  Tirlemont ;  but  the 
French  court,  apprehenfive  of  his  temerity,  fent  Villeroy 
to  watch  his  conduct,  and  prevent  his  hazarding  an  en 
gagement,  except  with  a  fair  profpe£l  of  advantage.  ^  The 
marcfchal,  finding  him  determined  to  give  battle  at  all 
events,  reprefented  the  improbability  of  Succeeding  againll 


HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  an  enemy  fo  adyantageoufly  pofted,  and  the  ill  conicquen- 
ces  of  a  repulfe  j  but,  finding  the  elector  deaf  to  all  his  re- 
monftrances,  he  flatly  refufcd  to  march,  and  produced  the 
king's  order  to  avoid  an  engagement.  In  Italy  the  French 
met  with  no  opposition.     The  duke  of  Savoy,  bcina;  un 
able  to  face  the  enemy  in  the  field,  was  obliged   to  lie  in 
active.     He  faw  the   duke   de  Verdome  reduce  Vercelli, 
and    Ivrea,  and    undertake  the  fiege   of  Verac ;  while  he 
polled  his  little  armyonthe  other  fide  of  the  Po,  at  Crefcen- 
tino,  where  had  a  bridge  of  communication,  by  which  he 
fupplied  the  place  occafionally  with  frefh.  troops  and  pro- 
vifion.     The  place   held    out  five  months,  againft  all  the 
efforts  of  the    French  general :  At  length,  the  communi 
cation  being  cut  off,  the  duke  of  Savoy  retired  to  Chi- 
vas.     He    bore  his   msifortunes  with   great   equanimity; 
and  told  the  Englifli  minifter,  that  though   he  was  aban 
doned    by  the   allies,  he   would   never    abandon   himfelf, 
The  emperor  had  neglected  Italy,  that  he  might  act  with 
more  vigour  againft   Ragotfki,  and   the   Hungarian  mal 
contents,    over   whom   he   obtained   feveral   advantages; 
notwithstanding  which  they   continued    formidable,  from 
their  number,  bravery,  and  refolution.     The  minifters  ef 
the  allies  prefled  Leopold  to  enter  into  a  negociation  for  a 
peace  with    thofe  rebels  ;  and  conferences   were  opened  ; 
but  he   was  not  fincerely  difpofed  to  an  accommodation, 
and  Ragotfki,  aimed  at  the  principality   of  Tranfylvania, 
which  the  court  of  Vienna  would  not  eafily   relinquifh. 
The  emperor  was  not  a  little  alarmed  by  a  revolution  at 
the  Ottoman  Porte,  until   the   new  fultan  difpatched    a 
chiaus    to  Vienna,  with  an  affurance  that   he  fhould   give 
no  aiHftance  to  the  malcontents  of  Hungary.     In  Poland, 
the  diet   being   affembkd  by  the  cardinal    primate,    Sta- 
niflaus  Lezinfki,  palatine  of  Pofnania,  was   elected   and 
proclaimed  king,  and  recognized  by  Charles  of  Sweden, 
who  ftill  maintained   his  army  by  contributions  in    that 
country,  more  intent  upon  the  ruin  of  Augaftus  than  up 
on  the  prefervation  of  his  own  dominions ;  for  he  paid  no 
regard  to  the  progrefs  of  the  Mufcovites,  who  had  ravag 
ed    Livonia,    reduced  Narva,  and    made   incurfions  into 
Sweden.     Auguftus    retreated  into  his  Saxon  dominions, 
which  he  impoverished,  in  order   to  raife  a   great    army, 
•with  which  he  might  return  to  Poland:  The  pope  efpouf- 
ed  the  intereft  of  this   new  convert,  fo  far  as   to  cite  the 
cardinal  primate  to  appear  at  Rome,  and  give  an  account 
of  the  fliare  he  had  in  the  Polifti  troubles.     The  protef- 
tants  of  the  Cevennois,  deriving    courage   from    defpair, 
became  fo  troublefome  to  the  government  of  France,  that 
Louis  was  obliged  to  treat   them  with   lenity :  He  fent 


A    N     N     E.  405 

Marefchal  Villars  againft   them   with  a  frefli   reinforce-  CHAP. 

ment ;  but  at  the  fame   time  furniihed  him  with  inftruc- 

tio'ns  to  treat  for  an  accommodation.     This  officer  imme-   '^-'-y— ' 

diately  commenced  a  negociation  with  Cavalier,  the  chief      J7°4- 

of  the   revolters ;  and   a    formal    treaty   was   concluded, 

by  which  they  were    indulged  with  liberty  of  confcience  ; 

but  thefe  articles  were  very  ill  obferved  by    the   French 

miniftry. 

In  Portugal,  the  intereft  of  King  Charles  wore  a  very  Campaiga 
melancholy  afpe6L  When  he  arrived  at  Lifbon,  he  found  in  Portugal. 
no  preparations  made  for  opening  the  campaign.  The 
Portuguefe  miniftry  favoured  the  French  in  fecret :  The 
people  were  averfe  to  heretics :  The  duke  of  Schomherg, 
was  on  ill  terms  witfe  Fagel,  the  Dutch  general:  The 
Portuguefe  forces  confifted  of  raw  undifciplined  peafants  ; 
and  the  French  ambaflador  had  bought  up  the  beft  horfcs 
in  the  kingdom ;  fo  that  the  troopers  could  not  be  proper 
ly  mounted.  The  king  of  Portugal  had  .promifed  to  en 
ter  Spain  with  Charles,  by  the  middle  of  May;  but  he 
was  not  ready  till  the  beginning  of  June,  when  they 
reacaed  Santaren.  By  this  time  they  had  publifhed  their 
refpe&ive  manifeftos  ;  Charles  difplaying  his  title  to  the 
crown'  of  Spain,  and  promifing  pardon  to  all  his  fubjecls 
who  fhould  in  three  monuiG  join  his  army;  and  the  king 
of  Portugal  declaring,  that  his  fole  aim  in  taking  up  arms, 
was  to  reftore  the  liberty  of  the  Spanifh  nation,  oppreffed  by 
the  power  of  France,  as  well  as  to  affert  the  right  of  Charles 
to  that  monarchy.  The  prefent  pofleflbr,  whom  they  men 
tioned  by  the  name  of  the  duke  of  Anjou,  had  already  antici 
pated  their  invafion.  His  general,  the  duke  of  Berwick,  en 
tering  Portugal,  took  the  town  of  Segura  by  ftratagem. 
The  governor  of  Salva-terra  furrendered  at  difcretion  : 
Cebrercs  was  reduced  without  much  oppofition :  Zebredo 
was  abandoned  by  the  inhabitants  ;  and  the  town  of  Lhana 
la  Viella  was  taken  by  afTault.  Portugal  was  at  the  fame 
time  invaded  in  different  parts  by  the  Marquis  de  JeorTre- 
ville,  Prince  Tferclaes  de  Tilly,  and  the  Marquis  de 
Villadarias.  Two  Dutch  battalions  were  attacked  and 
taken  by  the  duke  of  Berwick  at  Sodreira  Fonnofa.  Then 
he  paffed  the  Tagus,  and  joined  Prince  Tferclaes.  King 
Philip  arriving  in  the  army,  inverted  Portalegre ;  and  the 
garrifon,  including  an  Englifh  regiment  of  foot  command 
ed  by  colonel  Stanhope,  were  made  prifoners  of  war.  The 
next  place  he  befieged  was  caftle  Davide,  which  met  with 
the  fame  fate.  On  the  other  hand,  the  Marquis  Das  Mi- 
nas,  in  order  to  make  a  diveriion,  entered  Spain  with  fif 
teen  thoufand  men,  took  Fuente  Grimuldo,  in  Caftile 


4o6  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND 

BOOK  by  a/fault,   defeated  a  body  of  French  and  Spaniards  com 
manded  by  Don  Ronquillo,  and    made  himfelf  matter   of 

^~Y*^J  Mnnfeinto.  The  weather  growing  excefftvely  hot,  Phi-^ 
7°4-  lip  fent  his  troops  into  quarters  of  refrefhment;  and  the 
allies  followed  his  example.  Duke  Schomberg  rinding 
his  advice  very  little  regarded  by  the  Portuguefe  miniflry, 
and  feeing  very  little  profpedfc  of  fuccefs,  defiled  leave  to 
refign  his  command,  which  the  queen  beftowcd  upon  the 
earl  of  Galway,  who,  with  a  reinforcement  of  Englifh  and 
Dutch  troops,  arrived  at  Liibon  on  the  3Oth  day  of  July. 
About  the  latter  end  of  September,  the  two  kings  repair 
ed  to  the  camp  near  Almeda,  refolving  to  invade  Caftile; 
but  they  found  the  river  Agueda  fo  well  guarded  by  the 
duke  of  Berwick,  that  they  would  not  attempt  a  pafFage. 
They  therefore,  retired  into  the  territories  of  Portugal, 
and  the  army  was  put  into  winter- quarters.  The  Spani 
ards  were  now  fo  weakened,  by  detachments  fent  with  the 
marquis  de  Vilbclarias  towards  Gibraltar,  that  the  duke  of 
Berwick  could  not  execute  any  fcheme  of  importance  dur 
ing  the  remaining  part  of  the  campaign. 

The  arms  of  England  were  notlefs  fortunate  by  fea  than 
they  had  been  upon  the  Danube.  Sir  George  Rooke, 
having  landed  King  Charles  at  Liibon,  fent  a  fquadron  to 
cruize  off  Cape  S  part  ell,  under  the  command  of  Rear- 
Admiral  Dilkes,  who,  on  the  I2th  of  March  engaged  and 
look  three  Spanifh  fhips  of  war,  bound  from  St.  Sebaf- 
tian's  to  Cadiz.  Rooke  received  orders  from  the  queen  to 
la il  to  the  relief  of  Nice  and  Villa  Franca,  which  were 
threatened  with  a  fiege  by  the  duke  de  Vendome  ;  at  the 
fame  time  he  was  prefTed  by  King  Charles  to  execute  a 
fcheme  upon  Barcelona,  projected  by  the  prince  of  Hefft 
d'Armfhdr,  who  declared  his  opinion,  that  the  Catalo- 
nians  would  declare  for  the  houfe  ofAuftria,  as  foon  as 
they  fhould  be  allured  of  proper  fupport  and  protection. 
The  miniftry  of  England  underftanding  that  the  French 
were  employed  in  equipping  a  ftrong  fquadron  at  Breft, 
<-nd  judging  it  was  deftined  to  a£l  in  the  Mediterranean, 
fent  out  fir  Cloudefley  Shovel,  with  a  confiderable  fleet, 
to  watch  the  motions  of  the  Breft  fquadron  ;  and  he  was 
provided  with  inftructions  how  to  acl,  in  cafe  it  fhould  be 
failed  to  the  Mediterranean.  Mean  while,  fir  George 
Rooke,  in  compliance  with  the  entreaties  of  King  Charles, 
failed  with  the  tranfports  under  his  convoy  to  Barcelona, 
and  on  the  i8th  of  May  appeared  before  the  city.  Next 
day,  the  troops  were  landed  by  the  prince  of  Hefle,  to 
the  number  of  two  thoufand,  and  the  Dutch  ketches  bom 
barded  the  place  ;  but  by  this  time  the  governor  had  f:- 
cured  the  chiefs  of  the  Auflrisn  party;  and  the  people  ex- 


A     N     N     E.  407 

hibiting  no  marks  of  attachment  to  King  Charles,  the  c  H  A  P- 
prince  re-embarked  his  foldiers,  from  an  apprehenfion  cf 
their  being  attacked  and  overpowered  by  fuperior  num-  <-*"Y"-(> 
bers.  On  the  i6th  day  of  June,  fir  George  Rooke,  be-  '7°4- 
ing  joined  by  fir  Clcudefley  Shovel,  refolved  to  proceed 
up  the  Mediterranean  in  queft  of  the  French  fleet,  which 
had  failed  thither  from  Breft,  and  which  Rooke  had  actu 
ally  difcovered,  in  the  preceding  month,  on  their  voyage 
to  Toulon.  On  the  jyth  day  of  July,  the  admiral  called 
a  council  of  war  in  the  road  of  Tetuan,  when  they  re-  Gibraltar 
folved  to  make  an  attempt  upon  Gibraltar,  which  was  a"ackej> 
but  flenderly  provided  with  a.  garrifon.  Thither  they  fail 
ed  on  the  2 1  ft  day  of  the  month,  the  prince  of  Hefie  landed 
on  the  ifthmus  with  eighteen  hundred  marines  ;  then  he 
fummoned  the  governor  to  furrender,  and  was  anfwered, 
that  the  place  would  be  defended  to  the  laft  extremity. 
Next  day  the  admiral  gave  orders  for  cannonading  the 
town.  Perceiving  that  the  enemy  v/erc  driven  from  their 
fortifications  at  the  fouth  mole-head,  he  commanded  cap 
tain  Whitaker  to  arm  all  the  boats,  and  afTault  that  quai- 
ter.  The  captains  Hicks,  and  Jumper,  who  happened  to 
be  neareft  the  mole,  immediately  manned  their  pinaces, 
and  entered  the  fortifications  fword  in  hand.  The  Spani 
ards  fprung  a  mine,  by  which  two  lieutenants,  and  about 
a  hundred  men,  were  killed  or  wounded.  Neverthelefs, 
the  two  captains  took  poflefiion  of  a  platform,  and  kept 
their  ground  uncil  they  were  fuflained  by  captain  Whita 
ker,  and  the  relt  of  the  feamen,  who  took  by  ftorm  a  re 
doubt  between  the  mole  and  the  town.  Then  the  go 
vernor  capitulated ;  and  the  prince  of  HefTe  entered  the  an.l  taken. 
place,  amazed  at  the  fuccefs  of  this  attempt,  confiderins; 
the  ftrength  of  the  fortifications,  which  might  have  been 
defended  by  fifty  men  againft  a  numerous  army. 

A  fufncient  garrifon  being  left  with  his  highnefs,  the 
admiral  returned  to  Tetuan,  to  take  in  wood  and  water; 
and  when  he  failed,  on  the  gth  day  of  Au°;uft,  he  defcried 
the  French  fleet,  to  which  he  gave  chace  with  ail  the  fail 
he  could  fpread.  On  the  I3'h  he  came  up  with  it,  as  it 
lay  in  a  line  oft  Malaga  ready  to  receive  him,  to  the 
number  of  two-and-fifty  great  (hips,  and  four-and-twenty 
galleys,  under  the  command  of  the  count  de  Thouloufe, 
high- admiral-  of  France,  with  the  inferior  flans  of  the 
white  and  blue  divifions.  The  Englifli  fleet  confifted  of 
three-ar.d-fifty  (hips  of  the  line,  exclufive  of  frigates;  but 
they  were  inferior  to  the  French  in  number  of  guns  and 
men,  as  well  ?.s  in  weight  of  metal,  ar.d  altogether  un 
provided  of  gallics,  from  which  the  enerry  reaped  great 


4oS  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  advantage   during   the  engagement.     A  little  after  ten  in 
**•        the   morning   the   battle   began,  with   equal  fury  on  both 
^*~Y^~^    fHes,  and    continued  to   rage   with  doubtful    fuccefs  till 
I7(J4-       two    jn  tj-,c   afternoon,  when  the  van  of  the  French  gave 
French  fljet  way  .  neverthelefs,  the    fight   was   maintained  till  night, 
neaT Mala-  wnen  tne  enemy  bore  away  to  leeward.     The  wind  fhift- 
ga.  ing  before  morning,  the  French  gained  the  weather-gage; 

but  they  made  no  ufe  of  this  advantage.  For  two  fuccef- 
five  days  the  Englifh  admiral  endeavoured  to  renew  the 
engagement,  which  the  count  cie  Tholoufe  declined,  and 
at  laft  he  difappeared.  The  lofs  was  pretty  equal  on  both 
fides,  though  not  a  fingle  (hip  was  taken  or  deftroyed  by 
either  ;  but  the  honour  of  the  day  certainly  remained  with 
the  Englifli.  Over  and  above  the  difadvantages  we  have 
enumerated,  the  bottoms  of  the  Britifli  fleet  were  foul, 
and  feveral  large  {hips  had  expended  all  their  {hot  long 
before  the  battle  ceafed  ;  yet  the  enemy  were  fo  roughly 
handled,  that  they  did  not  venture  another  engagement 
during  the  whole  war.  The  French  king,  in  order  to 
raife  the  drooping  fpirits  of  the  people,  claimed  the  victo 
ry,  and  published  an  account  of  the  action,  which,  at  this 
diftance  of  time,  plainly  proves  that  he  was  reduced  to 
the  mean  ftiift  of  impofing  upon  his  fubjects,  by  falfe  and 
partial  reprefentations.  Among  other  exaggerations  in 
this  detail,  we  find  mention  made  of  rnifchief  done  to 
French  mips  by  Englifti  bombs;  though  nothing  is  more 
certain  than  that  there  was  not  one  bomb-veflel  in  the 
combined  fleet.  The  French  academy,  actuated  by 
a  fervile  fpirit  of  adulation,  caufed  a  medal  to  be  ftruck 
on  the  occafion,  which,  inftead  of  perpetuating  the  glory 
of  their  prince,  ferves  only  to  tranfmit  their  own  {hame 
to  pofterity.  After  the  battle,  fir  George  Rooke  failed 
to  Gibraltar  to  refit,  and  leaving  a  fquadron  v/ith  fir 
John  Leake,  fet  fail  for  England  on  the  24th  day  of  Au- 
guft.  He  arrived  in  September,  and  was  received  by  the 
miniftry,  and  the  people  in  general,  v/ith  thofc  marks  of 
efteem  and  veneration  which  were  due  to  his  long  fcrvices 
and  fignal  fuccefs;  but  he  was  ftill  perfecuted  with  a  fpi 
rit  of  envy  and  detraction.  Philip  king  of  Spain,  alarmed 
at  the  reduction  of  Gibraltar,  fent  the  marquis  de  Villa- 
darias  with  an  army  to  retake  it.  The  fiege  hfted  four 
months,  during  which  the  prince  of  Heffe  exhibited  many 
fhining  proofs  of  courage  and  ability.  ,  The  place  was 
fuppHed  with  men  and  provifions  by  convoys  from  Lif- 
bon,  until  monfieur  dc  Pontis  put  a  ftop  to  that  commu 
nication  by  entering;  the  bay  with  a  ftrong  fquadron ;  but 
he  was  obliged  to  retire  at  the  approach  of  fir  John  Lcakc 
and  admiral"  Vanderduffen;  and  the  marquis  de  Villadari- 


ANNE.  409 

as  having  made  little  or  no  progrefs  on  land,  thought  pro-  CHAP 
per  to  abandon  the  enterprile. 

*The  parliament  of  England  meeting  on  the  29.11  day  of  '"Vs-'' 
October,  the  queen,  in  her  fpeech,  obferved,  that  the 
great  and  remarkable  fuccefs  with  which  God  had  blerlcd 
her  arms  produced  unanimous  joy  and  fatisfaclion  through 
all  parts  of  the  kingdom;  and  that  a  timely  improvement 
of  the  prefent  advantages  would  enable  her  to  procure 
a  lafting  foundation  of  fecurity  for  England,  as  well  as 
a  firm  fupport  for  the  liberty  of  Europe.  She  declared  her 
intention  was  to  be  kind  and  indulgent  to  all  her  fubje&s. 
She  exprefled  her  hope  that  they  would  do  nothing  to  en 
danger  the  lofs  of  this  opportunity  j  and  that  there  would 
be  no  contention  among  them,  but  nn  emulation  to  pro 
mote  the  public  welfare.  Congratulatory  addrefles  were 
voted  and  prefented  by  both  houfe?.  They  were  equal  in 
their  profciuons  of  duty  and  affection  to  the  queen  ;  but 
the  addrefles  imbibed  a  very  different  colour  from  the  dif 
ferent  factions  by  which  the  two  houfes  were  influenced 
The  lords  congratulated  her  on  the  great  and  glorious 
fuccefs  of  her  arms  under  the  command  of  the  duke  of 
Marlborough,  without  deigning  to  mention  fir  George 
Rooke,  who  had  defeated  the  French  navy  at  fea,  and  add 
ed  the  important  fortrefs  of  Gibraltar  to  the  Britifh  con- 
quefts.  On  the  other  hand,  the  commons  affected  to 
mention  the  battle  of  Blenheim,  and  Rooke's  naval  victo 
ry,  as  events  of  equal  glory  and  importance.  However 
they  might  be  warped  by  prejudice  againft  individuals, 
they  did  not  fufTer  the  war  to  languifh  for  want  offuppues. 
Having  taken  into  confideration  the  fervices  of  the  army 
and  navy,  they  voted  that  the  queen  (hould  be  desired  to 
beftow  her  bounty  on  the  feamen  and  land-forces  who  had 
behaved  themfelves  fo  gallantly.  Then  they  deliberated 
upon  the  different  articles  of  national  expence,  and  granted 
four  millions  fix  hundred  and  feventy  thoufand  nine  hun 
dred  and  thirty-one  pounds,  for  the  occafions  of  the  enfu- 
ing  year,  to  be  raifed  by  a  land-tax,  by  the  fale  of  annui 
ties,  and  other  expedients.  Thefe  meafures  were  taken 
with  fuch  expedition,  that  the  land-tax  received  the  royal 
afTent  on  the  9th  day  of  December  ;  when  the  queen,  in 
a  fhort  fpeech,  thanked  the  commons  for  their  difpatch, 
which  lhe  confidered  as  a  fure  pledge  of  their  affection. 

The  high-church  party  took  this  occafion  to  promote 
the  bill  againft  occafional  conformity,  which  was  revived 
arid  brought  into  the  houfe  on  a  new  model,  by  Mr.  Wil 
liam  Bromley,  who  moved  that  it  might  be  tacked  to  the 
land-tax  bill,  and  fent  up  to  the  lords  for  their  concur 
rence.  Tiie  court  no  lonp-er  efooufed  thismeafure;  arid, 

VOL."  I.  3  'F 


410  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK    the  violent   party   was   weakened  by  defection.     After  a*, 
,  .    warm  and  tedious  debate,  the  tack  was  rejected  by  a  great 

*"VS  majority.  The  bill,  however,  paiTed  the  houfe  of  com 
mons,  -and  was  fent  up  to  the  lords  on  the  I4th  day  of  De 
cember,  when  it  would  hardly  have  excited  a  debate,  had 
not  the  queen  been  prelent,  and  deilrous  of  hearing  what 
could  be  faid  on  both  fides  of  the  queftion.  For  the  in 
formation  and  futisfaftion  of  her  majefty  the  fubje£l  was  • 
Egain  difcuffed,  and  all  the  arguments  being  repeated,  the 
bill  was  rejected  by  a  majority  of  one-and-twenty  voices. 
The  next  fubjecl:  on  which  the  houfe  of  lords  employed 
their  attention,  was  the  late  conduct  of  the  Scottish  parlia 
ment.  The  lord  Haverfham,  in  a  fet  fpeech,  obferved,  that 
the  fettlement  of  the  fucceffion  in  Scotland  had  been  poft- 
poned,  partly  becaufe  that  miniftry  for  that  kingdom  were 
weak  and  divided;  partly  from  a  received  opinion,  that  the 
fucceflion  wasinever  fmcerely  and  cordially  intended,  by  thofe 
who  managed  the  affairs  of  Scotland  in  the  cabinet-council 
He  expatiated  on  the  bad  confequenccs  that  might  attend  the 
act  of  fecurity,  which  he  (tiled  a  bill  of  exclufion ;  and 
particularly  mentioned  that  claufe  by  which  the  heritors 
and  boroughs  were  ordained  to  exercife  their  fenfible  men 
every  month.  He  faid  the  nobility  and  gentry  of  Scotland, 
were  as  learned  and  brave  as  any  nation  in  Europe,  and 
generally  difcontentecl ;  that  the  common  people  were  ve 
ry  numerous,  very  ftout,  and  very  poor  ;  and  he  alked  who 
was  the  man  that  could  tell  whatfuch  a  multitude,  fo  armed 
and  difciplined,  might  do  under  fuch  leaders,  could  oppor 
tunities  fu  it  their  intention  ?  He  recommended  thefe  cir- 
cumftances  to  the  confideration  of  the  houfe,  and  conclud 
ed  with  thefe  words  of  lord  Bacon,  "  Let  men  beware 
"  how  they  neglect  or  fuffer  matter  of  troubles  to  be  pre- 
"  pared ;  for  no  man  can  forbid  the  fparks  that  may  fet 
"  all  on  fire."  The  lords  refolved  to  confider  thefe  fub- 
jeds  en  the  29th  day  of  November,  when  the  queen  re 
paired  to  the  houfe  of  peers  to  hear  the  debates,  and  by  her 
prcfence 'moderate  the  heat  of  both  parties.  The  earl  of 
Nottingham  reflected  fo  feverely  on  the  memory  of  King 
William,  that  he  would  have  been  fent  to  the  Tower,  had 
not  the  lords  declined  any  fuch  motion  out  of  refpect  to  her 
majefty.  After  much  declamation  on  the  Scottifh  act  of 
fecurity,  the  grand  committee  of  the  peers,  by  the  advice 
Aft  of  ali*.  of  lord  W  barton,  refolved,  That  the  queen  fhpuld  be  en- 
nation  p.  f-  abled,  by  act  of  parliament  on  the  part  of  England,  to 
fed  a.amit  nan,e  cornmiflioners  to  treat  about  an  union  with  Scotland, 
provided  that  the  parliament  of  Scotland,  fhould  firft  ap 
point  commiflioneis  on  thc'r  part  for  the  fame  purpofe: 
That  no  Scotfmen  (hould  enjoy  the  privileges  of  EngHfh- 


ANN     E.  411 

men,  except  fuch  a?  were  fettled  in  England)  Ireland,  and  C  FI  A  p 
the  plantations,  -and  fuch  as  were  or  might  be  in  the  ft- a  or  in> 
land  fervice,  until  an  union  could  be  effected,  or  the  fuc-  V-*~Y"*>-' 
ceflion  fettled  as  in  England :  That  the  traffic  by  cattle  ^°4' 
from  Scotland  to  England  fnould  be  prevented:  That  the 
lord  admiral  fhould  iffue  orders  for  taking  fuch  vefiels  as 
fhould  be  found  trading  from  Scotland  to  France,  or  to 
the  ports  of  any  of  her  majefty's  enemies  ;  and  that  care 
fhould  be  taken  to  prevent  the  exportation  of  Englifh  wool 
into  Scotland.  On  thefe  refolutions  a  bill  was  formed  for 
an  entire  union,  and  paffed  the  houfe  on  the  2Oth  clay  of  De 
cember.  The  lords  prefented  on  addrefs  to  the  queen,  re- 
prefenting,  That  they  had  duly  weighed  the  dangerous 
and  pernicious  effects  that  were  likely  to  be  produced  by 
divers  acts  of  parliament  lately  paffed  in  Scotland:  That 
they  were  of  opinion  the  fafety  of  the  kingdom  required 
that  fpeedy  and  effectual  orders  fhould  be  given  to  put 
Newcaftle  in  a  poflure  of  defence,  to  fecure  the  port  of 
Tinmonth,  and  repair  the  fortifications  of  Hull,  and  Car- 
lifle.  They  likewife  advifed  her  majefty  to  give  direc 
tions  for  disciplining  the  militia  of  the  four  northern  coun 
ties  ;  for  providing  them  with  arms  and  ammunition  ;  for 
maintaining  a  competent  number  of  regular  troops  on  the 
northern  borders  of  England,  as  well  as  in  the  north  of 
Ireland;  and  for  putting  the  laws  in  execution  againft  Pa- 
pills.  The  queen  pfomifed  that  a  ftirvcy  fhould  be  made 
of  the  places  they  had  mentioned,  and  laid  before  the  par 
liament;  and  that  (he  would  give  the  heeefiary  directions 
upon  the  other  articles  of  the  addrefs.  The  commons 
feemed  to  concur  with  the  lords  in  their  fentiments  of  the 
Scottifh  aft  of  fecurity.  They  refolved,  That  a  bill 
fhould  be  brought  in  for  the  effectual  fecuringthc  kingdom 
of  England  from  the  apparent  dangers  that  might  arife 
from  feveral  acts  lately  paffed  in  the  parliament  of  Scot 
land  ;  and  this  was  formed  on  nearly  the  fame  refolutions 
which  had  been  taken  in  the  upper  houfe.  The  bill  fent 
clown  by  the  lords  was  thrice  read,  and  ordered  to  lie  up 
on  the  table  ;  but  they  paffed  their  own,  to  take  effect  at 
Ghriftmas,  provided,  before  that  time,  the  Sects  fhould 
not  fettle  the  fucceffion.  When  it  was  offered  to  the 
lords,  they  paffed  it  without  any  amendment,  contrary  to 
the  expectation,  and  even  to  the  hop?,  of  fome  members 
who  were  no  friends  to  the  houfe  of  Hanover,  and  firmly 
believed  the  lords  would  have  treated  this  bill  with  the 
fame  contempt  which  had  been  manifefted  for  that  which 
they  had  fent  down  to  the  commons, 

The  duke   of  Marlborough,  at  his  firft   appearance  in 
the  houfe  after  his  return  to  England,  was  honoured  with 


4io  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK    the  violent   party   was   weakened  by  defeftion.     After  a 
,  ,    warm  and  tedious  debate,  the  tack  was  rejected  by  a  great 

*"**/"**  majority.  The  bill,  however,  paiFed  the  houfe  of  com 
mons,  -and  was  fent  up  to  the  lords  on  the  I4th  day  of  De 
cember,  when  it  would  hardly  have  excited  a  debate,  had 
not  the  queen  been  prefent,  and  deilrous  of  hearing  what 
could  be  faid  on  both  fides  of  the  queftion.  For  the  in 
formation  and  fatisfaftion  of  her  majefty  the  fubject  was  - 
Egain  difcuffed,  and  all  the  arguments  being  repeated,  the 
bill  was  rej;j£led  by  a  majority  of  one-ana-twenty  voices. 
The  next  fubjecl  on  which  the  houfe  of  lords  employed 
their  attention,  was  the  late  conduct  of  the  Scottim  parlia 
ment.  The  lord  Haverfham,  in  a  fet  fpeech,  obferved,  that 
the  fettlement  of  the  fucceflion  in  Scotland  had  been  poft- 
poned,  partly  becaufe  that  miniftry  for  that  kingdom  were 
weak  and  divided  J  partly  from  a  received  opinion,  that  the 
fucceffion  wasinever  fincerely  and  cordially  intended,  by  thofe 
who  managed  the  affairs  of  Scotland  in  the  cabinet-council 
He  expatiated  on  the  bad  confequenccs  that  might  attend  the 
act  of  fecuritv,  which  he  ftiled  a  bill  of  exclufion  ;  and 
particularly  mentioned  that  claufe  by  which  the  heritors 
and  boroughs  were  ordained  to  exercife  their  fenfible  men 
every  month.  He  faid  the  nobility  and  gentry  of  Scotland, 
were  as  learned  and  brave  as  any  nation  in  Europe,  and 
generally  difcontented  ;  that  the  common  people  were  ve 
ry  numerous,  very  ftout,  and  very  poor  ;  and  he  alked  who 
was  the  man  that  could  tell  what  fuch  a  multitude,  fo  armed 
and  difciplined,  might  do  under  fuch  leaders,  could  oppor 
tunities  fuit  their  intention  ?  He  recommended  thefe  cir- 
cumftances  to  the  confideration  of  the  houfe,  and  conclud 
ed  with  thefe  words  of  lord  Bacon,  "  Let  men  beware 
*'  how  they  negleft  or  fuffer  matter  of  troubles  to  be  pre- 
"  pared ;  for  no  man  can  forbid  the  fparks  that  may  fet 
"  all  on  nre."  The  lords  refolved  to  confider  thefe  fub- 
jeiSls  on  the  2gth  day  of  November,  when  the  queen  re 
paired  to  the  houfe  of  peers  to  hear  the  debates,  and  by  her 
pro-fence 'moderate  the  heat  of  both  parties.  The  earl  of 
Nottingham  reflected  fo  feve''ely  on  the  memory  of  King 
William,  that  he  would  have  been  fent  to  the  Tower,  had 
not  the  lords  declined  any  fuch  motion  out  of  refpeft  to  her 
mrijefty.  After  much  declamation  on  the  Scottifti  a£t  of 
fecurity,  the  gnrnd  committee  of  the  peers,  by  the  advice 
Aft  of  all*,  of  lord  Wharton,  refolved,  That  the  queen  fhould  be  en- 
nation  p.  f-  -..bled,  by  aft  of  parliament  on  the  part  of  England,  to 
n"me  cornmiflioners  to  treat  about  an  union  with  Scotland, 
provided  that  the  parliament  of  Scotland,  fhould  firft  ap 
point  commiffioneis  on  thc'r  part  for  the  fame  purpofe: 
That  no  Scotfmen  fhould  enjoy  the  privileges  of  Englifh- 


ANNE.  411 

men,  except  fuch  as  were  fettled  in  Englztvl,  Ireland,  and  c  i-i  A  p 
the  plantations,  -and  fuch  as  were  or  might  be  in  th.e  ila  or 
land  fervice,  until  an  union  could  he  effected,  or  the  fuc- 
ceflion  fettled  as  in  England:  That  the  traffic  by  cattle 
from  Scotland  to  England  fnoiild  be  prevented:  That  the 
lord  admiral  fhould  iffue  orders  for  taking  fuch  vsflels  as 
fhould  be  found  trading  from  Scotland  to  France,  or  to 
the  ports  of  any  of  her  majefty's  enemies  ;  and  that  care 
fhould  be  taken  to  prevent  the  exportation  of  Englifh  wool 
into  Scotland.  On  thefe  refolutions  a  bill  was  formed  for 
an  entire  union,  and  paffed  the  houfe  on  the  2Oth  day  of  De 
cember.  The  lords  prefented  on  aderefs  to  the  queen,  re- 
prefenting,  That  they  had  duly  weighed  the  dangerous 
and  pernicious  effects  that  were  likely  to  be  produced  by 
divers  acts  of  parliament  lately  paffcd  in  Scotland  :  That 
they  were  of  opinion  the  fafety  of  the  kingdom  required 
that  fpeedy  and  effectual  orders  fhould  be  given  to  put 
Newcaflle  in  a  poflure  of  defence,  to  fecure  the  port  of 
Tinmonth,  and  repair  the  fortifications  of  Hull,  and  Car- 
lifle.  They  likewife  advifed  her  msjefty  to  give  direc 
tions  for  disciplining  the  militiaof  the  four  northern  coun 
ties  ;  for  providing  them  with  arms  and  ammunition ;  for 
maintaining  a  competent  number  of  regular  troops  on  the 
northern  borders  of  England,  as  well  as  in  the  north  of 
Ireland;  and  for  putting  the  laws  in  execution  againft  Pa- 
pills.  The  queen  promifed  that  a  furvcy  fhould  be  made 
of  the  places  they  had  mentioned,  and  laid  before  the  par 
liament;  and  that  (he  would  give  the  neceffary  directions 
upon  the  other  articles  of  the  addrefs.  The  commons 
feemed  to  concur  with  the  lords  in  their  fentiments  of  the 
Scottifh  act  of  fecurity.  They  refolved,  That  a  bill 
fhould  be  brought  in  for  the  effectual  fecuringthe  kingdom 
of  England  from  the  apparent  dangers  that  might  arife 
from  feveral  acts  lately  paffed  in  the  parliament  of  Scot 
land  ;  and  this  was  formed  on  nearly  the  fame  refolutions 
which  had  been  taken  in  the  upper  houfe.  The  bill  fent 
down  by  the  lords  was  thrice  read,  and  ordered  to  lie  up 
on  the  table  ;  but  they  paffed  their  own,  to  take  effect  at 
Ghriftmas,  provided,  before  that  time,  the  Scots  fhould 
not  fettle  the  fucceffion.  When  it  was.  offered  to  the 
lords,  they  pafled  it  without  any  amendment,  contrary  to 
the  expectation,  and  even  to  the  hope,  of  fome  members 
who  were  no  friends  to  the  houfe  of  Hanover,  and  firmly 
believed  the  lords  would  have  treated  this  bill  with  the 
fame  contempt  which  had  been  manifefled  for  that  which 
they  had  fent  down  to  the  commons, 

The  duke   of  Marl  borough,  at  his  firft    appearance  in 
the  houfe  after  his  return  to  England,  \v;is  hoi-.ourcd  with 


412  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND, 

B  o  O  K  a  very  extraordinary  eulogium,  pronounced  by  the   lord- 
keeper,  in  the  name  of  the  peers  of  Enojand;  and  a  com- 

V-<*"Y*"*^  plinient  of  the  fame  nature  was  prefented  to  him  by  a  com- 
17°4'  mittee  of  the  houfe  of  commons.  Docker  Delcune,  vice- 
chancellor  of  Oxford,  accompanied  by  the  principal  mem 
bers  of  the  univerfity,  attended  the  queen  with  an  ad 
drefs  of  congratulation  upon  the  fucccfs  of  her  arms  in 
Germany  under  the  admirable  conduct  and  invincible 
courage  of  the  duke  of  Marlboroush  ;  and  at  fea,  under 
the  moil  brave  and  faithful  Admiral  Sir  George  Rooke. 
He  received  a  civil  anfwer  from  her  majefty,  though  now 
fhe  took  umbrage  at  Rooke's  being  railed  upon  a  level 
with  the  duke  of  Mai  iborouo;h,  whole  great  victories  had 
captivated  her  admiration,  and  whofe  wife  had  alienated 
her  affection  from  the  Tories.  The  commons  perceiv 
ing  how  high  he  {rood  in  her  majcfty's  efteem,  and  having 
been  properly  tutored  for  the  purpofe,  took  into  confidcr- 
ation  the  great  fervices  of  the  duke}  and,  in  an  addrefs,  be- 
fought  her  majefty  to  confider  fome  proper  means  to  per 
petuate  the  memory  of  fuch  noble  actions.  In  a  few  days 
file  gave  them  to  underftand  by  a  mefTage,  that  fhe  was 
inclined  to  grant  the  intereft  of  the  crown  in  the  honour 
and  manor  of  Woooftock  and  hundred  of  Wooton  to  the 
duke  of  Marlborough  and  his  heirs  ;  and  that  as  the  lieu 
tenancy  and  rangerfhip  of  the  parks,  with  the  rents  and 
profits  of  the  manors  and  hundreds,  were  granted  for  two 
lives,  fhe  wifhed  that  incumbrance  could  be  removed. 
A  bill  was  immediately  brought  in,  enabling  the  queen  to 
bcftow  thefe  honours  and  manors  on  the  duke  of  Marlbo 
rough  and  his  hcjrs  ;  and  the  queen  was  deiired  to  advance 
the  money  for  clearing  the  incumbrances.  She  not  only 
complied  with  this  addrefs,  but  likewife  ordered  the  comp 
troller  of  her  works  to  build,  in  Woodftock-park,  a  mag 
nificent  palace  for  the  duke,  upon  a  plan  much  more  fo- 
lid  than  beautiful.  By  this  time  Sir  George  Rooke  was 
laid  allde,  and  the  command  of  the  fleet  beftowed  upon  Sir 
Cloudcfley  Shovel,  now  declared  rear-?.dmiral  of  Eng 
land.  Marcfchal  de  Taiiard,  with  the  other  French  gene 
rals,  taken  at  Hcchfladt,  arrived  on  the  i6th  of  December 
in  the  river  of  Thames,  and  were  immediately  conveyed 
to  Nottingham  and  Litchficld,  attended  by  a  detachment  of 
the  royal  regiment  of  horfc  guards.  They  were  treated 
with  great  refpect,  and  allowed  the  privilege  of  riding  ten 
miles  around  the  places  of  their  confinement. 

While  the  houfe  of  commons,  in  two  fucceflive  acldref- 
fes,  thanked  the  queen  for  the  treaty  which  the  duke  of 
Marlborough  had  concluded  with  PruflF.a,  concerning  the 
troops  to  be  fent  to  the  duke  of  Savoy;  and  defired  fhe 


ANNE.  413 

would  ufe  her  intereft  with  the  allies,  that  they  might  C  HA  P. 
next  year  furnifh  their  complete  proportions  of  men  by 
fea  and  land  ;  the  lor'.ls  examined  into  all  the  proceedings  ~ 
at  fea,  and  all  the  inft ructions  of  the  admiralty;  and  pre- 
fentecl  an  addrefs  to  the  queen,  explaining  all  the  di.tcr- 
ent  articles  of  mifmanagemcnt.  She  promifed  to  confider 
them  particularly,  and  give  fuch  directions  upon  them  as 
might  be  moil  for  the  advantage  of  the  public  frrvice. 
The  remaining  part  of  the  fefiion  was  corfir.r.cd  in  dif- 
putes  and  altercations  between  the  two  houfes  on  the  fub- 
ject  of  the  Aylefoury  conftables,  who  were  fucd  by  live 
other  inhabitants  for  having  denied  them  the  right  of  vot 
ing  at  the  election.  Thefe  five  perfons  were  committed 
to  Newgate  by  order  of  the  houfe  of  commons.  They 
moved  for  a  habeas  corpus  in  the  king's  bench  ;  but  the 
court  would  take  no  cognizance  of  the  affair.  Two  of 
the  prifoners  petitioned  the  queen  that  their  cafe  might  be 
brought  before  her  majefty  in  parliament.  The  commons, 
in  an  addrefs,  befought  the  queen  to  refufe  granting  a 
writ  of  error  in  this  cafe,  which  would  tend  to  the  over- 
throv,  ing  the  undoubted  rights  and  privileges  of  the  com 
mons  of  England.  She  affured  them  fhe  would  not  do 
any  thing  to  give  them  juft  caufe  of  complaint ;  but  this 
matter  relating  to  the  courfe  of  judicial  proceedings,  be 
ing  of  the  higheft  importance,  fne  thought  it  necefTary  to 
weigh  and  confider  very  carefully  what  might  be  proper 
for  her  to  do  in  a  thing  of  o  great  concern.  They  voted  all 
the  lawyers  who  had  pleaded  on  the  return  of  the  habeas 
corpus,  in  behalf  of  the  prifoners,  guilty  of  a  breach  of 
privilege,  and  ordered  them  to  be  taken  into  cuftody. 
They  likewife  ordered  the  prifoners  to  be  removed  from 
Newgate  into  the  cuftody  of  their  ft rj cant  at  arms,  left 
they  fhould  have  been  difcharged  by  the  queen's  granting 
writs  of  error.  The  prifoners,  finding  themfelves  at  the 
mercy  of  the  exafperated  commons,  petitioned  the  lords 
for  relief.  The  upper  houfe  paffed  fix  different  refolutions 
againft  the  conduct  of  the  commons,  as  being  an  obftruc- 
tion  to  juftice,  and  contrary  to  Magna  Charta.  The 
lower  houfe  demanded  a  conference,  in  which  they  infifted 
upon  the  fole  right  of  determining  elections  :  They  af 
firmed,  that  they  could  judge  who  had  a  right  of  voting  ; 
and  that  they  were  judges  of  their  own  privileges,  ia 
which  the  lords  could  not  intermeddle. 

The  upper  houfe  demanded  a  free  conference,  which 
proved  ineffectual.  New  refolutions  were  taken  by  the 
commons,  diametrically  oppofite  to  thole  of  the  peers,  who, 
on  the  other  hand,  attended  the  queen  with  a  long  repre- 
fentation  of  all  the  particulars  relating  to  this  affair.  They 
affirmed,  that  the  proceedings  of  the  houfe  of  commons  a- 


4M.  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK,  gaimt  the  Aylefbury   men   w.~re  wholly  new  and  unprece- 
dented:  That  it  was  the  birthright  of  every  Englifliman, 
who  apprehended  himfelf  injured,  to  feck  for  redrcfs  in  her 
majefty's  courts  of  juflice  :  That  if  any  power  could  control 
this  right,  and  prefcribe  when  he  fhouldand  when  he  fhould 
not  be  all jwed  the  benefit  of  the  laws,  he   ceafed  to  be  a 
freeman,  and  his    liberty    and    property   were   precarious. 
They  requefted,  therefore  that  no  consideration  whatever 
fhould  prevail  with  her  majefty  to  fuffer  an  obftru£tion  to 
the  known  courfe  of  juftice;  but  that  {he  would  be  pleafsd 
to  give  effectual  orders  for   the   immediate  ifluing   of  the 
writs  of  error.     The  queen   affured   them,  that  fhe  (hould 
have  complied  with  their  requcft  ;  but,  finding  an  abfolute 
neceflity  for  putting  an  immediate  end  to  this  fefiion,  {he 
knew  there  could  be  no  further  proceedings  on  that  mat- 
tsr.     On  that  very  day,  which  was  the  I4th  day  of  March, 
{he  went  to  the  houfe  of  lords,  and  p.tfTed  the  bills  that  were 
Burnet-        ready  for  the   royal  aflent.     Then  {he   thanked  the  parlia- 
Hift.  of       ment  for  hav-ng  difpatched  the  public  bufmefs  :   She  warn- 
Europe.        ecj  tnem  to  avoid  the  fatal  effects  of  animofity  and   diffen- 
Kift.  of  the  fi°n>  ordered  the  lord-keeper  to  prorogue  them  to  Thurfday 
D.  of  Marl-  the  ift  of  May;  but,  on  the  5th  of  April,  they  were  diftblv- 
borough.      e(j  by  proclamation,  and  another  was  published  for  cailino- 

Lockhart.  ,.  V^,  •    j  u        i.          •      ° 

Eurchet.       a  nevv  parliament.    1  he  queen,  accompanied  by  the  prince 
Lives  of  the  of  Denmark,  made  an  excurfion  to  Newmarket,  and  after- 
Admirals.     Wards  dined    by   invitation  with  the  univerfity  of  Carn- 
Feuqulere-    briJge>  where  {he  conferred  the  honour  of  knighthood  upon 
Voltaire.      Dr.  Ellis  the  vice-chancellor,  upon  James  Montague  coun- 
fcl  for  the  univerfity,  and  upon  the  celebrated  Ifaac  New- 
ten  mathematical  profeflbr.     The  two  houfes  of  convoca 
tion  ftill  continued  at  variance.     The  lower  houfe  penned 
petulant  reprefentations ;  and  thearchbiftiop  anfwered  them 
by  verbal  reprehenfion  and  admonition.     The  Tory  inte- 
reft  was  now  in  th?  wane.     The  duke  of  Buckinghamfhire 
was  deprived  of  the  privy- feal,  and  that  office  conferred  up 
on  the  duke  of  Newcaftle,  a  nobleman  of  powerful  influ 
ence  with  the  Whig  party.     The  earl  of  Montague   was 
created  marquis  of  Mounthermer  and  duke  of  Montague; 
the  earl  of  Peterborough  and  lord  Cholmondley  were  cho- 
fen  of  the  privy  council;  and  lord  Cutts  was  lent  to  com 
mand  the  troops  of  Ireland,  under  the  duke  of  Ortnond. 

The  miniftry  of  Scotland  was  now  entirely  changed. 
The  marquis  of  Tweedale  and  Johnfton,  having  been 
found  unequal  to  the  undertaking,  were  difmiiied.  The 
ciuke  of  cf  Qneenfberry  lefumed  the  management  of  affairs 
in  that  kingdom,  under  the  title  of  lord  privy-feal;  and  the 
ofEce  of  commiffioner  was  conferred  upon  the  young  duke 
oi"  Ar2;y!'o  who  iiicceedcd  to  his  father's  influence  among 


ANNE.  415 

the  Prefbyterians.  He  was  a  nobleman  poflefied  of  good  c  H  A  l*. 
natural  talents,  which  had  not  been  neglected  ;  candid,  o-  Hi- 
pen,  and  fmcere,  brave,  paffionate,  and  afpiring  :  Had  he  ^~\~*~* 
been  endued  with  a  greater  (hare  of  liberty,  his  character  i/c5- 
would  have  been  truly  heroic.  At  this  juncture  he  was 
inftructed  to  procure  an  act  of  the  Scottifh  parliament  fett 
ling  the  proteftant  iucceflion;  or  to  fet  on  foot  a  treaty  for 
the  union  of  the  two  kingdoms.  At  the  opening  of  the 
feffion  in  June,  the  members  were  divided  into  three  par 
ties,  namely,  the  cavaliers  or  Jacobites,  the  Revolutioners, 
the  Squadron  Volante,  or  flying  Squadron,  headed  by  the 
marquis  of  Tweedale,  who  difclaimed  the  other  two  fac 
tions,  and  pretended  to  ait  from  the  dictates  of  confcience 
alone.  The  parliamsnt  was  adjourned  to  the  3d  day  of  July, 
when  her  majefty's  letter  was  read,  earneftly  recommend-  . 
ing  the  fettlement  of  the  fucceffion  in  the  proteftant  line, 
and  an  act  for  a  commifiion  to  treat  of  an  union  between 
the  two  kingdoms.  The  marquis  of  Annandale  propofed 
that  the  parliament  fhould  proceed  on  the  limitations  and 
the  conditions  of  government :  That  a  committee  fhould 
be  appointed  to  confider  the  condition  of  the  coin  and  the 
commerce  of  the  nation.  The  earl  of  Mar  moved,  that  the 
houfe  would,  preferably  to  all  other  bufmefs,  confider 
the  means  for  engaging  in  a  treaty  with  England.  After 
a  long  debate,  they  refolved  to  proceed  on  the  coin  and  the 
commerce.  Schemes  for  fupplying  the  nation  with  mo 
ney,  by  a  paper-credit,  were  prefented  by  Dr.  Hugh  Cham- 
berlayne  and  John  Law,  but  rejected.  The  houfe  re 
folved,  That  any  kind  of  paper-credit,  by  the  circulation  of 
bills,  was  an  improper  expedient ;  and  appointed  a  council 
to  put  the  laws  relating  to  trade  in  execution.  The  duke 
of  Hamilton  propofed  that  the  parliament  fhould  not  pro 
ceed  to  the  nomination  of  a  fucceflbr,  until  the  treaty  with 
England  fhould  be  difcufled,  and  the  limitations  fettled. 
This  propofal  being  approved,  a  draft  of  an  anfwer  to  her 
majefty's  letter  was  prefented  by  the  marquis  of  Tweedale. 
Two  different  forms  of  an  act  for  a  treaty  with  England 
were  offered  by  the  earl  of  Mar  and  the  marquis  of  Lothi 
an  ;  others  were  produced  concerning  the  election  of  offi 
cers  of  ftate,  and  the  regulation  of  commerce. 

The   chief  aim  of  tru  cavaliers  was  to  obftruct  the  fet-  Aftpaflcd 
tlement  of  the  fucceflion ;  and  with  that  view  they  prefied  ™  the 
the   project   of  limitations,  to  which  they  knew  the  court  Ua^er/for 
would   never  aflent.     A  motion  being  made,  to  grant  the  a  treaty  of 
firft    reading   to  an    act   of  commiffion  for  a  treaty  with  union  witil 
England,  the   duke    of  Hamilton   infifted   on  the  fimita-  Ensland- 
tions,  and  a  vote  being  frated  in  thefe  terms,  "  Proceed  to 
"  confider   the   act   for  a  treaty,  or  limitation,"  the  latter 


416  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  was  carried  in  favour  of  the  cavaliers.  On  the  22cl  day  of 
IL  Augufr,  jm  act  for  this  purpofe  was  approved  ;  and  next 

t**~y**J  day  an  aft  for  a  triennial  parliament,  which  the  courtiers 
17°5-  were  enabled  to  defeat.  They  likewifc  pafled  an  act,  or 
daining,  That  the  Scottiih  ambaffadors,  representing 
Scotland,  (hould  be  prefent  when  the  fovereign  might 
have  occafion  to  treat  Avith  foreign  princes  and  flates,  and 
be  accountable  to  the  parliament  of  Scotland.  ,  Fletcher  of 
Saltoun  prefented  a  fcheme  of  limitations  that  favoured 
ftrong  of  republican  principles.  He  afterwards  enlarged 
upon  every  article,  endeavouring  to  prove  that  they  were 
abfolutcly  nccefiary  to  prevent  the  confequences  of  Eng- 
lifh  influence]  to  enable  the  nation  to  de-fend  its  rights 
and  liberties  ;  to  deter  minifters  of  ilate  from  giving  bad 
advice  to  their  fovereign  ;  to  preferve  the  courts  of  judi- 
*  cature  from  corruption,  and  fcreen  the  people  from  tyran 
ny  and  opprcilion.  The  earl  of  Stair  having  argued 
againft  thefe  limitations,  Fletcher  replied,  "  It  was  no 
"  wonder  he  oppofed  the  fcheme;  for,  had  fuch  an  a6t 
11  fubfifted,  his  lordihip  would  have  been  hanged  for  the 
"  bad  counfel  he  had  given  to  king  James  ;  for  the  con- 
"  cern  he  had  in  the  mafiacre  ofGlencoe;  and  for  his 
"  conduct  fmce  the  revolution."  The  next  fubject  on 
which  the  parliament  deliberated  was  the  confpiracy. 
A  motion  being  made  that  the  houfe  might  know  what 
anfwer  the  queen  had  returned  to  their  addrefs  in  the  laft 
feflion,  the  chancellor  delivered  to  the  clerk-regifter  the 
papers  relating  to  the  plot,  that  they  might  be  perufed  by 
the  members  :  But  thefe  being  copies,  and  the  evidences 
remaining  at  London,  no  further  progrels  was  made  in 
the  affair.  Yet  the  duke  of  Athole,  in  a  diftincT:  narrative 
of  the  pretended  confpiracy,  boldly  accufed  the  duke  of 
Queenfberry  of  having  endeavoured  to  miflcad  the  queen 
by  falie  infmuations  againft  her  good  fubjecls.  When  the 
acl:  for  a  treaty  of  union  fell  under  conlideration,  a  draft 
for  that  purpofe,  prefented  by  the  earl  of  Mar,  was  com 
pared  with  the  Englifh  a6l,  importing,  That  the  queen 
liiould  name  and  appoint  not  only  the  commiiTioners  for 
England,  but  likewife  thofe  for  Scotland.  Fletcher  did 
not  fail  to  inveigh  againft  the  imperious  conduct  of  the 
En^lifh  parliament  in  this  affair.  He  exhorted  the  houfe 
to  refent  fuch  treatment,  and  offered  the  draft  of  an  ad 
drefs  to  her  majefly  on  the  fubjecl  j  but  this  the1  houfe  re 
jected.  Duke  Hamilton  propofed  that  a  claufe  might  be 
added  to  the  ac~r,  importing,  That  the  union  fhould  no- 
wife  derogate  from  any  fundamental  laws,  ancient  privi 
leges,  offices,  rights,  liberties,  and  dignities  of  the  Scot- 
tiih  Kation.  This  occaGoned  a  long  debate  ;  and  the 


ANNE.  417 

queftion  bring  put,  was  carried  in  the  negative.  Another  C  H  A  P- 
daufe  was  propofbd,  that  the  Scottuh  commiffioners 
fhould  not  begin  to  treat  until  the  Englifh  parliament 
fhould  hnve  rcicindcd  their  claufc,  enacting,  That  the 
fubjecls  of  Scotland  fhould  be  adjudged  and  taken  as  aliens 
after  the  2 5th  day  of  December.  The  courtiers,  con- 
fiderin'g  the  temper  of  the  hcuib,  would  not  venture  to 
oppof.-  this  motion  direclly,  but  nropofed  that  the  chiufe 
fhculd  be  formed  into  a  feparate  a6t ;  and  the  expedient 
was  approved.  Though  the  duke  of  Athole  entered  a  vi 
gorous  proteft,  to  which  the  greater  part  of  the  cavaliers, 
and  all  the  fquadron  adhered,  comprehending  four-anJ- 
twenty  peers.,  feven-and-thirty  barons,  and  eighteen  bo 
roughs,  the  act  for  the  treaty  of  union  was,  after  much  al 
tercation,  finifhed,  empowering  commiffioners  to  meet 
and  treat  of  an  union  ;  but  reftraining  them  from  treating 
of  any  alterations  of  the  church  government  as  by  law 
eftablifhed.  While  this  important  fubject  was  under  con- 
fideration,  the  duke  of  Hamilton,  to  the  amrzement  of 
his  whole  party,  moved  that  the  nomination  of  the  com- 
miilioners  fhould  be  left  to  the  queen.  Fourteen  or  fifteen 
of  the  cavaliers  ran  out  of  the  houfe  in  a  tranfport  of  in 
dignation,  exclaiming,  that  they  were  deferted  and  bafely 
betrayed  by  the  duke  of  Hamilton.  A  very  hot  debate 
enfued,  in  the  courfe  of  which  the  duke  was  feverely  han 
dled  by  thofe  whom  he  had  hitherto  conducted  :  But,  at 
length,  the  queftion  being  put,  Whether  the  nomination 
fhould  be  left  to  the  queen  or  to  the  parliament  ?  the 
duke's  motion  was  approved  by  a  very  fmall  majority. 
He  afterwards  excufed  himfelf  for  his  defection,  by  fay 
ing,  he  faw  it  was  in  vain  to  contend  ;  and  that  fince  the 
court  had  acquired  a  great  majority,  he  thought  he  might 
be  allowed  to  pay  that  compliment  to  his  fovereign.  He 
was  defirous  of  being  in  the  commiffion,  and  the  duke  of 
Argyle  promifed  he  fhould  be  nominated.  The  queen  re- 
fuilng  to  honour  him  with  that  mark  of  diftir.clion,  Ar 
gyle  would  not  fufFer  himfelf  to  be  named,  and  threatened 
to  oppofe  the  union  :  But  means  were  found  to  appeafe 
his  refentment.  Two  drafts  of  an  addrels  being  p relented 
by  the  earl  of  Sutherland  and  Fletcher  of  Saltoun,  be- 
feechinjT  her  majefty  to  ufe  her  endeavours  with  the  parli 
ament  of  England,  to  refcinc1  that  part  of  their  a6l  which 
declared  the  fu bj eels  of  Scotland  aliens  ;  and  an  overture 
of  a  bill  bc-ing  offered,  ordaining  that  the  Scottilh  corn- 
mifFioricrs  fhould  not  enter  upon  the  treaty  of  union  until 
th.it  claufe  fhould  be  repealed;  the  courtiers  moved,  that 
the  parliament  fhould  proceed  by  way  of  order  to  their 
commifiioners,  ani  by  a-.kh\fs  to  her  rmjef.ty.  After  f.-me 
VOL.  I.  3  G 


418  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  debate,  the   houfe  affenting  to  this  propcfal,  the  order  and 
JI-        addrefs    were   drawn   up   and    approved.     The  great  and 

^^y*^  weighty  affair  of  the  treaty  being  at  length  happily  tran- 
17°5-  facted,  though  not  without  a  prottft  by  Alhole  and  his 
adherents,  tnc  parliament  granted  a  fupply  of  fifty  thou- 
fand  pounds,  and  the  houfe  was  adjourned  to  the  2Olh  day 
of  December:  Then  the  queen  declared  the  earl  of  Mar 
fecretary  of  flate,  in  the  room  of  the  marquis  of  Annan- 
dale,  who  was  appointed  lord-prefident  of  the  council. 

In  Ireland,  the  parliament  met  at  Dublin  on  the  5th 
day  of  March,  and  voted  one  hundred  and  fifty  thoufcnd 
pounds  for  the  fupport  of  the  ncccflary  branches  of  the 
eftablifliment.  A  difpute  arofe  between  the  commons  and 
the  lower  houfe  of  convocation,  relating  to  the  tithes  of 
hemp  and  flax,  afcertained  in  a  claufc  of  a  bill  for  the  bet 
ter  improvement  of  the  hempen  and  flaxen  manufactures 
of  the  kingdom.  The  lower  houfe  of  convocation  pre- 
fented  a  memorial  againft  this  claufe,  as  prejudicial  to  the 
rights  and  properties  of  the  clergy.  The  commons  voted 
the  perj'on  who  brought  it  guilty  of  a  breach  of  privilege; 
and  ordered  him  to  be  taken  into  cuftody.  Then  they  re- 
folved,  That  the  convocation  were  guilty  of  a  contempt 
and  breach  of  the  privilege  of  that  houfe.  The  convoca 
tion  prefaming  to  juftify  their  memorial,  the  commons 
voted,  That  ail  matters  relating  to  it  mould  be  razed  out 
of  the  journals  and  bocks  of  convocation.  The  duke  of 
Ormond,  dreading  the  confequence  of  fuch  heats,  ad 
journed  the  parliament  to  the  lft  day  of  May,  when  the 
houfes  meetina-  again,  came  to  fome  refolutions  that  re 
flected  obliquely  on  the  convocation,  as  enemies  to  her 
majefty's  government  and  the  Proteftant  fuccefilon.  The 
clergy,  in  order  to  acquit  themfelves  of  all  fufpicion,  re- 
folved  in  their  turn,  That  the  church  and  nation  had  been 
happily  delivered  from  popery  and  tyranny  by  king  William 
atthe  Revolution  :  That  the  continuance  of  thel'c  Mailings 
were  due  (underGod)  to  the  aufpicious  reign  and  happy  go 
vernment  of  her  majefty  queen  Anne:  That  the  future  fecu- 
rity  and  prcfervation  of  the  church  and  nation  depended 
wholly  (under  God)  on  the  fucceffipn  of  the  crown  as 
fettled  by  law  in  the  Proteftant  line  :  That  if  any  clergy 
man  mould,  by  word  or  writing,  declare  any  thing  in  op- 
pofition  to  thele  refolutions,  they  {hould  look  upon  him  as 
a  fower  of  divifions  among  the  Proteftants,  and  an  enemy 
to  the  conftitution.  They  levelled  another  refolutioa 
againft  the  Prefbyterians,  importing,  That  to  te-ach  or 
preach  againft  the  doctrine,  government,  rites,  or  cere 
monies,  of  the  church,  or  to  maintain  fchools  or  femina- 
ries  for  the  education  of  youth,  in  principles  contrary  to 


A    N     N     E.  419 

thofe  of  the  eilabliflied  church,  was  a  contempt  of  th?  ec-  C  n  A  I', 
clcfiaftical  laws    of  the    kingdom  ;    of  pernicious  confe- 
quence  ;  and  fervcd  only  to  continue  and  widtnihe  unhap-  ^*~y~*°-' 
py  fchi fins  and  divifions  in  the  nation.     In  June,    the  par-      I7°S- 
li-arnent  was  prorogued  to  the  fame  month  of  the  following 
year:    Then  the  duke  of  Ormond  embarked  for  England, 
leaving  the  adminiftration  in  the  hands  of  Sir  Richard  Cox, 
Ford-chancellor,   and  the  Lord  Cutts,  commander  in  chief 
of  the  queen's  forces,  who  were  appointed  loids-juftices 
during  the  duke's  abfence. 

Durirro;  thefe  transactions  in  Great  Britain  and  Ireland, 
the  allies  had  net  been  remifs  in  their  preparations  for  t!> .; 
enfuing  campaign.  The  duke  of  Marlborough  had  fixed 
upon  the  MofJle  for  the  fcene  oi'  action  ;  and  magazines 
of  all  forts  were  formed  at  Triers.  On  the  13111  day  cf 
March,  the  duke  embarked  for  Holland,  where  he  prevailed 
upon  the  ftates-general  to  contribute  their  troops  for  the 
execution  of  his  proj eel.  Having  concerted  with  the  de 
puties  of  the  dates  and  the  Dutch  general;,  the  neccflary 
meafures  for  opening  the  campaign)  he  fet  cut  for  Aiaeft- 
richt,  in  order  to  afiemb'e  his  army.  On  the  5th  day  of 
i\l«y  the  emperor  Leopold  died  at  Vienna,  r.ru!  was  fuc- 
ceeded  on  the  Imperial  throne  by  his  ekleft  for>  Joseph  king 
of  the  Romans;  a  prince  who  ixic^iblcd  his  Lthu.-r  L*i  meck- 
nefs  of  difpofition,  narrownefs  of  intellect,  and  bigotry  to 
the  Romifli  religion.  On  the  I5th  of  June,  the  tnglifh 
troops  pafied  the  Maefe,  and  continued  their  march  toward 
the  Mofelle,  under  the  command  of  General  Churchill; 
and  the  duke  fet  out  for  Creutznach,  to  confer  with  prince 
Louis  of  Baden,  who  excufed  huri  on  pretence  of  being 
much  indifpofed.  Marlborough  vifited  him  ::t  R.aftadt, 
wherein  a  conference  they  refolved,  that  a  fr.^icient  num 
ber  of  German  troops  fhould  be  left  for  "the  fecurity  of  the 
lines  of  Lauterburgh  and  Stelhpffen,  under  the  command  of 
General  Thungen  ;  and  that  Prince  Louis  of  Baden  iliould 
march  with  a  large  detachment  towards  the  Saar,  to  a6r.  ia 
concert  with  duke  of  Marlborough.  The  confederate  army 
pafled  the  Mofelle  and  the  Saar  i?i  the  beginning  of  June, 
and  encamped  at  Elft  in  lightof  the  enemy,  who  retired  with 
great  precipitation,  and  entrenched  themfeives  in  the  nei^h- 
bourhood  of  Coningfmacheren.  The  duke's  defign  w;.r. 
to  befiege  Snar-Louis;  but  Prince  Louis  •".  •:  .•<!  in  the  per 
formance  of  his  engagement  :  K  ick,  ard 
repaired  to  the  bath  at  Schlang^ibade,  le;  the  final! 
number  of  Imperial  troops  he  had  ;  far  as 
Creutznach,  under  the  comma::;':  •  ize.  He 


420  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK,  was  fufpe&ed  of  treachery;   but  probably  acled  from  envy 
,"•       °f  ^e  duke's  military  reputation  *. 

V"**"V^S-'  While  this  nobleman  fuftained  fuch  a  mortifying  dif::p- 
J7C5-  pointment  on  the  Mofelle,  the  French  c'id  not  fail  to  make 
advantage  of  their  fuperiority  in  the  Netherlands,  where 
General  D'Auverqucrque  was  obliged  to  ftand  on  the  de~ 
fenfive.  They  inverted  Huy,  ana  carried  on  their  ope 
rations  fo  vigourotifly,  that  in  a  few  days  the  garrifon  were 
obliged  ro  furrender  their.felves  prifoncrs  of  war:  Then 
Villeroy  undertook  the  reduction  of  I /icge,  and  actually 
'  began  his  works  before  the  citadd.  Marlborough  was  no 
fooner  informed  of  the  enemy's  progn  fs  than  he  marched 
to  Triers,  where  in  a  council,  it  was  revived  that  the  army 
fliould  return  to  the  Netherlands.  .The  troops  were  in 
motion 'on  the  igth  of  June,  and  marched  with  fuch  expe 
dition,  that  they  patted  the  Macfe  on  the  ill  day  of  July. 
Villeroy  having  received  advice  of  the  duke's  approach, 
ndoned  his  enterprize,  and  retired  to  Tongeren,  from 
whence  he  returned  within  his  lines,  that  reached  from 
Marche  aux  Dames  on  the  Meufe,  along  the  Mehaigne,  as 
far  as  Lenitive.  Maryborough  having  joiaecl  D'Auver- 
querque,  fent  General  Schoiten  v/ith  a  detachment  to  in- 
yeft  Huy ;  and  in  a  few  days  the  garrifon  furrendered  at 
difcretiorj.  The  Englifh  general  rcfolving  to  ftrike  fome 
flroke  of  importance  that  ihould  atone  for  his  difappoint- 
ment  on  the  Mofelle,  fent  General  Hornpefch  to  the  ilatcs, 
v/ith  apropofai  for  attacking  the  French  lines;  and  obtain 
ing  their  permilTion  to  do  whatever  he  flioukl  think  proper 
for  the  good  of  the  common  caufe.  Then  he  explained 
the  fchcine  in  two  fucceuivc  councils  of  war,  by  which,  at 
length,  it  was  approved  and  refolved  upon,  though  fome 
Dutch  generals  declared  thcmfelves  againft  the  undertak- 
Duke  of  i^g-  The* enemy  were  pofted  along  the  lines,  amounting 
Marl-  to  one  hundred  battalions  and  one  hundred  and  forty-fix 
borough  fquadrons.  The  allied  army  did  not  much  exceed  that 

force:,  the          1  T  ,  ,.,.',  I-.,  A  i 

Fren-h        number.     In  order  to  divide  them,  D  Auverquerque  made 

lines  at  a  falfe  motion  and  pa  fled  the  Mehaigne,  ?s  if  he  had  intend- 
Brabant.  e(j  to  nttacj.c  tne  jjncs  ^bout  Mefielin.  The  ftratagem  fuc- 
ceeded.  The  French  we^.lccnc.ci  the  other  parts  by  ilrength- 
ening  tJ;at  which  was  on  the  fide  of  the  Gerbife  towards 
Namur.  The  duke  of'Marlborough  iii.ving  made  the  dif- 
pofition,  the  army  began  to  march  in  the  night  between 
the  I /th  and  iSth  of  July,  in  order  to  foice  a  paffage  of 

*  The  Juke    or    .V     '  .  ing   l.!.vfi!f  oblig  ,  fent  a 

note  with  atnimp«ti:rto  Vill:irs,  com  lining  an  ajxio."  •  i  >g. — "  Do 

"  nie  the  jmlicc  ^i";iiJ  he)  t;>  is  entirely  owing  to  ti'  • 

4<t;-.iiv:;-c  of  t hi -prir.ee  of  Uadcn  ;   bi-i  ;  h.tniy   eiii'ctvi  for  you  is  ftill  greater 
ithanmy  relentfnent  of  his  coniudh" 


•      ANNE.  421 

the  French  lines  at  Haylefem,  the  caftle  of  Wauge,  and  CHAP. 
the  villages  of  Wauge,  Neerhefpen,  and  Oollmalen.  Th.-.fe 
poils   were  taken   with  very  little  difficulty  :   But,   before 
the  infantry  could  come   up,  the  c                         a  with  fifty      I7°S- 
fquadrcns  and   twenty  battalions,  and               to   ii re  from 
eight  pieces  of  cannon  with  triple  barrel;-,  which  did  conil- 
deiable   execution.     The  duke  perc                   t  th-'y  were 
continually   re-inforced    from  th                         of  the   lines, 
he  horf.2  to  charge  theircavalry,   w'.ich  were  ibon 
xl  routed  :    But  ra'ivi'' "   beh      ;         ir   inf , 


Hies,  who  were  now  fuftained 
,'s  to  renew  I- 

^ 
ferted  with   great  flai.;  ht  r.      The   inf;  '.try,  i'.e- 

felves  aba-'iujiied  in  th...  plain,  retreated  in  great 
between  the  villages  of  peylefem  and  Golfteven, 
where  they  were  joinsd  by  the  reft  of  their  army,  and  fann 
ed  again  in  order  of  batue.  Meanwhile  the  duke  of  Marl- 
borough  ordered  all  his  troops  to  enter  the  lines  ;  and  ex 
tended  his  right  towards  the  Great  Geete  before  Tirle- 
mont,  where  the  enemy  had  left  the  battalion  ofMontluc, 
which  furrendered  at  difcretion.  In  this  action  the  corf-Jj- 
rates  todik  tne  Marquis  D'Aleg«  '.  ,  mt  de  Home, 

lieutenant-generals,  one  major-general,  two  brisLulier- 
generals,  with  many  other  officers,  and  a  great  number  of 
common  foldiers;  a  large  heap  cf  {landards,  four  colours, 
one  pair  of  kettle-drums,  and  ten  pieces  of  cannon.  In  the 
action,  as  the  duke  of  Marlborouqh  advanced  to  the  charge 

T~l  •  ^"* 

at  the  head  of  feveral  fquadrons,  a  Bavarian  officer  rode  up 
to  attack  him  fword  in  hand;  but  in  raifing  himfelf  on  his 
ffirrups  to  flrike  with  the  greater  advantage,  he  fell  from 
his  horfe,  and  was  immediately  fLin. 

The  body  of  troops  commanded  by  monfieur  D'AIeore 
being  thus  defeated  with  little  or  no  lofs  to  the  confede 
rates,  the  elector  of  Bavaria,  and  the  marefchal  de  Villeroy 
pafTed  the  Great  Geete  and  th"  Deule,  with  great  expedi 
tion,  and  took  poffeilion  of  the  ftrong  camp  at  Parck,  their 
left  extending  to  Roofdaer,  and  their  right  to  Winefelen  a- 
gainft  the  height  cf  Louvain.  Next  day  thedukeof  Marlfao  • 
rough  marching  through  the  plain  of  Park,  took  twelve 
hundred  prifoners,  who  could  not  keep  pace  with  the  red 
of  the  enemy's  forces;  and  in  the  evening  he  encamped 
with  the  right  at  the  abby  of  Vlierfbeck,and  the  left  before 
Bierbeck,  under  the  cannon  of  Louvaiii.  He  detached 
Lieutenant-General  Henkelum,  the  duke  of  Wirtemberg, 
and  Count  Oxienftiern,  with  a  confulerable  body  of  forces, 
to  attack  fome  polls  on  the  Deule,  which  vvere  flenderly 


422  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  guarded.       Their   advanced  guard  accordingly  palled  the 
•  river,  and   rep ul fed  the  enemy  :    But,  for  want  of  timely 

fupport,  they  were  obliged  to  pafs  it  and  retire.  On  the 
3d  of  Auguft,  Baron  Spaar,  with  a  body  of  Dutch 
troops,  marched  to  Raboth  on  the  canal  of  Bruges,  forced 
the  French  lines  at  Lovendegen,  and  took  four  forts  by 
\vhich  they  were  defended  ;  but  receiving  advice  that  the 
enemy  were  on  ther  march  towards  him,  he  retired  to  Mil- 
degem  and  carried  with  him  fevcral  hoftages,  as  fecurity 
for  the  payment  of  the  contributions  he  had  raifed.  On 
the  1 5th,  the  duke  moved  from  Mildert  to  Coibais:  Next 
day  continued  his  march  to  Genap,  from  whence  he  ad 
vanced  to  Fifchcrrnont.  On  the  I yth,  General  D'Au- 
verquerque  took  the  poft  of  Waterle ;  and  next  day  the 
confederate  army  was  drawn  up  in  order  of  battle  before 
the  enemy,  who  extended  from  Overyfche,  near  the  wood  of 
Soignies,  to  Neeryfche,  with  the  little  river  Yfch  in  their 
front,  fo  as  to  cover  BruiTels  and  Louvain.  The  duke  of 
A'larlborough,  propofed  to  attack  them  immediately  before 
they  fhould  recollect  themfelves  from  their  confter nation  ; 
and  D'Auverquerque  approved  of  the  defign:  But  it  was 
oppofed  by  General  Schlangenburg,  and  other  Dutch  of 
ficers,  who  prefcnted  it  in  fuch  a  light  to  the  deputies  of 
the  (rates,  that  they  refufed  to  concur  in  the  execution. 
The  duke  being  obliged  to  relinquiih  the  fcheme,  wrote 
an  expoftulatory  letter  to  the  ftates-general,  complaining 
of  their  having  withdrawn  that  confidence  which  they  had 
repofed  in  him  while  he  acted  in  Germany.  This  letter 
being  publifhed  at  the  Hague,  excited  murmurs  among 
the  people ;  and  the  Engliih  nation  were  incenfed  at  the 
prefumption  of  the  deputies,  who  wrote  feveral  letters  in 
their  own  j unification  to  the  ftates-general :  But  thefe  had 
no  effect  upon  the  populace,  by  whom  the  duke  was  re- 
fpedled  to  a  degree  of  adoration.  The  Rates  being  apprif- 
ed  of  the  refentment  that  prevailed  overall  England,  and 
that  the  earl  of  Pembroke,  lord-preficlent  of  the  council, 
was  appointed  as  envoy  extraordinary  to  Holland,  with 
inftructions  to  demand  fat  is  fact  ion,  thought  proper  to  anti 
cipate  his  journey,  by  making  fubmiiTions  to  the  duke,  and 
removing  Schlangenburg,  from  his  command.  The  con 
federate  army  returned  to  Corbais,  from  whence  it  march 
ed  to  Perwitz,  where  it  encamped.  The  little  town  of 
Sout-Leeuwe,  fituated  in  the  middle  of  a  morafs,  and  con- 
jftituting  the  chief  defence  of  the  enemy's  lines,  being  taken 
by  a  detachment  under  the  command  of  Lieutenant-Gene 
ral  Declcm,  the  duke  ordered  the  lines  from  this  place  to 
WafTcigne,  to  be  levelled,  and  the  town  of  Tirlcrnonr,  to 
be  difm^ni!  .;• :  Then  paffing  the 03mcr,  be  encamped  en 


ANNE.  4*3 

the  1 9th  day  of  September  at  Aerfchat.  About  the  latter  end  CHAP. 
of  the  month  he  marched  to  Heventhal?  :  From  hence  the       in- 
duke  repaired  to  the  Plague,  where  he  had  feveral  confer-  t-'V'-' 
ences  with  the  penfionary.     In  a  few  days  he  returned  to      I7°S- 
the  army,  which  decamping  from  Heventhals,  marched  to 
Clampthout.     On  the    24th  day  of  October,  the  count  de 
Noyelles,  invefled   Stantvliet,    which   furrendered   before 
the  end  of  the  month. 

At  this  period  the  duke,  in  confequence  of  preffing  let-  He  vifcs 
ters  from  the  emperor,  fet  out  for  Vienna,  in  order  to  t>] 
concert  the  operations  of  the  enfuing  campaign,  and  other  ' 
meafures  of  importance,  in  which  the  concerns  of  the  al 
lies  were  interefted.  In  his  way  he  was  magnificently 
entertained  by  the  elector  palatine,  and  him  of  Triers, 
and  complimented  by  the  magiftracy  of  Fnmcfort,  where 
he  conferred  with  prince  Louis  of  Baden.  On  the  I2th 
of  November, he  arrived  at  Vienna,  where  he  was  treated 
with  the  higheft  marks  of  diftin6tion  and  cordial  friendship 
by  their  Imperial  majefties.  His  fon-in-law,  the  earl  of 
Sunderland,  had  been  fent  thither  as  envoy  extraordinary; 
and  now  they  conferred  together  with  the  emperor  and  his 
minifters.  They  refolved  to  maintain  the  war  with  re 
doubled  vigour.  The  treaties  were  renewed,  and  provi- 
fion  made  for  the  Security  of  the  duke  of  Savoy.  The  em 
peror,  in  consideration  of  the  duke's  Signal  Service  to  the 
houfe  of  Auftria,  prefented  him  with  a  grant  of  the  lord- 
Ship  of  Mindelheim,  in  Suabia,  which  was  now  erected 
into  a  principality  of  the  Roman  empire.  In  his  return 
with  the  earl  of  Sunderland,  he  viSited  the  courts  of  Berlin 
and  Hanover,  where  he  was  received  with  that  extraordi 
nary  refpecl  which  was  due  to  hi-s  character ;  and  arrived 
at  the  Hague  on  the  14th  day  of  December.  There  he 
Settled  the  operations  of  the  next  campaign  with  the  ftatcs- 
general,  who  confented  to  join  England  in  maintaining 
an  additional  body  of  ten  thoufand  men,  as  a  reinforce 
ment  to  the  army  of  prince  Eugene  in  Italy.  While  the  al 
lies  were  engaged  in  the  of  ficge  Santvliet,  the'  elector  of 
Bavaria  lent  a  detachment,  under  the  command  of  Don  Mar- 
cello  de  Grimaldi,  to  inveft  Dieft,  the  garrifon  of  which 
were  made  prifoners  of  war. 

On  the  Upper  Rhine  Marefchal  Villars  beSieged  and 
took  Homburg,  and  paSSed  the  Rhine  at  StraSburg  on  the 
6th  day  of  Auguft.  Prince  Louis  of  Baden  arriving  in 
the  camp  of  the  Imperialists  at  StolhofFen,  not  only  oblig 
ed  him  to  retire,  but  having  paSTed  the  river,  forced  the 
French  lines  at  Hagenau  Theft  he  reduced  Drufonheim. 
and  Hagenau,  but  attempted  no  enterprise  equal  to 
the  number  of  his  army,  although  the  empero  rhad 
expcftulatcd  with  him  Severely  on  his  conduct ;  and 


424.  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

B  o  O  K  he  had  now  a  fair  opportunity  of  emulating  the  glory  of 
Marlborough,  upon  whom  he  looked  with  the  eyes  of  an 
envious  rival.  In  Italy  a  battle  was  fought  at  Cafano  be- 
tween  prince  Eugene  and  the  duke  de  Vendomc,  with 
dull  lows  fucccf:;.  The  duke  de  Fcuillade  reduced  Chivas, 
and  inverted  Nice,  which,  after  an  obftinate  defence, 
furrendcred  in  December.  All  the  considerable  places 
belonging  to  the  duke  of  Savoy  were  now  taken,  except 
Ccni  rncl  Turin  ;  and  his  little  army  was  reduced  to 
I2,ooo  men,  whom  he  could  hardly  fupport.  His  duchefs, 
his  clergy,  and  his  fubjecls  in  general,  prefied  him  to 
fubmit  to  the  neceffity  of  his  affairs  :  But  he  adhered  to 
the  alliance  with  furnriilng  fortitude.  He  withftood  the 
importunities  c*  his  duchefs,  excluded  all  the  biihops  and 
clergy  from  his  councils  ;  and,  when  he  had  occafion  for  a 
confeflbr,  chofe  a  pried  occafionaliy,  either  from  the  Do 
minicans,  or  Francifcans.  The  campaign  in  Portugal 
began  with  a  very  promising  afpecr.  The  allies  invaded 
Spain  by  the  different  frontiers  of  Beyra,  and  Alentejo. 
Their  army,  under  the  command  of  the  Conde  das  Gal- 
veas,  undertook  the  fiege  of  Valencia  D'Alcantara  in 
May,  and  took  it  by  aflault :  Albuquerque  furrendered 
upon  articles  ;  and  then  the  troops  were  fent  into  quarters 
of  refrcfhment.  The  marquis  de  las  Minas,  who  com 
manded  the  Portuguefb  in  the  province  of  Beyra,  reduced 
the  town  of  Salva-terra,  plundered  and  burned  Sarca;  but 
was  obliged  to  retire  to  Penamacos  at  the  approach  of  the 
enemy.  Towards  the  end  of  September,  the  confederates 
being  re-affemblcd,  inverted  Badajox,  by  the  advice  of 
the  earl  of  Galway,  who  loft  his  right  hand  by  a  cannon- 
ball,  and  was  obliged  to  be  carried  off;  fo  that  the  con- 
du6t  of  the  fiege  was  left  to  general  Fas;el.  He  had  made 
confulerable  progrefs  towards  the  redudlion  of  the  place, 
when  the  Marquis  de  ThefTe  found  means  to  throw  in  a 
powerful  reinforcement ;  and  then  the  confederates  aban 
doned  the  enterprise.  The  war  continued  to  rage  in 
Hungary  with  various  fuccefs.  Rngotfki,  though  fre 
quently  vvorfred  appeared  ftill  in  arms,  and  ravaged  the 
country,  which  became  a  fcene  of  mifery  and  defolation. 
In  Poland,  the  old  cardinal  primate  owned  Staniflaus,  but 
di-d  before  the  coronation,  which  was  performed  by  the 
bifhcp  of  Cujavh.  In  the  beginning  of  winter,  King 
Auguilus  had  pafTed  through  Poland  in  difguife  to  the 
•'covue  army,  which  was  put  under  his  command  in 
Lithuania  ;  and  the  campaign  was  protra&cd  through  the 
v.'i-  i"  :.lbr.,  notwitbftanding  the  foverity  of  the 

•weather  hat    northern   climate.      In   the  fpring,  the 

Sv,*cdifli  general j  IleinchiU,  obtained  a  complete  victory 


ANNE.  415 

over  the    Saxon  army,  which  was  either  cut  in  pieces  or  c  H  A  P- 
taken    with  their    camp,  baggage,  and    artillery  ;  yet  the 
war  was   i\ot  extinguished.     1  he    king  cf  Sweden  con- 
tinued   obftinately    deaf  to    all    propolals    cf  peace,    and      X7°5- 
was  become  as  favage  in  his  manners,  as  brutal   in  his  re 
venge. 

At  fea,  the  arms  of  the  allies  were  generally  profper- 
ous.  Philip  of  Spain  being  abflinately  bent  upon  re-tak 
ing  Gibraltar,  fent  Marefchal  de  Thefle  to  renew  the 
{'icge  while  de  Pointis  was  ordered  to  block  up  the  phce 
by  fea  with  his  fquadion.  Thefe  French  officers  carried 
on  the  fiege  with  fueh  activity,  that  the  prince  of  Hcfie 
difpatched  an  exprefs  to  Lifbon,  with  a  letter,  defiring  fir 
John  Lealce,  to  fail  immediately  to  his  afftftance.  This 
admiral  haying  been  reinforced  from  England  by  fir  Tho 
mas  Dilkes,  with  five  fliips  of  the  line  and  a  body  of 
troops,  fct  fail  immediately  ;  and,  on  the  loth  of  March, 
defcried  five  {hips  of  war  hauling  out  of  the  bay  of  Gibral 
tar.  Thefe  were  commanded  by  de  Pointis  in  perfon,  to 
whom  the  Englifh  admiral  gave  chace.  One  of  them 
ftruck,  after  having  made  a  flight  refiftance  ;  and  the  reft 
ran  afliore  to  the  weftward  of  Marbelle,  where  they  were 
deftroyed.  The  remaining  part  of  the  French  fquadron 
had  been  blown  from  their  anchors,  and  taken  fhelter  in 
the  bay  of  Malaga  ;  but  now  they  flipped  their  cables,  and 
made  the  beft  of  their  way  to  Toulon.  The  marefchal  dc 
ThefTe,  in  confequence  of  this  difafler,  turned  the  fiege  of 
Gibraltar,  into  a  blockade,  and  withdrew  the  greater  part 
of  his  forces.  While  fir  John  Leake.  was  employed  in 
this  expedition,  fir  George  Byng,  who  had  been  ordered 
to  cruize  in  foundings  for  the  protection  of  trade,  took 
a  fhip  of  forty  guns  from  the  enemy,  together  with 
twelve  privateers,  and  feven  veflels  richly  laden  from  the 
Weft-Indies. 

But  the  rnoft  eminent  achievement  of  this  fummer,  was  Barcelona 
the  reduction  of  Barcelona,  by  the  celebrated  carl  of  Pe-  taken. 
terborough  and  fir  Cloudelley  Shovel,  who  failed  from  St. 
Helens,  in  the  latter  end  of  May  with  the  Englifh  fleet, 
having  on  board  a  body  of '5.000  land-forces  ;  and  on 
the  2Oi!i  of  June  arrived  at  Lifbon,  where  they  were  join 
ed  by  fa-  John  Leake,  and  the  dutch  admiral,  Alle- 
rnondtr.  In  a  council  oi  war.  they  determined  to  put  to  fea 
with  ti;cht--,ind-forty  ihips  of"  the  line,  which  fliould  be 
ftationed  between  Cape  Spartel  and  the  bay  of  Cadis,  in 
order  to  prevent  the  junction  of  the  Touio-i  and  Breft 
fquadrons.  The  prince  of  HefTe-Darmftadt,  arriving- 
from  Gibraltar,  allured  King  Charles,  that  the  province 
of  Catalonia,  and  the  kingdom  of  Valencia,  were  attached 

VOL.  I.  3  H 


426  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  to  his  intsrefl;  and  his  majefty  being  weary   of  Portugal, 
refolved  to  accompany  the  earl  of  Peterborough  to  Barce- 

V-**V"S*'  lona.  He  accordingly  embarked  \vith  him  on  board  of  the 
7°5-  Ranelagh ;  and  the  fleet  failed  on  the  a8th  day  of  July, 
the  earl  of  Gal-way,  having  reinforced  them  with  two  re 
giments  of  Engiiih  dragoons.  At  Gibraltar,  they  took 
on  board  the  Er.glifh  guards,  and  there  old  regiments,  in 
lieu  of  which  they  left  two  new-raifed  battalions.  On 
the  nth  day  of  Auguft,  they  anchored  in  the  bay  of  Al- 
tea,  where  the  earl  of  Peterborough  publifhed  a  manifcfto 
in  the  Sp?.niili  language,  which  had  inch  an  efFe6r,  that 
all  the  inhabitants  of  the  place,  the  neighbouring  villages, 
and  adjacent  mountains,  acknowledged  King  Charles  as 
their  lawful  Jbyerejgn.  They  feized  the  town  of  Denia, 
for  his  fervice;  and  he  fent  thither  a  garrifon  of  400  men 
under  the  command  of  Major-General  Ramos.  On  the 
22d,  they  arrived  in  the  bay  of  Barcelona  ;  the  troops  were 
difembarked  to  the  eaftward  of  the  city,  where  they  en 
camped  in  a  ftrong  fituation,  and  were  well  received  by 
the  country  people.  King  Charles  landed  amidft  the  ac- 
cbrnations  of  an  infinite  multitude  from  the  neighbour 
ing  towns  and  villages,  who  threw  themfelves  at  his  feet, 
exclaiming,  "  Long  live  the  king!"  and  exhibited  all 
the  marks  of  the  moft  extravagant  joy.  The  inhabitants 
of  Barcelona,  were  well  affected  to  the  houfe  of  Auftria, 
but  over-awed  by  a  garrifon  of  5,000  men  under  the  duke 
de  Popoli,  Velafco,  and  other  officers  devoted  to  the  inte- 
reft  of  King  Philip.  Confidering  the  ftrength  of  fuch  a 
garrifon,  and  the  fmall  number  of  Dutch  and  Englifh 
troops,  nothing  could  appear  more  defperate  and  danger 
ous  than  the  defign  of  befieging,  the  place ;  yet  this  was 
propofed  by  the  prince  of  Hefie-Darmftadt,  who  ferved  in 
the  expedition  as  a  volunteer,  ftrongly  urged  by  King 
Charles,  and  approved  by  the  earl  of  Peterborough  and  fir 
Cloudcfley  Shovel.  The  city  was  accordingly  inverted 
on  one  fide;  but,  as  a  previous  ftep  to  the  reduction  of  it, 
they  refolved  to  attack  the  fort  of  Montjuic,  ftrongly  fi- 
tuated  on  a  hill  that  commanded  the  city.  The  outworks 
were  taken  byftorrn,  with  the  lofs  of  the  gallant  prince  of 
Hefle,  who  was  fhot  through  the  body,  and  expired  in  % 
few  hours  :  Then  the  earl  of  Peterborough  began  to  bom 
bard  the  body  of  the  fort  ;  and  a  (hell  chancing  to  fall  into 
the  magazine,  of  powder,  blew  it  up,  together  with  the 
governor  and  fome  of  the  belt  officers  ;  an  accident  which 
ftruck  fuch  a  terror  into  the  garrifon,  that  they  furrendered 
without  further  refiftance. 

This  great  point  being   gained  the  Englifh   general  c- 
re6ted  his  batteries  agcujjft  the  town,  with  the  help  of  the. 


ANNE,  427 

Miquelets  and  fearnen.  The  bomb-ketches  began  to  fire  C  H  A  P. 
with  fuch  execution,  that  in  a  few  d.iys  the  governor  ca 
pitulated,  and,  on  the  4th  day  of  Oclober  King  Charles 
entered  in  triumph*.  All  the  other  places  iu  Catalonia 
declared  for  him,  except  Rofes  ;  fo  that  the  largeft  and 
richeil  province  of  Spain  was  conquered  with  an  anr.y 
fcarce  double  the  number  of  the  garrifon  of  Barcelona. 
King  Charles  wrote  a  letter  with  his  own  hand  to  the 
queen  of  England,  containing  a  circumftantial  detail  of  hi; 
affairs,  the  warmed  expreffions  of  acknowledgment,  and 
the  higheft  encomiums  on  her  fubjedts,  particularly  the 
earl  of  Peterborough.  In  a  council  of  war  it  was  deter 
mined,  that  the  king  and  the  earl  fhould  continue  in  Cata 
lonia,  with  the  land-forces  ;  that  fir  Cloudefley  Shovel, 
fhould  return  to  England  ;  that  five-and-twenty  Englifh 
and  fifteen  Dutch  fhips  of  war  fhould  winter  at  Lifbon, 
under  the  command  of  fir  John  Leake,  and  the  Dutch 
rear-admiral  Waflenaer ;  and  that  four  Englifu  and  two 
Dutch  frigates  fhould  remain  at  Barcelona.  Don  Fran- 
cifco  dz  Velafco,  was  tranfported  to  Malaga,  with  about 
a  thoufand  men  of  his  garrifon:  The  reft  voluntarily  en 
gaged  in  the  fervice  of  King  Charles,  and  fix  other  regi 
ments  were  raifed  by  the  dates  of  Catalonia.  The  count 
de  Cifuentes,  at  the  head  of  the  Miquelets  and  Catalans, 
attached  to  the  houfe  of  Auftria,  fecured  Tarragona,  Tor- 
tofa,  Lerida,  San-Mattheo,  Gironnc,  and  other  places. 
Don  Raphael  Nevat,  revolving  from  Philip,  with  his 
whole  regiment  of  horfe,  joined  General  Ramos,  at  De- 
nia,  and  made  themfelves  mafters  of  feversl  places  of  im 
portance  in  the  kingdom  of  Valencia.  Flufhed  with  fuch 
unexpected  fucceft,  they  penetrated  to  the  capital  of  t-u- 
fame  name,  which  they  furprized,  together  with  the  mar 
quis  de  Villa-Garcia,  the  viceroy,  and  the  .archbifliop. 
Thefe  advantages,  however,  were  not  properly  improved. 

*  Voltaire,  upon  what  authority  we  know  not,  tell  us,  that,  during  the 
capitulation,  the  German  and  Catalonun  troops  found  I/K. ins  to  climb 
the  ramparts  into  the  city,  and  began  to  commit  th^  moil  barbarous  excdT  s : 
The  viceroy  complained 'to  Peterborough,  that  his  folli  r>  Kaj  t  •>!:..:-.  an  un 
fair  advantage  of  the  treaty,  and  were  aftuilly  env.iloye.i  i.i  buriii''  :  pluin 
ing,  mui'Jering,  and  violating  the  inhabitants.  The  earl  replied,  "  They 
"  muft  then  be  the  t-oopsof  the  prince  of  Hefle  :  AUb.v  'oe  to  enrer  the  city 
"  with  iny  Engliih  forces  5  !  will  fave  it  from  ruin,  oblige  the  Germans  ta 
"  retire,  and  mrrch  back,  again  to  our  p  efent  fit.iatio:).1'  The  viceroy  ;r  i-  - 
ed  his  honour,  aud  forth-.vith  admitted  the  t.r.i  v/L:h  hi;  trospi.  lii  i'^.;\ 
croveout  the  Germans  and  Cataloni  ins,  after  having  obliged  th/oi  to  qv.it  the 
plunder  they  had  taken;  and,  by  acdidsnt,  he  r-jfrueii  the  du:Ji:-lV  of  Po^oii  fioni 
ihe  hands  of  two  brutal  foldkrs,  and  delivcvcJ  her  to  her  ha!:-,  .n  1.  ]-'  ;\i  '_; 
thus  appealed  the  tumult,  and  difpelled  the  horrors  of  the  ci.i/,  m,  !u- re 
turned  to  his  former  ftation,  lenving  the  inhabitants  of  Barcelona  ama/' 
fuch,  an  indance  of  magnanimiiy  and  moderation  in  a  jseo-.l;  \vhom  they  lui 
b-'cntai:clu  to  confider  as  the  n:oit  fav a ™t  barbarians. 


428  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  The  court  of  Charles  was  divided    into    factions,  and   fo 
much  time  loft  in  difputes,  that  the  enemy  fent  a  body  of 

^-^Y"^  iix  thoufand  men  into  the  kingdom  of  Valencia,  under 
J7C'S-  the  command  of  the  Conde  dc  las  Torres,  who  forthwith 
inverted  San-JVL'ttheo,  guarded  by  colonel  Jones  at  the 
head  of  five  hundred  Miquilets.  This  being  a  place  of 
great  confequcnce,  on  account,  of  its  fituation,  the  earl  of 
Peterborough  marched  thither  with  one  thoufarid  infantry, 
and  twohun  dred  dragoons  ;  and,  by  means  of  feigned  intelli 
gence,  artfully  conveyed  to  the  Conde,  induced  that  general 
to  abandon  the  fiege  with  precipitation,  in  the  apprehenfiou 
of  being  fuddenly  attacked  by  a  csmfidc-rable  army.  Pe- 
borough  afterwards  took  poffefiion  of  Nules,  and  purchaf- 
ing  horfes  at  Caftillon  de  la  Plana,  began  to  form  a  body 
of  cavalry,  which  did  good  fervice  in  the  fcquel.  Having 
aiTembled  a  little  army,  confiding  of  ten  fquadrons  of 
horfe  and  dragoons,  and  four  battalions  of  regular  troop?, 
with  about  three  thoufand  militia,  he  marched  to  Molvie- 
dro,  which  was  furreridered  to  him  by  the  governor,  Bri 
gadier  Mahoni.  Between  this  officer  and  the  duke  d'Ar- 
co?,  the  Spanifh  general,  he  excited  fuch  jealoufies  by 
dint  of  artifices  not  altogether  jufiifiable  even  in  war,  that 
the  duke  was  more  intent  upon  avoiding  the  fuppofed  trea 
chery  of  Mahoni  than  upon  interrupting  the  earl's  march 
to  Valencia,  where  the  inhabitants  exprefied  uncommon 
marks  of  joy  at  his  arrival.  About  this  period,  a  very 
obftinate  action  happened  at  St.  Iftevan  de  Litera,  where 
the  chevalier  d'Asfeldt,  with  nine  fquadrons  of  horfe  and 
dragoons,  and  as  many  battalions  of  French  infantry,  at 
tacked  colonel  Wills,  at  .the  head  of  a  fmall  detachment : 
But  this  laft  being  fupportcd  by  lieutenant-general  Cun 
ningham,  who  was  mortally  wounded  in  the  engagement, 
repulfed  the  enemy,  though  three  times  his  number,  with 
the  lofs  of  four  hundred  men  killed  upon  the  fpot.  The 
troops  on  both  fides  fought  with  the  rnoft  dcfperate  valour, 
keeping  up  their  fire  until  the  muzzles  of  their  pieces 
met,  and  charging  each  other  at  the  point  of  the  bayonet. 
The  only  misfortune  that  attended  the  Englifh  arms  in 
the  courfe  of  this  year  was  the  rapture  of  the  Baltic  fleet 
homeward-bound,  with  their  convoy  of  three  iliips  of  war, 
which  were  taken  by  the  Dunkirk  fquadron  under  the 
command  of  the  Count  de  St.  P.-;til,  though  he  himlelf 
was  killed  in  the  engai-cMU:!;;.  \Vhen  a;i  account  of  this 
advantage  was  conrttHinicatexl  to  tV  French  king,  he  re 
plied  with  a  figh,  "  Very  well,  I  vvifn  the  ihips  were  fife 
u  again  in  any  Englifh  port,  provided  the  Count  de  St. 
"  Paul,  could  he  ^cllorcd  to  ];,";.''  After  the  death  of 


A     N     N     E.  429 

the  famous  Du  Bart,  this  officer  was  counted  the  bed  fea-  CHAP- 
man  in  France. 

The  kingdom  of  England  was  now  wholly  engroffed  by  **^Y~**' 
the  election  of  members  for  the  new  parliament.  The  17°5- 
Tories  exerted  their, felves  with  great  induftry,  and  pro 
pagated  the  cry  of  the  church's  being  in  danger;  a  cry  in  • 
which  the  Jucobit.es  joined  with  great  fervour  ;  but,  not- 
Wtbftanding  all  their  efforts,  in  word  and  writing  a  majo 
rity  of  Whigs,  was  return -d  j  and  now  th?  lord  Godoi- 
phin,  who  had  hitherto  maintained  a  neutrality,  thought 
proper  openly  to  countenance  that  faction.  By  his  intc-reft 
co-operating  with  the  influence  of  the  duchels  ef  Marl  bo 
rough,  fir  Nathan  Wright,  was  deprived  of  the  g;eat;bai, 
which  was  committed  to  Mr.  Williatti  Cowper,  with  the 
title  of  lord-keeper.  This  was  a  lawyer  of  good  extraction, 
fuperior  talents,  engaging  manners,  rnd  eminence  in  his 
profeflion.  Pie  was  daunch  to  Whig  principles,  and  for 
many  years  had  been  confulered  as  one  of  their  bed  fpeak- 
ers  in  the  houfe  of  commons. 

The  new  parliament  meeting  on  the  25th  d.iy  of  Octo-  Westing  of 
ber,  a  violent  conted  urofe  about  the  choice  of  a  fpeaker.  P  •r-ia^ent. 
Mr.  Bromley,  was  fupported  by  the  Tories,  and  the 
Whigs  propofed  Mr.  John  Smith,  who  was  elected  by  a 
majority  of  forty -three  voices.  The  queen,  in  her  fpeech, 
represented  the  neceffity  of  acting  vigoroufly  againd  France 
as  a  common  enemy  to  the  liberties  of  Europe:  She  com 
mended  the  fortitude  of  the  duke  of  Savoy,  which  fhe  f,iid 
WAS  without  example  :  She  tolu  them  her  intention  was  to 
expedite  commiffions  for  treating  of  an  union  with  Scot- 
lanjf:  She  earnedly  recommended  an  union  of  minds  and 
affections  among  her  people :  She  obferved,  that  fomc 
perfons  endeavoured  to  foment  animofities,  and  even  fug- 
gefted  in  print,  that  the  adablifhed  church  was  in  danger: 
She  affirmed  that  fuch  people  were  enemies  to  her  and  to 
the  kingdom,  and  meant  only  to  cover  dei'igns  which  they 
durd  not  publicly  own,  by  endeavouring  to  diftract  the 
nation  v.'ith  unreafonable  and  groundlels  difrruds  a:id  jea- 
louiies:  She  declared  flie  would  always  affectipnntely  fup- 
p.ort  and  countenance  the  church  of  England,  as  by  law 
cdabli/hed :  That  fhe  Would  inviolably 'maintain  the  tole 
ration  :  That  fhe  would  promote  religion  and  virtue,  en 
courage  trade,  and  every  thing  elfe  that  might  make  them 
a  happy  and  flourifhirig  people. 

The  majority  in  both  houf_s  now  pifofefied  the  fame 
principles,  and  were  well  difpofed  to  fupport  the  queen  in 
all  her  defigns.  They  fird  prefented  the  ufual  addrefles, 
in  the  xvarrned  terms  of  duty  and  affection.  Then  the 
commons  drew  up  a  fecond,  alluring  her  th,=y  \vnuld,  to 


430  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  the  utmost  of  their  power,  afiift  her  in  bringing  the  treaty 
of  union  a  happy  conclufion.  They  defircd  that  the  pro- 
ceedings  of  the  laft  feffion  of  parliament,  relating  to  the 
union  and  fucceiEon,  might  be  laid  before  the  houfe.  The 
lords  had  foliated  the  fame  fatisfaction  ;  and  her  majefly 
promifed  to  comply  with  their  requeft.  The  lower  houfe 
having  heard  and  decided  in  force  cafes  of  controverted  e- 
le&ions,  proceeded  to  take  into  consideration  the  eftimatcs 
for  the  fervice  of  the  enfuing  year,  and  granted  the  fup- 
plies  without  hefitation.  In  the  houfe  of  lords,  while  the 
queen  was  prefent,  lord  Haverfham,  at  the  end  of  a  long 
fpeech,  in  which  he  reflected  upon  the  conduft  of  the  duke 
of  Marlborough,  both  on  the  Mofelle,  and  in  Brabant, 
moved  for  an  addrefs  to  defire  her  majefty  would  invite  the 
preiumptive  heir  to  the  crown  of  England  to  come  and 
refide  in  the  kingdom.  This  motion  wa?  earneftly  fup- 
ported  by  the  duke  of  Buckingham,  the  earls  of  Rochefter, 
Nottingham,  and  Anglefey.  They  faid  there  was  no 
method  fo  effectual  to  fccure  the  fuccefllon,  as  that  of  the 
fuccefTor's  being  upon  the  fpot,  ready  to  aflume  and  main 
tain  his  or  her  right  againft  any  pretender ;  and  they  ob- 
ferved,  that,  in  former  times,  when  the  throne  of  England 
was  vacant,  the  firft  comer  had  always  fucceeded  in  his 
pretenfions.  Thepropofal  was  vehemently  oppofed  by  the 
Whigs,  who  knew  it  was  difagreeable  to  the  queen,  whom 
they  would  not  venture  to  difoblige.  They  argued,  that 
a  rivalry  between  the  two  courts  might  produce  diftrac- 
tions,  and  be  attended  with  very  ill  confequences  ;  and  ob- 
lerved,  that  the  Princefs  Sophia,  had  exprefled  a  full  fa- 
tisfa&ion  in  theafTurances  of  the  queen,  who  had  promifed  to 
maintain  her  title.  The  queftion  being  put,  was  carried  in 
the  negative  by  a  great  majority.  The  defign  of  the  To 
ries  in  making  this  motion  was  to  bring  the  other  party 
into  difgrace,  either  with  the  queen  or  with  the  people. 
Their  joining  in  the  meafure  would  have  given  umbrage 
to  their  fovereisn;  and,  by  oppofmg  it,  they  ran  the 
rifque  of  incurring  the  public  odium,  as  enemies  to  the 
Proteftant  fuccelTion ;  but  the  pretence  of  the  Tories  was 
fothiri,  the  nation  faw  through  it;  and  the  fole  effecl:  the 
motion  produced,  was  the  queen's  refentment  againft  the 
whole  party.  Burnet,  bifhop  of  Sarum,  propofed,  that 
prcvifion  might  be  made  for  maintaining  the  public  quiet, 
in  the  interval  between  the  queen's  deceafe,  and  the  arri 
val  of  her  fucceffor :  The  motion  was  feconded  by  the 
lord-treafurer ;  and  a  bill  brought  in  for  the  better  fecuri- 
ty  of  her  ma  j city's  per fon  and  government,  and  of  the  fuc- 
ceffion  to  the  crown  of  England.  By  this  a6r,  a  regency 
inted  of  the  fcven  perfens  that  Ihould  poffeTs  the 


ANNE.  43< 

offices  of  archbifhop  of  Canterbury,  lord  chancellor  or  C  H  A  P. 
lord-keeper,  lord-treafurer,  lord-prefident,  lord  privy  feal, 
lord  high-admiral  and  the  lord-chief-juftice  of  the  queen's- 
bench.  Their  bufinefs  was  to  proclaim  the  next  fuccefibr 
through  the  kingdom  of  England,  and  join  with  a  certain 
number  of  perfons  named  as  regents  by  the  fuccefibr,  in 
three  lifts,  to  be  fealed  up  and  depofited  with  the  archbi 
fhop  of  Canterbury,  the  lord-keeper,  and  the  minifler  re- 
fidantiary  of  Hanover.  It  was  enacted,  That  thefe  joint 
regencies  fhould  conduct  the  adminiftration:  That  the  laft 
parliament,  even  though  diiTolved,  fhould  re-afiemble,  and 
continue  fitting  for  fix  months  after  the  deceafe  of  her  ma- 
jefty.  The  bill  met  with  a  warm  oppofition  from  the  To 
ries,  and  did  not  pafs  the  upper  houfe  without  a  proteft. 
It  was  ftill  further  obftructed  in  the  houfe  of  commons,  even 
by  fome  of  the  Whig  party,  who  were  given  to'  underftand 
that  the  Princefs  Sophia,  had  exprefTed  an  inclination  to 
refide  in  England.  Exceptions  were  likewife  taken  to  that 
claufe  in  the  bill  enacting,  that  the  laft  parliament  fhould 
fhould  be  re-aflembled.  They  affirmed,  that  this  was  in- 
confiftent  with  part  of  the  act  by  which  the  fucceffton  was 
at  firft  fettled;  for,  among  other  limitations,  the  parlia 
ment  had  provided,  that  when  the  crown  fhould  devolve 
to  the  houfe  of  Hanover,  no  man,  who  had  either  place  or 
penfion,  fhould  be  capable  of  fitting  in  the  houfe  of  com 
mons.  After  tedious  difputes  and  zealous  altercation, 
they  agreed  that  a  certain  number  of  offices  fhould  be  fpe- 
cified  as  disqualifying  places.  This  felf-denying  claufe, 
and  fome  other  amendments,  produced  conferences  between 
the  two  houfes,  and  at  length  the  bill  pafTed  by  their  mutu 
al  afTent.  Lord  Haverfham,  moved  for  an  enqniry  into 
the  mifcarriages  of  the  laft  campaign,  hoping  to  find  fome 
foundation  forcenfure  in  the  conduS  of  the  duke  of  Marl- 
borough;  but  the  propofal  was  rejected  as  invidious;  and 
the  two  houfes  prefented  an  addrefs  to  the  queen,  defiring 
fhe  would  preferve  a  good  correfpondence  among  all  the 
confederates.  They  likewife  concurred  in  repealing  the 
act  by  which  the  Scots  had  been  alienated,  and  all  the  nor 
thern  counties  alarmed  with  the  apprehenfion  of  a  rupture 
between  the  two  nations.  The  lord  Shannon,  Brigadier, 
Stanhope,  arriving  with  an  account  of  the  expedition  to 
Catalonia,  the  queen  communicated  the  good  news  in  a 
fpeech  to  both  houfes,  expreffing  her  hope,  that  they  would 
enable  her  to  profecute  the  advantages  which  her  arms  had 
acquired.  The  commons  were  fo  well  pleafed  \vith  the 
tidings,  that  they  forthwith  granted  two  hundred  and  fifty 
thoufand  pounds  for  her  rmjet'ty's  proportion  in  the  expenc? 
ofprofecutingthe  fuccefles  already  gained  by  King  Charie? 


432  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND, 

BOOK  III.  for    the    recovery   of  the   monarchy   of  Spain  to  the 

i*1    •    houfe    of  Aiiflria.     On    the    icih   day  of  November,  the 

^*V^    queen    p.ve    the  royal  allent  to  an  act  for  exhibiting  a  bill 

i7°5-        to  naturalize  the  Princtfs  Sophia,  and  the  ifiue  of  her  bo- 

dy. 

Fhefe  rocafures  being  taken,  the  6th  day  of  December 
was  appointed  for  enquiring  into  thofe  dangers  to  which 
the  Tories  affirmed  the  church  was  expofed  ;  and  the 
queen  attended  in  perfon,  to  hear  the  debates  on  this  in- 
terefting  fubjcdt.  The  earl  of  Rochefter  compared  the 
expreiTions  in  the  queen's  fpeech  at  the  beginning  of  the 
feiiion  to  the  law  enacled  in  the  reign  of  Charles  II.  de 
nouncing  die  penalties  of  treafon  againft  thofe  who  (hould 
call  the  king  a  Papift ;  for  which  reafon,  he  faid,  he  al 
ways  thought  him  of  that  perfuafion.  He  affirmed  that  the 
church's  danger  arofe  from  the  a6t  of  fecurity  in  Scotland, 
the  abfence  of  the  fucceflbr  to  the  crown,  and  the  pra6Hce 
of  occafional  conformity.  He  was  anfwered  by  Lord  Ha 
lifax,  who,  by  way  of  recrimination,  obferved,  that  Kin?- 
Charles  II.  was  a  Roman  Catholic,  at  leaft  his  brother 
declared  him  a  Papift  after  his  death  :  That  his  brother 
und  fucceffor  was  a  known  Roman  Catholic,  yet  th;j 
church  thought  herfelf  fecure  ;  and  thofe  patriots  who 
flood  up  in  its  defence^were  difcountenanced  and  punifh- 
ed  ;  nay,  when  that  fuccefibr  afcendcd  the  throne,  and  the 
church  was  apparently  in  the  moil  imminent  danger,  by 
the  high  commiffion  court  and  otherwife,  the  nation  was 
then  indeed  generally  alarmed  ;  and  every  body  knew  who 
fat  in  that  court,  and  entered  deeply  into  the  meafures 
which  were  then  purfued.  Compton,  bifhop  of  London, 
declared  that  the  church  was  in  danger,  from  profanenefs, 
irreligion,  and  the  licentioufnefs  of  the  prefs.  He  com 
plained,  that  fermons  were  preached  wherein  rebellion 
was  countenanced,  and  refiftance  to  the  higher  powers 
encouraged.  He  alluded  to  a  fermon  preached  before  the 
lord  mayor,  by  Mr.  Hoadley,  now  bifhop  of  Wincheiler. 
Burnet  of  Sarum  faid,  the  biihop  of  London  was  the  laft 
man  who  ought  to  complain  of  that  fermon;  for  if  the 
doctrine  it  contained  was  not  good,  he  did  not  know  what 
defence  his  lordihip  could  make  for  his  appearing  in  arms 
at  Nottingham.  He  affirmed  the  church  would  be  always 
fubjecl:  to  profanenefs  and  irreligion,  but  that  they  were 
not  now  fo  flagrant  as  they  ufually  had  been  ;  he  faid  the 
fociety  fet  up  for  reformation  in  London  and  other  cities, 
had  contributed  confiderably  to  the  fuppreffion  of  vice  : 
he  was  fure  the  corporation  for  propagating  the  gofpel  had 
done  a  great  deal  towards  inftrucTmg  men  in  religion,  by 
giving  great  numbers  of  books  in  practical  divinity  ;  by 


A    M     N     E.  433 

erecting  libraries  in  country  parifhes ;  by  fending  many  CHAP. 
able  divines  to  the  foreign  plantations,  and  founding  111. 
fchools  to  breed  up  children  in  the  Chriftian  knowledge ;  L*«yO 
though  to  this  expence  very  little  had  been  contributed  by  1705. 
thofe  who  appeared  fo  wonderfully  zealous  for  the  church. 
The  archbilhop  of  York  exprefTed  his  apprehenficn  of 
clanger  from  the  increafe  of  difienters  ;  particularly  from 
the  many  academies  they  had  inftituted ;  he  moved  that 
the  judges  might  be  confulted  with  refpecl  to  the  laws 
that  were  in  force  againft  fuch  feminaries,  and  by  what 
means  they  might  be  fupprefled.  Lord  Wharton  moved, 
that  the  judges  might  alfo  be  confulted  about  means  of 
fuppreffing  fchools  and  fcrninaries  held  by  nonjurors  ;  in 
one  of  which  the  fons  of  a  noble  lord  in  that  houfc  had 
been  educated.  To  this  farcafoi  the  archbifhop  replied 
that  his  fons  were  indeed  taught  by  Mr.  Ellis,  a  fober, 
virtuous  man  ;  but  that  when  he  rtfufed  the  oath  of  abju 
ration,  they  were  immediately  withdrawn  from  his  in- 
ftru&ions.  Lord  Wharton  proceeded  to  declare,  that  he 
had  carefully  perufed  a  pamphlet  entitled  "  The  Memori 
al,"  which  was  faid  to  contain  a  demonflration  that  the 
church  was  in  danger  ;  but  all  he  could  learn  was,  thr.t 
the  duke  of  Buckingham,  the  earls  of  Rochefter  and  Not 
tingham,  were  out  of  place  ;  that  he  remembered  fome  of 
thefe  noblemen  fat  in  the  high-cornmiffion  court,  and  then 
made  no  complaint  of  the  church's  beins:  in  danger.  Pa 
trick  bi(hop  of  Ely  coaj plained  of  the  heat  and  paffion 
manifefted  by  the  gentlemen  belonging  to  the  univerfities; 
and  of  the  undutiful  behaviour  of  the  clergy  towards  their 
bifhops.  He  was  feconded  by  Hough  of  Lichfield  and 
Coventry,  who  added,  that  the  inferior  clergy  calumniat 
ed  their  bifhops,  as  if  they  were  in  a  plot  to  deftroy  the 
church,  and  had  compounded  to  be  the  laft  of  their  order. 
Hooper  of  Bath  and  Wells  expatiated  on  the  invidious 
diftinction  implied  in  the  terms  "  High  Church,"  and 
"  Low  Church."  The  duke  of  Leeds  afierted,  that  the 
church  could  not  be  fafe,  without  an  act  againft  occafion- 
al  conformity.  Lord  Somers  recapitulated  all  the  argu 
ments  which  had  been  ufed  on  both  fides  of  the  queftion  : 
He  declared  his  own  opinion  was,  that  the  nation  was 
happy  under  a  wife  and  juft  adiuinirtration  :  That  for  men 
to  raife  groundlefs  jealoufies  at  that  juncture,  could  mean 
no  lefs  than  an  intention  to  embroil  the  people  at  home, 
and  defeat  the  glorious  defigns  of  the  allies  abroad.  The 
debate  being  finiihed,  the  cmeftion  was  put,  Whether  the 
church  of  England  was  in  danger  ?  and  carried  in  the  ne 
gative  by  a  great  majority  :  Then  the  houfe  rcfolved, 
fhat  the  church  of  England  as  by  law  eftablilhed,  which 
VOL.  I.  '  -  I 


434  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  was  refcued  from  the  extremefl  danger  by  King  William 
J1-  III.  of  glorious  memory,  is  now,  by  God's  bleffing,  under 
^*~y~*J  the  happy  reign  of  her  majefry,  in  a  mod  f  fe  and  flouriih- 
17°5  ing  condition}  and  that  whoever  goes  about  to  fuggeft  or 
infinuate  that  the  church  is  in  danger,  under  her  majefty's 
adrriniflration,  is  an  enemy  to  the  queen,  the  church,  and 
the  kingdom.  Next  day  the  commons  concurred  in  this 
determination,  and  joined  the  lords  in  an  addrefs  to  the 
queen,  communicating  this  refolution,  bcfeeching  her  to 
take  effe&ual  meafures  for  making  it  public  ;  and  alfo  for 
punifhing  the  authors  and  fpreaders  of  the  feditious  and  fcan- 
dalous  reports  of  the  church's  being  in  danger.  She  ac 
cordingly  iffued  a  proclamation,  containing  the  refolution 
of  the  two  houfe^,  and  offering  a  reward  for  difcovering  the 
author  of  the  Memorial  of  the  Church  of  England,  and  for 
apprehending  David  Edward?,  a  profefied  Papift,  charged 
upon  oath  to  be  the  printer  and  publiflier  of  that  libel. 

After  a  fhort  adjournment,  a  committee  of  the  lower 
houfe  prcfented  the  thanks  of  the  commons  to  the  duke  of 
Maryborough,  for  his  great  fervices  performed  to  her  ma- 
jefty  and  the  nation  in  the  Lift  campaign,  and  for  his  prudent 
negotiations  with  her  allies.  This  nobleman  was  in  fuch 
credit  with  the  people,  that  when  he  propofbd  a  loan  of  five 
hundred  thoufand  pounds  to  the  emperor,  upon  a  branch  of 
his  revenue  in  Siklia,  the  money  was  advanced  immediately 
by  the  merchants  of  London.  The  kingdom  was  blcfTcd 
with  plenty:  The  queen  was  flniverfally  beloved:  The 
people  in  general  were  zealots- -for  the  profecution  of  the 
v/ar  :  The  forces  were  well  paid:  The  treafurywas  punc 
tual  ;  and,  though  a  great  quantity  of  coin  was  exported 
for  the  maintenance  of  the  war,  the  paper-currency  fupplied 
the  deficiency  fo  well,  that  no  murmurs  were  heard,  and 
the  public  credit  flouriflied  both  at  home  and  abroad.  All 
the  funds  being  efr.abliih.ed,  one  in  particular  for  two  milli 
ons  and  a  half  by  way  of  annuities  for  ninety-nine  years,  at 
fix  and  a  half  percent. ;  and  all  the  bills  having  received 
the  royal  alFent,  the  queen  went  to  the  houfe  of  peers  on 
the  1 9th  day  of  March,  where  having  thanked  both  houfes 
for  the  repeated  inftances  of  their  affection  which  fhe  had 
received,  fhe  prorogued  the  parliament  to  the  2ifl  day  of 
May  following*.  The  new  convocation,  inftead  of  imi 
tating  the  union  and  harmony  of  the  parliament,  revived  the 
Bame*  diviiions  by  which  the  former  had  been  diftracted,  and  the 
Boyer.  two  houfes  fremed  to  adl  with  more  determined  rancour 
Lockhart.  ngainft  each  other.  The  upper  houfe  having  drawn  up  a. 

Quincy. 

Europe  *  AnonS  °tuer  bills  pafied  during  this  fcfiion,  was  an  act  for  al:iuing  and 

Feuquieies. 

Tinual, 


ANNE,  435 

addrefs  of  thanks   to  the  queen,  for  her  affectionate  c  H  A  i\ 
care  of  the  church,  the  lower  houfe  refufcd  to  concur  j  nor       IIJ- 
would  they  give  any  reafon  for  their  diiTent.     They  prepa-  ^--y*-' 
red  another  in  a  different  {train,  which  was  rejected  by  the  p-^°^ 
archbifbop.     Then  they  agreed  to  divers  refolutions,  affert-  the  duke  of 
ing  their  right  of  having  what  they  offered  to  the    upper  Marlbo- 
houfe  received  by  his  grace  and  their  lordfhips.     In  confe-  ™us^  ^ 
quenceofthis  dilTention  the   addrtfs  was  dropped,  and    aLiuvresof' 
flop  put  to   all   further   communication   between    the  two  the  aJml- 

houG.-s.     The  dean  of  Peterborough  protefted  againft  the  rals-  . 

i     •  •         r  i      i  i        c         T*t  •  i   ^,       Voltaire. 

irregularities  of  the  lower  houie.      I  he  queen,  in  a   letter 

to  the  archbifrop,  fignified  her  refolution  to  maintain  her 
ftipreotacy,  .  r;d  the  due  fubordination  of  prefbyters  to  bifh- 
o;:5.  8'ie  cxprefTed  her  hope  that  he  and  his  fuffragaiis 
would  act  conformably  to  her  refolution,  in  which  cafe  they 
mur'nt  he  ai'Ilnei]  <-f  the  continuance  of  her  favour  and  pro- 
tecti  >n  :  She  required  him  to  impart  this  declaration  to  the 
bi;'hops  and  der^y,  and  to  prorogue  the  convocation  to  fuch 
dr',ic  us  thould  appear  molt  convenient.  When  he  commu- 
ivci.t^d  this  htter  to  the  lower  houfe,  the  members  were  not 
a  little  confounded  :  Neverthelefs,  they  would  not  comply 
with,  the  prorogation,  but  continued  to  lit  in  defiance  of  her 
m.ijefty's  pleafure. 

The  eyes  of  Great   Britain  were  now   turned  upon   a  T7r-6. 
tranfuction  of  the  utmoft    confjquence  to  the  whole  ifland; 
namely,  the  treaty  for  an  union   of  the   two   kingdoms   of 
England  and  Scotland.     The  queen  having  appointed    the 
coinmiiiioners  *  on  both  fides,  they  met  on  the  i6ih  day  of 


hold  ;  Charles  duke  of  S>fnerfct,  mailer  of  the  horfs  ;  CharL.j  dake  of  B  ,lton, 
Chiirles  earl  of  Sunderlantk  Evelyn  earl  of  Kingfton,  Charles  earl  of  Ca  lifle, 
Edward  earl  of  Orfo.d,  Charles  Vifcount  Townihead,  Thomas  Lord  Whanon, 
Ralph  Lord  Grey,  Joh-i  Lord  P owlet,  John  Lcr'd  So.viers,  Charles  Lord  Hali 
fax,  William  Cavendivh  marquis  of  Harrington,  John  Manners  mr.rqi.iis  of  Gran- 
by  ;  Sir  Charles  Hedges  and  Robert  Harlty,  p;incipal  fecretariesof  ftatc  ;  John 
Smith;  Henry  Boyle,  chancellor  of  the  Exchequer;  Sir  John  Kolt,  chief 
Jufticc  of  the  qjeen's  bench  ;  Sir  Thomas  Trevor,  chief  juiiice  of  the  common 
pleas;  Sir  Edward  Northcy,  „••  ,.  -  ••tval  ;  Sir  bimon  Karcoait,  folicitor- 
general  ;  Sir  John  Cool:  ,  .-oftcr  or  i.i'.vs. — The  Scottiih 

commiiTioners  were,  ja/r;,  s  ea/lof  Sean  1,1,  lord  chancellor  of^ Scotland  ;  "James 
duke  of  QueeBfberry,  lord  privy-fcal  ;  Jo'snearl  of  Mar,  a:id  Hugh  eail  of 
Loudon,  principal  f  crerari  s  of  ft;>.:e  ;  j  h:i  e..vl  of  Sutherland,  John  earl  of 
iVIorton,  David  earl  of  Wemys,  David  ca  1  of  Ltven,  John  earl  of  Stair,  Archi 
bald  earl  of  Rofeberry,  Davi.i  earl  of  Gb./go'.v,  Lord  Archibald  Ca:i;pxl!, 
Thamas  Vifcount  D-.iplin,  Lord  Wil  Sir  Hv.-h  Dulrymple,  pre'fi.ient 

of  the  leflion  ;  Adam  C  ,  iftoun,  lord  juftictTclerk  J   i)ir  Robert 

CunJas,  of  A  niltoun,  Pxobe.i  .•.'iliicultrie,   lords  oi  the  i"oT;on  ;  Mr. 

Francis  Montgomery,  CM  of  the  eomnufiioners  of  the  treafu.v  '•,  Sir  David 
Dalrymplc,  one  of  h;r  majeSy's  folicicora  ;  Sir  Alexander  Ogilvie,  receiver 


436  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  April,  in  the  council-chamber  of  the  Cockpit  near  White 
hall,  which  was  the  place  appointed  for  the  conferences. 
W*"Y  Their  comrniffions  being  opened  and  read  by  the  refpecliive 
Confi°  frcrctaries,  and  introductory  fpeeches  being  pronounced  by 
cesfcra  the  lord-keeper  of  England,  and  the  lord-chancellor  of 
treaty  of  ^  Scotland,  they  agreed  to  certain  preliminary  articles,  im- 
PortmS>  f nat  a^  t'16  propofals  Should  be  made  in  writing, 
and  every  point,  when  agreed,  reduced  to  writing  :  That 
no  points  fhould  be  obligatory,  till  all  matters  mould  be 
ndjufted  in  fuch  a  manner  as  would  be  proper  to  be  laid  be 
fore  the  queen,  and  the  two  parliaments,  for  their  appro 
bation  :  That  a  committee  fhould  be  appointed  from  each 
commiffton,  to  revife  the  minutes  of  what  might  pafs,  be 
fore  they  mould  be  inferted  in  the  books  by  the  refpe&ivs 
fecretaries  ;  and  that  all  the  proceedings  during  the  treaty 
fhould  be  kept  fecret.  The  Scots  were  inclined  to  a  fe 
deral  union,  like  that  of  the  United  Provinces:  But  the 
Englifh  were  bent  upon  an  incorporation,  fo  as  that  no 
Scottifli  parliament  fhould  ever  have  power  to  repeal  the 
articles  of  the  treaty.  The  lord-keeper  propofed  that  the 
two  kingdoms  of  England  and  Scotland  fhould  be  for  ever 
united  into  one  realm,  by  the  name  of  Great  Britain  :  That 
it  fhould  be  reprefented  by  one  and  the  fame  parliament ; 
and  that  the  fucceflion  of  this  monarchy,  failing  heirs  of  her 
mnjefty's  body,  fhould  be  according  to  the  limitations 
mentioned  in  the  acl:  of  parliament  paffed  in  the  reign  of 
King  William,  intituled,  An  a6l  for  the  further  limitation 
of  the  crown,  and  the  better  fecuring  the  rights  and  liber 
ties  of  thefubje£t.  The  Scottifh  commiffioners,  in  order  to 
comply  in  fome  meafure  with  the  popular  clamour  of  their 
nation,  prefented  a  propofal,  implying,  that  the  fuccefnon. 
to  the  crown  of  Scotland  fhould  be  eftablifhed  upon  the 
fame  perfons  mentioned  in  the  a£t  of  King  William's 
reign  :  That  the  fubjecls  of  Scotland  fhould  for  ever  enjoy 
all  the  rights  and  privileges  of  the  natives  in  England,  and 
the  dominions  thereunto  belonging  ;  and,  that  the  fubje<fts 
of  England  mould  enjoy  the  like  rights  and  privileges  in 
Scotland  :  That  there  fhould  be  a  free  communication  and 
intercourfe  of  trade  and  navigation  between  the  two  king 
doms,  and  plantations  thereunto  belonging  ;  and  that  all 
laws  and  flatutes  in  either  kingdom,  contrary  to  the  terms 
of  this  union,  fhould  be  repealed.  The  Englifh  commiffi 
oners  declined  entering  into  any  confiderations  upon  thefe 

gcner?.!;  Sir  Patrick  Johnllon,  provoft  of  Edinburgh  ;  Sir  James  Srnoilct,  of 
Bonhill  ;  George  Lockhart,  of  Carmvath  ;  William  Morrilbn,  of  Preftongrange  ; 
Alexander  Grant  ;  William  Seton,  of  Pitmidden  ;  John  Clark,  of  Pennycukk  j 
Hugh  Montgomery,  Daniel  Stuart,  and  Daniel  Campbell. 


ANNE.  437 

propofals,  declaring  themfelvcs  fully  convinced,  that  nothing  c  II  A  P. 
but  an  entire  union  could  fettle  a  perfect  ar.dlafting  fricnd- 
fhip  between  the  two  kingdoms.  The  Scots  acquiefced 
in  this  reply,  and  both  fides  proceeded  in  the  treaty,  with- 
O'jt  any  other  intervening  difputc.  They  were  twice  vi- 
fited  by  the  queen,  who  exhorted  them  to  accelerate  the?  ar 
ticles  of  a  treaty  that  would  prove  fo  advantageous  to  both 
kingdoms.  At  length  they  were  finifhed,  arranged,  and 
mutually  figned,  on  the  22d  of  July,  and  next  day  preiented 
to  her  msjefty,  at  the  palace  of  St.  James's,  by  the  lord- 
keeper,  in  the  name  of  the  En^lifh  commiffioners  :  At  the 
fcrne  time,  a  fealed  copy  of  the  infti  ument  was  likewife  de 
livered  by  the  lord-chancellor  of  Scotland  ;  and  each  made 
a  fhort  oration  on  the  fubjedl,  to  which  the  queen  returned 
a  very  gracious  reply.  1  hat  fame  d?yfne  dictated  an  or 
der  of  council,  that  whoever  would  be  concerned  in  any 
difcourfe  or  libel,  or  in  laying  wagers  relating  to  the  union, 
(hould  He  profecuted  with  the  utrnoft  rigour  of  the  law. 

In  this  famous  treaty  it  wns  ftipulated,that  the  fucceiTion 
to  the  united  kingdom  of  Great  Britain  mould  be  vetted 
in  the  Princefs  Sophia,  and  her  heirs,  according  to  the  acls 
already  pafled  in  the  parliament  of  England  :  That  the 
united  kingdom  fhould  be  reprefented  by  one  and  the  fame 
parliament :  That  all  the  fubjec"ls  of  Great  Britain  fhoulcl 
enjoy  a  communication  of  privileges  and  advantages:  That 
they  fnould  have  the  fame  allowances,  encouragements, 
and  drawbacks ;  and  be  under  the  fame  prohibitions,  re- 
ftTic"ticns  and  regulations,  with  refpecl  to  commerce  and 
cuftoms :  That  Scotland  fhould  not  be  charged  with  the 
temporary  duties  on  fome  certain  commodities  :  That  the 
lism  of  three  hundred  ninety-eight  thoufand  and  eighty- 
five  pounds  ten  {hillings,  fhould  be  granted  to  the  Scots,  as 
an  equivalent  for  fuch  parts  of  the  cuftoms  of  excife  charg 
ed  upon  that  kingdom,  in  confequence  of  the  union,  as 
would  be  applicable  to  the  payment  of  the  debts  of  Eng 
land,  according  to  the  proportion  which  the  cuftoms  and 
excife  of  Scotland  bore  to  thefe  of  England  :  That,  as  the 
revenues  of  Scotland  might  increafe,  a  further  equivalent 
fhould  be  allowed  for  fuch  proportion  of  the  faid  increafe 
as  fnould  be  applicable  to  the  payment  of  the  debts  of  Eng 
land  :  That  the  fum  to  be  paid  at  prefent,  as  well  ns  the 
monies  arifing  from  the  future  equivalents,  ihould  be  em 
ployed  in  reducing  the  coin  of  Scotland  to  the  fbmdard 
and  value  of  the  Engli{h  coin ;  in  paying  of?  the  capital 
ilock  and  intcreft  due  to  the  proprietors  of  the  African 
nt:;:y,  which  fnould  be  immediately  difiblved;  in  dif- 
c^arging  all  the  public  debts  of  the  kingdom  of  Scotland  ; 
in  prornoung  and  encouraging  manufactures  and  fiflierie?, 


43$  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  under  the  direclion  of  commiffioners  to  be  appointed  b/ 
L-*.  »»J  ^sr  mfy^y*  an<^  accountable  to  the  parliament  of  Great 
""V""*  Britain  :  That  the  laws  concerning  public  right,  policy, 
and  civil  government,  fhould  be  the  fame  throughout  the 
whole  united  kingdom ;  but  that  no  alteration  fhould  be 
made  in  laws  which  concerned  private  right,  except  for 
evident  utility  of  the  fubjecls  within  Scotland  :  That  the 
court  of  feffion,  and  all  other  courts  ef  judicature  in  Scot 
land,  fhcuid  remain  as  then  coftituted  by  the  laws  of  that 
kingdom,  with  the  fame  authority  and  privileges  as  before 
the  union;  fubjecl:,  neverthel-fs,  to  fuch  regulations  as 
ihould  be  made  by  the  parliament  of  Great  Britain  :  That 
all  heritable  offices,  fuperioritier,  heritable  jurifdictions,  of 
fices  for  life,  and  jiyifdicYions  for  life,  fhould  be  refervcd 
to  the  owners,  as  rights  of  property,  in  the  fame  manner  as 
then  enjoyed  by  the  laws  of  Scotland :  That  the  rights  and 
privileges  of  the  royal  boroughs  in  Scotland  fhould  remain 
entire  after  the  union  :  That  Scotland  fhould  be  reprefent- 
ed  in  the  parliament  of  Great  Britain  by  fixteen  peers  and 
forty-five  commoners,  to  be  elected  in  fuch  a  manner  as 
ihould  be  fettled  by  the  prefent  panliament  of  Scotland : 
That  all  the  peers  of  Scotland,  and  the  fuccefibrs  to  their 
honours  and  dignities,  fhould,  from  and  after  the  union,  be 
peers  of  Great  Britain  and  fhould  have  rank  and  preceden 
cy  next  and  immediately  after  the  Engifh  peers  of  the  like 
orders  and  degrees,  at  the  time  of  the  union  ;  and  before  all 
peers  of  Gteat  Britain  of  the  like  orders  and  degrees,  who 
might  be  created  after  the  union :  That  they  Ihould  be 
tried  as  peers  of  Great  Britain,  and  enjoy  all  privileges  of 
peers,  as  fully  as  enjoyed  by  the  peers  of  England,  except 
the  right  and  privileges  of  fitting  in  the  houfe  of  lords,  and 
the  privileges  depending  thereon,  and  particularly  the 
right  of  fitting  upon  the  trials  of  the  peers  :  That  the 
crown,  fceptre,  and  fword  of  ftate,  the  records  of  parlia 
ment,  and  all  other  records,  rolls,  and  regifters  whatsoever, 
ihould  ftill  remain  as  they  were,  within  that  part  of  the 
united  kingdom  called  Scotland  :  That  all  laws  andftatutes 
in  either  kingdom,  fo  far  as  they  might  be  inconfiftent  with 
the  terms  of  thcfe  articles  fhould  ceafe  and  be  declared 
void  by  the  refpeclive  parliaments  of  the  two  kingdoms.— 
Such  is  the  fubttance  of  that  treaty  of  union  which  was  fo 
eagerly  courted  by  the  Englifh  miniftry,  and  proved  fo 
unpalatable  to  the  generality  of  the  Scottifh  nation. 

While  this  treaty  was  on  the  carpet  at  home,  the  allied 
arms  profpered  furprifmgly  in  the  Netherlands,  in  Spain, 
and  in  Piedmont.  The  French  king  had  refolved  to  make 
very  confiderable  efforts  in  thefe  countries;  and,  indeed,  at 
the  beginning  of  the  campaign,  his  armies  were  very  for- 


A    N     N    E.  439 

midable.  He  hoped  that,  by  the  redu&ion  of  Turin  and  CHAP. 
Barcelona,  the  war  would  be  extinguilhed  in  Italy  and 
Catalonia.  He  knew  he  could  out-number  any  body  of  '-""Y^""' 
forces  that  prince  Louis  of  Baden  fhould  aflemble  on  the  ]7c6- 
Rhine;  and  he  refolved  to  reinforce  his  army  in  Flanders, 
fo  as  to  be  in  a  condition  to  acl:  offenfively  againft  the 
duke  of  Marlborough.  This  nobleman  repaired  to  Hol 
land  in  the  latter  end  of  April ;  and  conferred  with  the 
Hates-general.  Then  he  affembled  the  army  between 
Borfchloen  and  Groef-Waren,  and  found  it  amounted  to 
feventy-four  battalions  of  foot,  and  one  hundred  and  twen 
ty-three  fquadrons  of  horfe  and  dragoons,  well  furnifhed 
with  artillery  and  pontoons.  The  court  of  France  having 
received  intelligence,  that  the  Danifh  and  Pruffian  troops 
had  not  yet  joined  the  confederates,  ordered  the  eleclor  of 
Bavaria  and  the  marefchal  de  Villeroy  to  attack  them  be 
fore  the  junction  could  be  effected.  In  purfuance  of  this  or 
der  they  parted  the  Deule  on  the  Igth  day  of  May,  and 
polled  themfelves  at  Tirlemont,  being  fuperior  in  number 
to  the  allied  army.  There  they  were  joined  by  the  horfe 
of  the  army,  commanded  by  marefchal  Marfin,  and  encamp 
ed  between  Tirlemont  ar.d  Judoigne.  On  Whitfunday, 
early  in  the  morning,  the  duke  of  Marlborough  advanced 
with  his  army  in  ei^ht  columns  towards  the  village  of 
Ramillies,  being  by  this  time  joined  by  the  Danes ;  and  he 
learned  that  the  enemy  was  in  march  to  give  him  battle. 
Next  day  the  French  generals  perceiving  the  confederates 
fo  near  them,  took  poflelllon  of  a  ftrong  camp,  their  right 
extending  to  the  Tomb  Hautemont,  on  the  fide  of  the 
Mehaigne;  their  left  to  Anderkirk;  and  the  village  of  Ra-  Battle  of 
millies  being  near  their  centre.  The  confederate  army  Ramillies.. 
was  drawn  up  in  order  of  battle,  with  the  right  wing  near 
Foltz  on  the  brook  Yaufe,  and  the  left  by  the  village  of 
Franquenics,  which  the  enemy  had  occupied.  The  duke 
ordered  Lieutenant-General  Schukz,  with  twelve  battali 
ons  and  twenty  pieces  of  cannon,  to  begin  the  action,  by 
attacking  Ramillies,  which  was  ftrongly  fortified  with  ar 
tillery.  At  the  fame  time  Vehmarefchal  d'Averquerque, 
on  the  left,  commanded  Colonel  Wertmuller,  with  four 
battalions  and  two  pieces  of  cannon,  to  diflodge  the  ene 
my's  infantry  ported  among  the  hedges  of  Franquemies. 
Both  thefe  orders  were  fuccefsfully  executed.  The  Dutch 
and  Danilh  horfe  of  the  left  wing  charged  with  great  vi 
gour  and  intrepidity,  but  were  fo  roughly  handled  by  the 
troops  of  the  French  king's  houfehold,  that  they  began  to 
give  way,  when  the  duke  of  Marlborough  fufrained  them 
with  the  body  of  refer ve,  and  twenty  fquadron  drawn  from 
the  right,  where  a  morafs  prevented  them  from  acting.  In 


440  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

the  mean  time,  he  in  perfon  rallied  fome  of  the  broken 
fquadrons,  in  order  to  renew  the  charge,  when  his  own 
horle  fulling,  he  was  furrounded  by  the  enemy,  and  mu(r 
have  been  either  killed  or  taken  prifoner,  had  not  a  body  of 
infantry  come  feafonably  to  his  relief.  When  he  remounted 
his  horie,  the  head  of  Colonel  Brienfield,  his  gentleman  of  the 
horfe  was  carried  off  by  a  cannon-ball  while  he  held  the 
duke's  ftirrup.  Before  the  reinforcement  arrived,  the  beft 
part  of  the  French  moufquetaires  were  cut  in  pieces.  All. 
the  troops  ported  in  Ramillies  were  either  killed  or  taken. 
The  roil  of  the  enemy's  infantry  began  to  retreat  in  toler 
able  order,  under  cover  of  the  cavalry  on  their  left  wing, 
which  formed  themfelves  in  three  lines  between  Offuz  and 
Anderkirk ;  but  the  Englifh  horfe  having  found  means  to 
pafs  the  rivulet  which  divided  them  from  the  enemy,  fell 
upon  them  with  fuch  impetuofity,  that  they  abandoned  their 
foot,  and  were  terribly  flaughtered  in  the  village  of  Ander- 
Frenchxie-  j^rk.  They  now  gave  way  on  all  fides.  The  horfe  fled 

fcated.  i-rr  I  r         I     r  i  rii 

three  different  ways;  but  were  fo  clolely  purlued,  that  very 
few  efcaped.  The  elector  of  Bavaria  and  the  marefchal  de 
Viileroy  favecl  themfelves  with  the  utmoft  difficulty.  Se 
veral  waggons  of  the  enemy's  van-guard  breaking  down  in 
a  narrow  pafs,  obstructed  the  way  in  fuch  a  manner,  that 
the  baggage  and  artillery  could  not  proceed;  nor  could  their 
troops  defile  in  order.  The  victorious  horfe  being  inform 
ed  of  this  accident,  prcfTcd  on  them  fo  vigouroufly,  that 
great  numbers  threw  down  their  arms  and  fubmit- 
ted.  The  purfuit  was  followed  through  Judoigne  till 
two  o'clock  in  the  morning  five  Leagues  from  the  field  of 
battle,  and  within  two  of  Louvaine.  In  a  word,  the  con 
federates  obtained  a  complete  victory.  They  took  the 
enemy's  baggage  and  artillery,  about  one  hundred  and 
twenty  colours,  or  ftandards,  fix  hundred  officers,  fix  thou- 
fand  private  foldiers;  and  about  eight  thoufand  were  killed  or 
wounded*.  Prince  Maximilian  and  Prince  Monbafon  loft 
their  lives;  the  Major-Generals  Palavicini  and  Mezieres 
were  taken,  together  with  the  irarquifTes  de  Bar,  de  No- 
nant,  and  de  la  Baume,  this  laft  the  fon  of  marefchal  de 
Tallard,  monfieur  de  Montmorency,  nephew  to  the  duke 
of  Luxembourg,  and  many  other  perfons  of  diflinition. 
The  lofs  of  the  allies  did  not  exceed  three  thoufand  men, 
including  Prince  Louis  of  Heffe,  aud  Mr.  Bentick,  who 
were  flain  in  the  engagement.  The  French  generals  reti- 

*  The  French  impute  the  lofs  of  this  battle  to  the  mifconduft  of  ViUcrcy, 
who  it  rr.uft  be  ov.-nsd,  made  a  moft  wretched  difpofition.  When  he  re:jr.:c  ; 
to  Verfailles,  where  he  expected  to  meet  with  nothing  but  reproaches,  Lou;i 
recuived  him  without  the  leaft  mark  of  difpltttfure,  laying  "  Mr.  Marcfchalj 
"  you  and  I  arc  too  old  to  be  fortunate." 


ANNE.  441 

red  with  precipitation  to  Bruflels,  while  the  allies  took  CHAP, 
poffeffi-on  ofLouvaine,  and  next  day  encamped  at  Beth-  i.^' 
1cm.  The  battle  of  Ramiilies,  was  attended  with  the  im-  * 
mediate  conqueft  of  all  Brabant.  The  cities  of  Louvaine, 
Mechlin,  Bruflels,  Antwerp,  Ghent,  and  Bruges  fub- 
m  it  ted  without  refiftance,  and  acknowledged  King  Charles. 
Oftend,  though  fecured  by  a  ftrong  garrifon,  was  furren- 
dered  after  a  fiege  of  ten  days.  Menin,  cfteemed  the 
moft  finished  fortification  in  the  Netherlands,  and  guarded 
by  fix  thoufand  men,  met  with  the  fame  fate.  The  gar 
rifon  of  Dendermonde  furrendered  thernfelves  prifoners  of 
war  ;  and  Aeth  fubmitted  on  the  fame  conditions.  The 
French  troops  were  difpirited.  The  city  of  Paris  was 
overwhelmed  with  confternation.  Louis  affected  to  bear 
his  misfortunes  with  calmncfs  and  compofure;  but  the 
conftraint  had  fuch  an  effect  upon  his  conftitution,  that 
his  phyficians  thought  it  neceiiary  to  prcfcribe  frequent 
bleeding,  which  he  accordingly  underwent.  At  his  court, 
no  mention  was  made  of  military  tranfailions :  All  was 
folemn,  filent,  and  referved. 

Had  the  iflue  of  the  campaign  in  Catalonia,  been  fuch 
as  the  beginning  feemed  to  prognofticate,  the  French  king 
might  have  in  fome  meafureconfoled  himfclf  for  his  difgra- 
ces  iff  the  Netherlands.  On  the  fixth  day  of  April,  fCing 
Philip,  at  the  head  of  a  numerous  army,  undertook  the  fiege 
of  Barcelona,  while  the  Count  de  Tholoufe  blocked  it  up 
with  a  powerful  fquadron.  The  inhabitants,  animated  by 
the  prefence  of  King  Charles,  made  a  vigorous  defence; 
and  the  garrifon  was  reinforced  with  fome  t  oops  from  Gi- 
ronne  and  other  places.  But,  after  the  fort  ofMontjuic 
was  taken,  the  place  was  fo  hard  preffed,  that  Charles  ran 
the  utmoft  rifk  of  falling  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy  ;  for 
the  e.trl  of  Peterborough,  who  had  marched  from  Valencia 
with  2000  men,  found  it  impracticable  to  enter  the  city. 
Neverthelefs,  he  maintained  his  poft  upon  the  hills  ;  and, 
with  furprifing  courage  and  ailivity,  kept  the  beficgers  in 
continual  alarm.  At  length,  fir  John  Leake,  failed  from 
Li/bon  with  30  fliips  of  the  line  ;  and  on  the  8th  day  of 
May,  arrived  in  fight  of  Barcelona.  The  French  admiral 
no  fDoner  received  intelligence  of  his  approach,  than  ha  fet 
f'.il  for  Toulon.  In  three  days  after  his  departure  King 
Philip  abandoned  the  fiege,  and  r:  tired  in  great  diforder, 
leaving  behind  his  tents,  with  the  fick  and  wounded.  On 
the  fide  of  Portugal,  the  duke  of  Berwick,  was  left  with 
fuch  an  inconfiderable  fore.:  as  proved  infufHcicnt  to  defend 
the  frontiers.  The  earl  of  Gal  way,  with  an  army  of 
20,000  men,  undertook  the  fiege  of  Alcantara;  and  in 
three  d^.ys,  the  garrifon.  confiftiric;  of  4000  men,  wen* 

•\TT  rr 

VOL.  I.  3    K 


442  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  mr.vb  prifbners  of  war.  Then  he  marched  to  Placentiz, 
and  advanced  as  far  as  the  bridge  of  Almaras:  But  the 
Portugutfe  would  penetrate  no  farther  until  they  ihould 
Jcnow  the  fate  of  Barcelona.  When  they  undertlood  the 
fiege  was  rnifecl,  they  confented  to  proceed  to  'A'ladrid. 
Philip,  gucfling  their  intention,  pofted  to  that  capital,  and 
fjr.t  his  queen,  with  all  his  valuable  effects  to  Burgos, 
whither  he  followed  her  in  perfon,  after  having  destroyed 
every  thing  that  he  could  not  carry  away.  About  the  lat 
ter  end  of  June,  the  earl  of  Gal  way  entered  the  cily 
without  refiftance:  But  the  Spaniards  were  extremely 
mortified  to  fee  an  army  of  Portuguefe,  headed  by  an  he 
retic,  in  pofTeflion  of  their  capital.  King  Charles  loiter 
ed  away  his  time  in  Barcelona,  until  his  competitor  re 
covered  his  fpirits,  and  received  fuch  reinforcements  as 
enabled  him  to  return  to  Madrid,  with  an  army  equal  to 
that  commanded  by  the  earl  of  Galway.  This  general 
made  a  motion  towards  Arragon,  in  order  to  facilitate  his 
conjunction,  with  Charles,  who  had  fet  out  by  the  way  of 
SaragofTa,  where  he  was  acknowledged  as  fovereign  of 
Arragon,  and  Valencia.  In  the  beginning  of  AujuPf, 
this  prince  arrived  at  the  Portuguefe  camp,  with  a  fmall 
reinforcement;  and  in  a  few  days  was  followed  by  the  earl 
of  Peterborough,  at  the  head  of  500  dragoons.  The  two 
armies  were  now  pretty  equal  in  point  of  number  ;  but  as 
each  expected  farther  reinforcements,  neither  cnofe  to  ha 
zard  an  engagement.  The  earl  of  Peterborough,  who 
afpired  to  the  chief  command,  and  hated  the  prince  of 
Litditenftein,  who  enjoyed  the  confidence  of  King  Charles, 
retired  in  ctffguft  j  and,  embarking  on  board  an  Englifh 
fhip  ofwar,fet  fail  for  Genoa.  The  Englifh  fleet  continued 
all  the  fummer  in  the  Mediterranean:  They  fecured  Car- 
thagena,  which  had  declared  for  Charles  ;  They  took  the 
town  of  Alicant,  by  affault,  and  the  caftle  by  capitula 
tion.  Then  failing  out  of  the  Strait?,  one  fquadron  wa 
detached  to  the  Weft  Indies,  another  ordered  to  lie  at 
Lifbon,  and  the  reft  were  fent  home  to  England. 

Fortune  was  not  more  propitious  to  the  French  in  Italy 
than  in  Flanders.  The  duke  de  Vendome  having  been 
recalled  to  afTumc  the  command  in  Flanders,  after  the  bat 
tle  of  Rainillies,  the  duke  of  Orleans  was  placed  at  the 
head  of  the  army  in  Piedmont,  under  the  tutorage  and  di 
rection  of  the  marefchal  de  Marfm.  They  were  ordered 
to  befiege  Turin,  which  was  accordingly  inverted  in  the 
month  of  May ;  and  the  operations  carried  on  till  the  be 
ginning  of  September.  Great  preparations  had  been 
made  for  this  fiege.  It  was  not  undertaken  until  the  duke 
of  Savoy  had  rejected  all  the  offers  of  the  French  me- 


A    N    N     E.  443 

r.arch,  which  were  fufficient   to   have  fhi'.ken  a  prince  of  C  PI  A  P 
Jefs  courage  and  fortitude.     The  duke  de  la  Feuilb.de  hav 
ing  hnilhed  the   lines  of  circumvallation  and  contravalla-   V-*""Y"V-^ 
tion,  fent  his  quarter-matter    general   with  a  trumpet,  to      *7 
offer  paflports  and  a  guard  for  the  removal  of  the  duchefs 
and  her  children.     The  duke   of  Savoy  replied,  That   he 
did  not  intend    to  remove  his  family ;  and  that  the  mare- 
fchal  might  begin  to  execute  his  mailer's  orders  whenever 
he  fliould  think  fit:  But,  when  the  fiege  began  with  un 
common  fury,  a;ici  the  French  fired  red  hot  bails  into  dis 
place,  the  two  duchefies,  with  the  young  prince  and  prin- 
cofies;    quitted    Turin,    and    retired    to   Quiraico,   horn 
whence  they  were  conduced  through  many  dangers   into 
the  territories    of  Genoa.     The  duke    himfelf  foffook  his 
capital,  in  order  to  put  himfelf  at  the  head  of  his  cavalry  ; 
and  was    purfuecl  from   place   to  place   by  five-and-fortv 
fquadrons,  under  the  command  of  the  Count  D'Aubetcrre. 
Notwithstanding  the  very  noble  defence  which  was  made 
by  the  earrifon  of  Turin,  which   deflroyed    14,000  of  the 
enemy  during  the  courfe  cf  the    fiege,  the  defences  were 
almoft  ruined,  their   ammunition   began  to   fail,  and  they 
had  no    profpecr.  of  relief  but  from    Prince  Eugene,  who 
had  numberkfs  difficulties  to    encounter    before  he    could 
march  to  their  affiftance.     The  duke  de  Vendorne,  before 
he  left   Italy,  had  fecured   all  the  fords   oftheAdlge,  the 
Minchio,  and  the  Oglio,  and    formed    fuch   lines  and  en 
trenchments  as  he  imagined  would  effectually    hinder  the 
Imperial  general  from  arriving  in  time  to  relieve  the  city 
of  Turin.     But   the  prince   furmounted    all    oppofition; 
parted    four   great  rivers   in  defpitc  of  the  enemy;    and  The  French 
reached  the    neighbourhood  of  Turin,  on  the  i^th  cay  cf"  ^utedby 
Auguft.     Ther-j  being  joined  by  the  duke  of  S:ivoy,"  he  ^"cc  E"- 
pafled  the  Po   between  Montcalier,  and    Cavignan.     On  "' 
the  fifth   day  of  September,  they  took  a  convoy  of  800 
loaded  mules:  Next    day  they  pafljd  the  Doria,  and  en 
camped  whh  the   right  on  the   bank  of  that   river  before 
PianneiTe,  and  the  left  on  the    Stura,  before   the  Veneri;;. 
The  enemy  were  entrenched,  having  the   Stura  on   the'.' 
right,  the   Doria  on  their  left,  and  the    convent  of  capu 
chins,  called  Notre  Darne  de  la  Carnnagne,  in  their  cen 
tre.     When    PrinCe  Eugene  approached  Turin,  the  duke 
of  Orleans    propofed  to  march  out  of  the  entrenchments, 
and  give  him  battle;  and  this    propof-.l  was    feconded   by 
all    the  general   officers,  except   Ivlarfm,  who  finding  the 
duke   determined,    produced   an  ordtr  from   the    French 
king,  commanding  the  duke  to  follow  the  marefchiu's  ad 
vice.     The  court  of  Vei failles  was   now  become  afraid  of 
iuz::rcTir';i  an  enoa^ernent  atr-unir  th^ic  v,  ho  ii.id  fo  of! 


44-6  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

COOK  the  28th,  arrived  at  Alicant,  from  whence  the  earl  of  Ri- 
11  •  vers  proceeded  by  land  to  Valencia,  in  order  to  affifr  at  a 
general  council  of  war.  The  operations  of  the  enfuing 
campaign  being  concerted,  and  the  army  joined  by  the 
reinforcement  from  England,  earl  Rivers,  difliking  the 
country,^ returned  with  the  admiral  to  Lifbon. 

Poland  was  at  length  delivered  from  the  prefence  of  the 
king  of  Sweden,  who,  in  the  beginning  of  September,  fud- 
denly  marched  through  Lufatia  into  Saxony  ;  and,  in  a  lit 
tle  time,  laid  that  whole  electorate  under  contribution.  Au- 
guftus  being  thus  cut  off  from  all  refource,  retclved  to  ob 
tain  peace  on  the  Swede,s  cwa  terms,  and  engaged  in  a 
fecret  treaty  for  this  purpofe.  In  the  mean  time,  the 
Poles  and  Mufcovites  attacked  the  Swedifh  forces  at  Ka- 
li/h  in  Great  Poland  ;  and  by  dint  of  numbers  routed  them 
with  great  llaughter.  Notwithstanding  this  event,  Auguf- 
tus  ratified  the  treaty,  by  which  he  acknowledged  Sta- 
niilaus  as  true  and  rightful  king  of  Poland,  referring  to 
himfcif  no  more  than  the  empty  title  of  fovereign.  The 
confederates  were  not  a  little  alarmed  to  find  Charles  in 
the  heart  of  Germany;  and  the  French  court  did  not  fail 
to  court  his  alliance ;  but  he  continued  on  the  referve 
agair.il  all  their  felicitations,  Then  they  implored  his  me 
diation  for  a  peace ;  and  he  anfwered,  that  he  would  in- 
terpofe  his  good  offices,  as  foon  as  he  fhould  know  they 
would  be  agreeable  to  the  powers  engaged  in  the  grand 
alliance. 
.  The  pride  of  Louis  was  now  humbled  to  fuch  a  degree 

for  peace,  as  might  have  excited  the  compaffion  of  his  enemies.  He 
employed  the  elector  of  Bavaria  to  write  letters  in  his  name 
to  the  duke  of  Mailborough  and  the  deputies  of  the  itates- 
general,  containing  propofals  for  opening  a  congrefs.  He 
had  already  tampered  with  the  Dutch,  in  a  memorial  pre- 
fentedbythe  Marquis  d'Alegre.  He  likewife  befought 
the  pope  to  interpofe  in  his  behalf.  He  offered  to  cede  ei 
ther  Spain  and  the  Weft  Indians,  or  Milan,  Naples,  and 
Sicily  to  King  Charles;  to  give  up  a  barrier  for  the  Dutch 
in  the  Netherlands:  and  to  indemnify  the  Duke  of  Savoy 
for  the  ravages  that  had  been  committed  in  his  dominions. 
Though  his  real  aim  was  peace,  yet  he  did  not  defpair  of 
being  able  to  excite  fuch  jealoulies  among  the  confederates 
as  might  fliake  the  bails  of  their  union.  His  hope  was  not 
altogether  difappointed.  The  court  of  Vienna  was  fo  much 
:.hrmed  at  the  offers  he  had  made,  and  the  reports  circulated 
by  his  cmifiaries,  that  the  emperor  refolved  to  make  himfelf 
mailer  of  Naples  before  the  allies  fhould  have  it  in  their 
power  to  clofe  with  the  propofals  of  France.  1  his  was 
.>}'•" his  coricludiii!/;  '<.-.  in.--.:' ~y  with  Lou;s  in 


ANNE.  447 

the  fucceeding  winter,  by  which  the  Milanefe  was  entirely  CHAP- 
evacuated,  and  the  French  king  at  liberty  to  employ  thofe  . 
troops  in  making  ftrong  efforts  againft  the  confederates  in  ^V"6 
Spain  and  the  Netherlands.  The  Dutch  were  intoxicated 
with  fuccefs,  and  their  Penfionary,  Heinlius,  entirely  influ 
enced  by  the  duke  of  Marlborough,  who  found  his  account 
in  the  continuance  of  the  war,  which  at  once  gratified  his 
avarice  and  ambition;  for  all  his  great  qualities  were  ob- 
fcured  by  the  fordid  paflion  of  accumulating  wealth.  Du 
ring  the  whole  war  the  allies  never  had  fuch  an  opportunity 
as  they  now  enjoyed  to  bridle  the  power  of  France  effectu 
ally,  and  fecure  the  liberties  of  the  empire;  and  indeed,  if 
tneir  real  defign  was  to  eftablifh  an  equal  balance  between 
the  houfes  of  Auftria  and  Bourbon,  it  could  not  have  been 
better  effected  than  by  dividing  the  Spanilh  monarchy  be 
tween  thefe  tv/o  potentates.  The  acceffion  of  Spain,  with 
all  its  appendages,  to  either,  would  have  deftroyed  the  equi 
librium  which  the  allies  propofed  to  eftabiifh.  But  other 
motives  contributed  to  a  continuation  of  the  war.  The 
powers  of  the  confederacy  were  fired  with  the  ambition  of 
making  conquefts;  and  England  in  particular  thought  her- 
felf  entitled  to  an  indemnification  for  the  immeiife  fums  fhc 
had  expended.  Animated  by  thefe  concurring  confiderati- 
ons,  Queen  Anne  and  theftates  general  rejected  the  offers 
of  France  ;  and  declared,  that  they  would  not  enter  into 
any  negociation  for  peace,  except  in  concert  with  their  al 
lies. 

The  Tories  of  England  began  to  mediate  fchemes  of 
oppofition  againft  the  duke  of  Marlborough.  They  looked 
upon  him  as  a  felfim  nobleman,  who  facrificcd  the  intereft 
of  the  nation,  in  protracting  a  ruinous  war  for  his  own 
private  advantage.  They  favv  their  country  opprelFed  with 
an  increafing  load  of  taxes,  which  they  apprehended  would 
in  a  little  time  become  an  intolerable  burthen;  and  they 
did  not  doubt  but  at  this  period  fuch  terms  might  be  ob 
tained  as  would  fully  anfwer  the  great  purpofe  of  the  con 
federacy.  This,  indeed,  was  the  prevailing  opinion  among 
all  the  fenfible  people  of  the  nation,  who  were  not  particu 
larly  interefted  in  the  profecution  of  the  war,  either  by  be 
ing  connected  with  the  general,  or  in  fome  iliape  employed 
i:i  the  management  of  the  finances.  The  Tories  were 
likewife  infti gated  by  a  party-fpirit  againft  Marlborough, 
who,  by  means  of  his  wife,  was  in  full  poffefllon  of  the 
queen's  confidence,  and  openly  patronifed  the  Whig  faction. 
But  the  attention  of  people  in  general  was  now  turned  up 
on  the  Scottilh  parliament,  which  took  into  confideration  Violent 
the  treaty  of  Union  lately  concluded  between  the  commif-  °%thc  ™* 
fioncrs  of  both  kingdoms.  On  the  3d  day  of  October  the  ijamsmrf 


44.8  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

B  O  O  K  duke  of  Qusehfberry,   as    higlicoriirmffioner,  produced  the 
queen's  letter,  in  which  me  exprefled    her    hope,  that  the 
'"""V*^  terms  of  the  treaty   ihould  be  acceptable  to  h°r   parliament 
»7°6       of  Scotland.     She  faid,  an  entire  and  penvit  Union   would 
the' Union0  be  the  folid  foundation  of  a  hiring  peace :  It  would    fecure 
with  Eng-    their  religion,  liberty,  and  property,  remove  the  animofttiea 
land.  that  prevailed  among  themfelves,  and  thejealouues  th.it  fub- 

fiited  between  the  two  nations  :  It  would  increafe  their 
ftrength,  riches,  and  commerce :  The  whole  ifland  would  be 
joined  in  affection,  and  free  from  all  apprehenfion  of  differ 
ent  intercRs:  It  would  be  enabled  to  refill  all  its  enemies, 
fupport  the  Proteibnt  intereft  every  where,  and  maintain 
the  liberties  of  Europe.  She  renewed  her  affurance  of  main 
taining  the  government  of  their  church ;  and  told  them, 
that  now  they  had  an  opportunity  of  taking  fuch  fteps  as 
might  be  neceflary  for  its  fecurity  after  the  Union.  She  de 
manded  the  neceilary  fupplies.  She  obferved,  that  the  great 
fucctfs  with  which  God  Almighty  had  blefied  her  arms,  af 
forded  the  nearer  profpect  of  a  happy  peace,  with  which 
they  would  enjoy  the  full  advantages  of  this  Union  :  That 
they  hid  no  reafon  to  doubt  but  the  parliament  of  England 
would  do  all  that  iliould  be  neceffary  on  their  part  to  con 
firm  the  Union  :  Finally,  me  recommended  calmnefs  and 
unanimity  in  deliberating  on  this  great  and  weighty  affair, 
of  fuch  confequence  to  the  whole  ifland  of  Great  Britain. 

Hitherto  the  articles  of  the  Union  had  been  induftriouf- 
ly  concealed  from  thj  knowledge  of  the  people:  But  the 
treaty  being  recited  in  parliament,  and  the  particulars  di 
vulged,  fuch  a  flame  was  kindled  through  the  whole  na 
tion,  as  had  not  appeared  fince  the  Reiteration.  The  Ca 
valiers  or  Jacobites  had  always  forefeen  that  this  Union 
would  extinguifh  all  their  hopes  of  a  revolution  in  favour 
of  a  pretender.  The  nobility  found  themfelves  degraded 
in  point  of  dignity  and  influence,  by  being  excluded  from 
their  feats  in  parliament.  The  trading  part  of  the  nation 
beheld  their  commerce  faddled  with  heavy  duties  and  re- 
ftrictions,  and  conudered  the  privilege  of  trading  to  the 
Englim  plantations  as  a  precarious  and  uncertain  profpect 
of  advantage.  The  barons  or  gentlemen  were  exaiperated 
at  a  coalition,  by  which  their  parliament  was  annihilated, 
and  their  credit  defcroyed.  The  people  in  general  ex 
claimed,  that  the  dignity  of  their  crown  was  betrayed  : 
That  the  independency  of  their  nation  had  fallen  a  facri- 
fice  to  t-eachery  and  corruption:  That  whatever  condi 
tions  might  be  fpecioufly  offered,  they  could  not  expect 
they  would  be  obil:rved  by  a  parliament  in  which  the 
Englifh  had  fuch  a  majority.  They  exaggerated  the  dan 
gers  to  which  the  conftitution  of  their  church  would  be 


ANNE. 


449 


expofed  from  a  bench  of  bifliops,  and  a  parliament  of  C  H  A  1J- 
epifcopalians.  This  confideration  alarmed  the  Prefbyteri- 
an  minifters  to  fuch  a  degree,  that  they  employed  all  their 
power  and  credit  in  waking  the  refentment  of  their  hear- 
ers  againft  the  treaty,  which  produced  an  univerfal  fer 
ment  among  all  ranks  of  people.  Even  the  moft  rigid  pu- 
ritans  joined  the  Cavaliers  in  expreffing  their  deteftation 
of  the  Union  ;  and,  laying  afide  their  mutual  animofitiesj 
promifed  to  co-operate  in  oppoiing  a  meafure  fo  ignomi 
nious  and  prejudicial  to  their  country.  In  parliament,  the 
oppoiltion  was  headed  by  the  dukes  of  Hamilton  and 
Athole,  and  the  marquis  of  Annandale.  The  firft  of  thefe 
noblemen  had  wavered  fo  much  in  his  conduct,  that  it  is 
difficult  to  afcertain  his  real  political  principles.  He  wi.s 
generally  fuppofed  to  favour  the  claim  of  the  pretender  ; 
but  he  was  afraid  of  embarking  too  far  in  his  caufe,  and 
avoided  violent  meafures  in  the  diicuiTion  of  this  treaty, 
left  he  (hould  incur  the  refentment  of  the  Englifh  parlia 
ment,  and  forfeit  the  eftate  he  pofTefled  in  that  kingdom. 
Athole  was  more  forward  in  his  profeffions  of  attachment 
to  the  ^court  of  St.  Germain's;  but  he  had  lefs  ability, 
and  his  zeal  was  fuppofed  to  have  been  inflamed  by  re 
fentment  againft  the  miniftry.  The  debates  upon  the  dif- 
f§rent  articles  of  the  treaty  were  carried  on  with  great 
heat  and  vivacity  ;  and  many  fhrewd  arguments  were  ufed 
againft  this  fcheme  of  an  incorporating  union.  One  mem 
ber  affirmed,  that  it  would  furnifh  a  handle  to  any  afpir- 
ing  prince  to  overthrow  the  liberties  of  all  Britain  •,  for  if 
the  parliament  of  Scotland  could  alter,  or  rather  fubvert 
its  conftitution,  this  circumftance  might  be  a  precedent 
for  the  parliament  of  Great  Britain  to  aflume  the  fame 
power  :  That  the  reprefentatives  for  Scotland,  would 
from  their  poverty,  djpend  upon  thofe  who  pofiefTcd  the 
means  of  corruption  ;  and  having  expreffed  fo  little  con 
cern  for  the  fupport  of  their  own  conftitution,  would  pay 
very  little  regard  to  that  of  any  other.  "  What  !  (faid  the 
"duke  of  Hamilton)  ihall  we  in  half  an  hour  give  up 
"  what  our  forefathers  maintained  with  their  lives  and  for- 
"  tunes  for  many  ages  ?  Are  here  none  of  the  defcendents 
"  of  thofe  worthy  patriots,  who  defended  the  liberty  of 
"  their  country  againft  all  invaders;  whoaflifted  the  great 
"  King  Robert  Bruce  to  reftore  the  conftitution,  and  re- 
u  venge  the  falfehood  of  England,  and  the  ufurpation  of 
"  Baliol  ?  Where  are  th?  Douglass  and  Campbells  ? 
"  Where  are  the  peers,  where  are  the  barons,  once  the 
"  bulwark  of  the  nation  ?  Shall  we  yield  up  the  fover- 
u  eignty  and  independency  of  our  country,  when  we  are 
"  commanded  by  thofe  v,re  reprefent  to  preserve  the  fame, 
VCL.  I.  3  L 


450  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK"  and  allured  of  their  affiflanee  to  fupport  us  ?"  The  duke 
IJ-  of  A  thole  protefted  aguinft  an  incorporating  Union,  as 

^**VS^  contrary  to  the  honour,  intereft,  fundamental  laws,  and 
I7°°-  conftitution  of  the  kingdom  of  Scotland,  the  birthright  of 
the  peers,  the  rights  and  privileges  of  the  barons  and  bo- 
rcughs,  rnd  to  the  claim  of  right,  property,  and  liberty  of 
the  fubjecls.  To  this  proteft  nineteen  peers  and  forty-fix 
commoners  adhered.  The  earl  marefchal  entered  a  pro 
teft,  importing,  that  no  perfon  being  fuccefibr  to  the 
crown  of  England  fhould  inherit  that  of  Scotland,  without 
fuch  previous  limitations  as  might  fccure  the  honour  and 
fovereigr.ty  of  the  Scottish  crown  and  kingdom,  the  fre 
quency  and  power  of  parliament,  the  religion,  liberty, 
and  trade  of  the  nation,  from  Englifh  or  any  foreign  in 
fluence.  He  was  feconded  by  fix-and-forty  rr.en-bers. 
With  regard  to  the  third  article  of  the  Union,  ftipulating, 
that  both  kingdoms  fhould  be  reprefented  by  one  and  the 
fame  parliament,  the  country-party  obferved,  that,  by  af- 
fenting  to  this  expedient,  they  did  in  effect  fink  their 
own  conftitution,  while  that  of  England  underwent  no  al 
teration  :  That  in  all  nations  there  are  fundamentals, 
which  no  power  whatever  can  alter:  That  the  rights  and 
privileges  of  parliament  being  one  of  thefe  fundamentals 
among  the  Scots,  no  parliament,  >or  any  other  power, 
could  ever  legally  prohibit  the  meeting  of  parliaments,  or 
deprive  any  of  the  three  eftates  of  its  right  of  fitting  or 
voting  in  parliament,  or  give  up  the  rights  and  privileges 
of  parliament :  But  that  by  this  treaty  the  parliament  of 
Scotland  was  entirely  abrogated,  its  rights  and  privileges 
facrificed,  and  thofe  of  the  Englifli  parliament  fubftituted 
in  their  place.  They  argued,  that  though  the  legislative 
power  in  parliament  was  regulated  and  determined  by 
a  majority  of  voices  ;  yet  the  giving  up  t'ae  conftituticn, 
with  the  rights  and  privileges  of  the  nation,  was  not  fub- 
ject  to  fuffrage,  being  founded  on  dominion  and  property; 
and  therefore  could  not  be  legally  furrendered  without  the 
confent  of  every  perfon  who  had  a  right  to  ele£t  and  be 
•  reprefented  in  parliament.  They  affirmed,  that  the  obli 
gation  laid  on  the  Scottifh  members  to  refide  fo  long  in 
London,  in  attendance  on  the  Britifh  parliament,  would 
drain  Scotland  of  all  its  money,  impoverish  the  members, 
and  fubjc<5t  them  to  the  temptation  of  being  corrupted. 
Another  proteft  was  entered  by  the  marquis  of  Annandale 
againft  an  incorporating  Union,  as  being  odious  to  the 
people,  fubverfive  of  the  conftitution,  fovereignty,  and 
claim  of  right,  and  threatening  ruin  to  the  church  as  by 
law  eftablifhed.  Fifty-two  members  joined  in  this  pro- 
.teftation.  Almoft  every  article  produced  the  moft  in- 


A     N  (  N     E.  451 

flammatory   difputes.     The   Lord    Belhaven    enumerated  CHAP, 
the  mifchiefs  which  would  attend  the  Union,  in  a  pathjtic        IiL 
ipeech,  that   drew   tears  from  the  audience,  and  is  at  this   ^V^ 
day   looked  upon  as  a  prophecy  by  great  part  of  the  Scot-      I7°6« 
tiih  nation.     AddrerTes   againlt  the  treaty,  were  prefentrd 
to   parliament   by   the   convention  of  boroughs,  the  com- 
miifioners   of  the  general-aflembly,  the  company  trading 
to    Africa   and    the  Indies,  as  well  as  from  fcverai  (hires, 
ftewartie?,  b  trough?,  tov/ns,  and    p::rifhes    in  all  the  dif 
ferent   parts  of  the  kingdom,  without  diflinclion  of  Whig 
or  Tory,  Epifcopalian  or  Prefbyterian.     The  earl  ofBu- 
chan    for  the  peers,  Lockhart  of  Carnwath  for  the  barons, 
fir  Walter  Stuart  in.  behalf  of  the  peers,  barons,  and    bo 
roughs;   the    earls    of  Errol  and  Mr.rifchal  for  themfelves, 
as   bigh-conilable  and  earl-marfchal  of  the  kingdom,  pro- 
tefted  f  verally  againft  the  treaty  of  union. 

While  this  oppofltion  raged  within  doors,  the  refent- 
m°!v;  of  the  people  rcfe  to  tranfports  of  fury  and  revenge. 
The  more  rigid  Prefbytcrians,  known  by  the  name  of 
O-irneronians,  chofe  officers,  formed  themfelves  into  regi 
ment?,  provided  horfes,  arms,  and  ammunition,  and 
marching  to  Dumfries,  burned  the  articles  of  the  Union 
at  the  market-crofs,  juilifying  their  conduct  in  a  public 
declaration.  They  made  a  tender  of  their  attachment  to 
Duke  Hamilton,  from  whom  they  received  encourage 
ment  in  fecret.  They  reconciled  themfelves  to  the  Epif- 
copalians  and  the  Cavaliers  :  They  refolved  to  take  the 
route  to  Edinburgh,  and  diflblve  the  parliament;  while 
the  duke  of  Athole  undertook  to  fecure  the  pafs  of  Stirling 
with  his  Highlanders,  fo  as  to  open  the  communication 
between  the  weftern  and  northern  parts  of  the  kingdom. 
Ssjvcn  or  eight  thoufand  men  were  actually  ready  to  ap- 
pe.--r  in  arms  at  the  town  of  Hamilton,  and  march  diredlly 
to  Edinburgh,  under  the  duke's  command,  when  that  no 
bleman  altered  his  opinion,  and  difpatched  private  cou 
riers  through  the  whole  country,  requiring  the  people  to 
defer  their  meeting  till  further  directions.  The  more 
fanguine  Cavaliers  accufed  his  grace  of  treachery  :  But  in 
all  likelihood  he  was  actuated  by  prudential  motives.  He 
alledged,  in  his  own  excufe,  that  the  nation  was  not  in 
a  condition  to  carry  on  fuch  an  enterprize,  efpecially  as 
the  Englifli  had  already  detached  troops  to  the  border,  and 
might  in  a  few  days  have  wafted  over  a  confidcrable  re 
inforcement  from  Holland.  During  this  commotion 
a~ong  the  Cameronians,  the  cities  of  Edinburgh  and 
Glafgow  were  filLd  with  tu-rults.  Sir  Patrick  Johnfton, 
provoft  of  Edinburgh,  who  had  been  one  of  the  com  mi  f- 
'!on:iS  for  the  Union,  was  believed  in  his  own  huufi  bv 


452  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND 

BOOK  the  populace,  and   would   have  been   torn  in  pieces,  had 
**•        not  the  guards  difperfed  the  multitude,     The  privy-coun- 

*^V**'  cil  iflued  a  proclamation  againft  riot?,  commanding  all 
1706.  perfons  to  retire  from  the  ftreets  whenever  the  drum 
fhould  beat;  ordering  the  guards  to  fire  upon  thofe  who 
^  fhould  difobey  this  command,  and  indemnifying  them 
from  all  profecution  for  maiming  or  flaying  the  lieges. 
Thefe  guards  were  placed  all  round  the  houfe  in  which  the 
peers  and  commons  were  aflembled,  and  the  council  re 
ceived  the  thanks  of  the  parliament,  for  having  thus  pro 
vided  for  their  fafety.  Notwithftanding  thefe  precautions 
of  the  government,  the  commiflioner  wasconftantly  fa! u ted 
with  the  curfes  and  imprecations  of  the  people  as  he  paflcd 
along :  His  guards  were  pelted  ;  and  fome  of  his  atten 
dants  wounded  with  rtones  as  they  fat  by  him  in  the  coach, 
fo  that  he  was  obliged  to  pals  through  the  ftreets  on  full 
gallop.  _ 

Againft  all  this  national  fury,  the  duke?  of  Queenfberry 
and  Argyle,  the  earls  of  Montrofe,  Scafield,  and  Stair, 
and  the  other  noblemen  attached  to  the  union,  acted  with 
equal  prudence  and  refolution.  They  argued  ftrenuoufly 
againft  the  objections  that  were  ftarted  in  the  houfe. 
They  magnified  the  advantages  that  would  accrue  to  the 
kingdom  from  the  privilege  of  trading  to  the  Englifh 
plantations,  and  being  protected  in  iheir  commerce  by  a 
powerful  navy:  as  well  as  from  the  exclufion  of  a  Popifh 
Pretender,  who  they  knew  was  odious  to  the  nation  in 
general.  They  found  means,  partly  by  their  prcmifes, 
and  partly  by  corruption,  to  bring  over  the  earls  of  Rox 
burgh,  and  Marchmont,  with  the  whole  fquadron  who 
had  hitherto  been  unpropitious  to  the  court.  They  dif- 
arn>ed  the  refentment  of  the  clergy,  by  promoting  an  act 
to  be  inferted  in  the  Union,  declaring  the  Prefbyterian 
difcipline  to  be  the  only  government  of  the  church  of  Scot 
land,  unalterable  in  all  fucceeding  times,  and  a  funda 
mental  article  of  the  treaty.  They  foothed  the  African 
company  with  the  profptct  of  being  indemnified  for  the 
lofies  they  had  fuftained.  They  amufed  individuals  with 
the  hope  of  fharing  the  reft  of  the  equivalent.  They  em 
ployed  emiflaries  to  allay  the  ferment  among  the  Camero- 
nians,  and  difunite  them  from  the  Cavaliers,  by  canting, 
praying,  and  demonflrating  the  abfui  jity,  flnfulnefs,  and 
dunger  cf  fuch  a  coalition.  Thefe  rcmonftrances  were 
reinforced  by  the  fum  of  twenty  thoufand  pounds,  which 
the  queen  privately  lent  to  the  Scoitifh  treafury,  and 
which  was  nc\v  diftributed  by  the  tniniftry  in  fuch  a -man 
ner  as  might  bcft  conduce  to  the  fuccefs  of  the  treaty.  By 
thefe  practices  they  tiiniinifhed,  though  they  could  not 


A'   N    N    E.  453 

filence  the  clamour  of  the  people,  and  obtained  a  confider-  C  H  A  p. 
able  majority  in  parliament,  which  out-voted  all  opoofi- 
tion.  Not  but  that  the  duke  of  Queenfberry  at  one  i!>  *.e 
deipaired  of  fucceeding,  and  being  in  continual  apprc;.;:ii~ 
fion  for  his  life,  expreiiecl  a  defire  of  adjourning  the  parlia 
ment,  until  by  time  and  good  management  he  fhould  be 
able  to  remove  thofe  difficulties  that  then  fcemed  to  be  in- 
furmountable.  But  the  lotd-trer.furer  Godolohin,  who 
forefaw  that  the  meafure  would  be  entirely  loft  by  dday, 
and  was  no  judge  of  the  difficulties,  infiftefl  upon  his  pro 
ceeding.  It  was  at  this  period  that  he  remitted  the  money 
and  gave  directions  for  having  forces  ready  at  a  call,  both 
in  England  and  Ireland.  At  length  the  Scottifh  parliament 
approved  and  ratified  all  the  articles  of  the  Union,  with 
fo:ne  frnall  variation.  Then  they  prepared  an  act  for  re 
gulating  the  election  of  the  fixteen  peers  and  forty-five 
commoners  to  reprefent  Scotland  in  the  Britifh  parlia 
ment.  This  being  touched  with  the  fccptre,  the  three 
eftates  proceeded  to  cleft  their  reprefentatives.  The  re 
maining  part  of  the  feflion  was  employed  in  making  re 
gulations  concerning  the  coin,  in  examining  the  accounts 
of  their  African  company,  and  providing  for  the  due  a, - 
plication  of  the  equivalent,  which  was  fcandaloufly  mifap- 
plied.  On  the  25th  day  of  March,  the  comrmifioiier  ad 
journed  the  parliament,  after  having  in  a  fhort  fpeech 
taken  notice  of  the  honour  they  had  acquired  in  conclud 
ing  an  affair  of  fuch  importance  to  their  country.  Having 
thus  accomplilhed  the  great  purpofe  of  the  court,  he  fet 
out  for  London,  in  the  neighbourhood  of  which  he  was 
met  by  above  forty  noblemen  in  their  coaches,  and  about 
four  hundred  gentlemen  on  horfeback.  Next  day  he  wait 
ed  upon  the  queen  at  Kenfington,  from  whom  he  met 
with  a  very  gracious  reception.  Perhaps  there  is  not  an 
other  initance  upon  record  of  a  miniftry's  having  carried  ,-. 
point  of  this  importance  againft  fuch  a  violent  torrent  cf 
oppofition,  and  contrary  to  the  general  fenfe  and  inclina 
tion  of  a  whole  exafperated  people.  The  Scots  were  per- 
fuaded  that  their  trade  would  be  deftroyed,  their  nation 
opprefled,  and  their  country  ruined,  in  confequence  of  the 
Union  with  England  :  and  indeed  their  opinion  was  fup- 
ported  by  very  plaufible  arguments.  The  majority  of 
both  nations  believed,  that  the  treaty  would  produce  vio 
lent  convulfions,  or  at  beft  prove  'ineffectual.  But  we 
now  fee  it  has  been  attended  with  none  of  the  calamities 
that  were  prognofticated  ;  that  it  quietly  took  effect,  and 
fully  anfwered  all  the  purpofcs  for  which  it  was  intended. 
Hence  we  may  learn,  that  many  great  difficulties  are  fur- 
mounted,  becaufe  they  are  not  fcen  by  thcfe  who  direct 


454  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  the  execution  of  any  great  project  ;  and  that  many  fchemes 
which  theory  deems  impracticable,  will  yet  fucceed  in  the 


expern  - 

The  Englifh  parliament  aflembling  on  the  3d  day  of 
December,  the  queen  in  her  fpeech  to  both  houils,  con 
gratulated  them  on  the  glorious  fucceffes  of  h;,-r  arms. 
She  defired  the  commons  would  grant  fuch  fupplies  as 
mii^ht  enable  her  to  improve  the  advantages  of  this  fuc- 
cefsful  campaign.  She  told  them  that  the  treaty  of  Union, 
as  concluded  by  the  commiffioners  of  both  kingdoms,  was 
at  that  time  under  the  confederation  of  the  Scottifh.  parlia 
ment;  and  (he  recommended  difpatch  in  the  public  affairs,, 
that  both  friends  and  enemies  might  he  convinced  of  the 
firmnefs  and  vigour  of  their  proceedings.  The  parliament 
V  was  perfectly  well  difpofed  to  comply  with  all  her  majefty's 
requefts.  Warm  addrefies  were  prefented  by  both 
houfes.  Then  they  proceeded  to  the  confideration  of  the 
fupply,  and  having  examined  the  eftimates  in  lei's  than  a 
v/eek,  voted  near  fix  millions  for  the  ft  rvice  of  the  enfu- 
ing  year.  Neverthelefs,  in  examining  the  .".ccounts,  fbme 
objections  arofc.  They  found  that  the  extraordinary  fup 
plies  for  the  fupport  of  King  Charles  of  Spain  amounted  to 
eight  hundred  thoufand  pounds  more  than  the  fums  pro 
vided  by  parliament.  Some  members  argued,  that  very 
ill  confequences  might  enfue,  if  a  miniftry  could  thus  run 
the  nation  in  debt,  and  expect  the  parliament  feould  pay 
the  money.  The  courtiers  anfwered,  that  if  any  thing 
had  been  raifed  without  necefiity,  or  ill-applied,  it  was 
rcafonable  that  thofe  who  were  in  fault  fhould  bepunifhedj 
but,  as  this  expence  was  incurred  to  improve  advantages, 
at  a  time  when  the  occalion  could  not  be  communicated  to 
parliament,  the  miniftry  was  rather  to  be  rpplauded  for 
their  zeal,  than  condemned  for  their  liberality.  The 
cjueflion  being  put,  the  majority  voted,  that  thofe  fums 
had  been  expended  for  the  prefervation  of  the  duke  of  Sa 
voy,  for  the  intereft  of  King  Charles,  atrainft  the  common 
enemy,  and  for  the  fafety  and  honour  of  the  nation.  When 
the  fpeaker  prefented  the  money-bills,  he  told  her,  that  as 
the  glorious  viclory  obtained  by  the  duke  of  Marlborough 
at  Ramillies  was  fought  before  it  could  be  fuppofcdthe  ar 
mies  were  in  the  field,  fo  it  was  no  lefs  furprifmg  that  the 
c  >mmons  had  granted  fupplies  to  her  majofty,  before  the 
enemy  could  well  know  that  the  parliament  was  fitting. 
The  general  was  again  honoured  with  the  thanks  of  both 
houfes.  The  lords  in  an  acldrefs,  befought  the  queen  to 
iVttlc  his  honours  on  his  pofterity.  An  act  was  pr-iled  for 
this  purpofe  ;  and,  in  purfurincs  of  another  ad  drefs  from 
t!:c  cc;:M;.ci-.£,  a  nenfioa  of  five  thoufand  pounds  out  of 


ANN     E.  455 

the  poft-office  was   fettled  upon  him  and  his  oefcendents.  CHAP. 
The  lords  and  commons  having    adjourned   themfelves  to       1H- 
the  laft  day  of  December,  the  queen   clofed  the  year  with  (*f~Y**J 
triumphal  proceffions.     As  the  ftandards  and  colours  taken 
at  Blenheim  had  been  placed  in  Weftminfter-hall,  fo  now 
thofe    that  had   been   brought  from   the  field  of  Ramillies 
were   put  up  in    Guildhall,  as    trophies  of  that   victory. 
About  this    time,  the  earls  of  Kent,  Lindfey,  and  King- 
fton,  were  raifcd    to  the  rank   of  marquifies.     The  lords 
Wharton,  Poulef,  Godolphin,  and    Cholmondeley,    were 
created  earls.     Lord  Waluen,  fon  and  hc-ir  apparent  to  the 
earl  of  Suffolk,  obtained  the  title  of  earl  of  Bindon:  The 
lord-keeper  Cowper  and  fir  Thomas  Pelliam  were  enno 
bled  as  barons. 

The  parliament  being  aflVmbled  afcer  their  fhort  recefs, 
the  carl  of  Nottingham,  moved  for  an  addrefs  to  the  queen 
defiring  her  mr'.jeity  \vould  order  the  proceedings  of  the 
commifn'oners  for  the  Union',  as  well  as  thofe  of  the  Scot- 
tifh  parliament  on  the  faid  fubjefr,  to  be  laid  before  them. 
He  was  feconded  by  the  duke  of  Buckingham,  and  the  earl 
of  Rochefter;  and  anfwered  by  the  earl  of  Godolphin,  who 
told  them  they  needed  not  doubt  but  that  her  majefty  would 
communicate  thofe  proceedings,  as  foon  as  the  Scottifli 
parliament  fhould  have  difcuffed  the  fubjeft  of  the  Union. 
The  lords  Wharton,  Somers,  and  KLllifax,  obferved,  that 
it  was  for  the  honour  of  the  nation  that  tha  treaty  of  Union 
Should  firft  come  ratified  from  the  parliament  of  Scotland  ; 
and  that  then,  and  not  before,  it  would  be  a  proper  time  for 
the  lords  to -take  it  into  confideration.  On  the  28th  day 
day  of  January,  the  queen  in  perfon  told  both  houfes, 
that  the  treaty  cf  Union,  with  fame  additions  and  altera 
tions,  was  ratified  by  an  adt  of  the  Scottiih  parliament: 
That/he  had  ordered  it  to  be  laid  before  them  ;  and  hoped 
it  would  meet  with  their  concurrence  arid  approbation. 
She  defired  the  commons  would  provide  for  the  payment 
of  the  equivalent,  in  cafe  the  treaty  fhould  be  approved. 
She  obferved  to  both  houfes,  that  now  they  had  an  oppor 
tunity  of  putting  the  laft  hand  to  u  happy  union  of  the  two 
kingdoms ;  and  that  fhe  fhould  look  upon  it  as  a  particular 
happinefs,  if  this  great  work,  which  had  been  fo  often  at 
tempted  without  frrcefs,  could  be  brought  to  perfection 
in  her  reign.  When  the  commons  formed  themfelves 
into  a  committee  of  the  whole  houfe,  to  deliberate  on  the 
articles  of  the  Union,  and  the  Scottifh  a£t  of  ratifi 
cation  the  Tory  party,  which  was  very  weak  in  that  af- 
fembly,  began  to  ftart  fome  objections.  Sir  John  Pack- 
ington  difapprovcd  of  this  incorporating  Union,  which 
he  likened  to  a  marriage  with  a  woman  a  spind 
lier  confent.  He  faid  it  was  an  union  carried  on 


456  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  by  corruption  and  bribery  within  doors,  by  force  and  vio- 
lence  without:  That  the  promoters  of  it  had  bafely  betray- 
ed  their  trull,  in  giving  up  their  independent  constitution 
and  he  would  leave  it  to  the  judgment  of  the  houfe,  to 
confide?  whether  or  no  men  of  fuch  principles  were  fit  to 
be  admitted  into  their  houfe  of  reprefcntatives.  He  ob- 
ferved,  that  her  majefty,  by  the  coronation-oath,  \vas 
obliged  to  maintain  the  church  of  England  as  by  law  efta- 
blifhed  ;  and  likewifc  bound  by  the  fame  oath  to  defend 
the  Prefbyterian  kirk  of  Scotland,  in  one  and  the  fame 
kingdom.  Now  (faid  he)  after  this  Union  is  in  force, 
who  fhall  adminifter  this  oath  to  her  majefty?  It  is  not 
the  bufmefs  of  the  Scots,  who  are  incapable  of  it,  and  no 
well  wifhers  to  the  church  of  England.  It  is  then  only 
the  part  of  the  bifhops  to  do  it;  and,  can  it  be  fuppofed 
that  thole  reverend  perfons  will,  or  can,  act  a  thing  fo 
contrary  to  their  own  order  and  inftitution,  as  thus  to  pro 
mote  the  eftablifhment  of  the  Prefbyterian  church- govern 
ment  in  the  united  kingdom?  He  added,  that  the  church 
of  England  being  eftablifhed  jure  divino,  and  the  Scots 
pretending  that  the  kirk  was  alfojure  divirtOj  he  could  not 
tell  how  two  nations  that  clafhed  in  fo  eflential  an  article 
could  unite.  Fie  therefore,  thought  it  proper  to  confult 
the  convocation  about  this  critical  point.  A  motion  was 
made,  that  the  firft  article  of  the  treaty  which  implies  a 
peremptory  agreement  to  an  incorporating  Union  fhould 
be  poftponed;  and  that  the  houfe  fhould  proceed  to  the  con- 
fideration  of  the  terms  of  the  intended  Union,  contained 
in  the  other  articles.  This  propofal  being  rejected,  fome 
Tory  members  quitted  the  houfe ;  and  all  the  articles 
were  examined  and  approved  without  farther  oppofition. 
The  Whigs  were  fo  eager  in  the  profecution  of  this  point 
that  they  proceeded  in  a  very  fur/erficial  manner,  and  with 
fuch  precipitation  as  furnifhed  their  enemies  with  a  plaufi- 
ble  pretence  to  affirm,  that  they  had  not  confidered  the 
treaty  with  the  coolnefs  and  deliberation  which  an  affair  of 
this  importance  required. 

Before  the  lords  began  to  inveftigate  the  articles  of  the 
Union,  they,  at  the  inftance  of  the  archbifhop  of  Canter 
bury,  brought  in  a  bill  for  the  fecurity  of  the  church  of 
England,  to  be  inf,-rted  as  a  fundamental  and  eflential  part 
of  that  treaty.  It  palled  through  both  houfes  without  op 
pofition,  and  received  the  royal  alien t.  On  the  1 5th.  day 
of  February,  the  debates  concerning  the  Union  began  in 
the  houfe  of  lords,  the  queen  being  prefent,  and  the  bifhop 
of  S arum  chairman  of  the  committee.  The  earls  of  Ro- 
chefter,  Anglefey,  ;md  Nottingham,  argued  againft  the 
Union  3  as  did  the  bifhop  of  Bath  and  Wells.  Lord  Ha- 


ANNE.  457 

verfliam,  in  a  premediated  harangue,  find  the  queftion  CHAP. 
was,  Whether  two  nations,  independent  in  their  fove- 
reignties,  that  had  their  diftincl:  laws  and  interefts,  their 
different  forms  of  worfhip,  church-government,  and  or- 
der,  fhould  be  united  into  one  kingdom?  He  fuppofcd  it 
an  union  made  up  of  fo  many  mifinatched  pieces,  of  fuch 
jarring,  incongruous  ingredients, .  that  fhould  it  ever  take 
effect,  it  would  carry  the  necefTary  confequences  of  a  {land 
ing  power  and  force,  to  keep  them  from  falling  afunder 
and  breaking;  in  pieces  every  moment.  He  reaped  what 
had  been  faid  by  lord  Bacon,  that  an  unity  pieced  up  by 
direct  admiflion  of  contrarieties  in  the  fundamental  points 
of  it,  is  like  the  toes  of  Nebuchadnezzar's  image,  which 
were  made  of  iron  and  clay :  They  may  cleave  together  but 
would  never  incorporate.  He  diflented  from  the  Union, 
for  the  fake  of  the  good  old  Englifh  conftitution,  in  which 
he  dreaded  fome  alteration  from  the  additional  weight  of 
fixty-one  Scottifh  members,  and  thefe  too  returned  by  a 
Scottifh  privy-council.  He  took  notice,  that  above  one 
hundred  Scottifh  peers,  and  us  many  commons,  were  ex 
cluded  from  fitting  and  voting  in  parliament,  though  they 
had  as  much  right  of  inheritance  to  lit  there,  as  any  Eng 
lifh  peer  had  of  fitting  in  the  parliament  of  Eng 
land.  He  exprefTed  his  apprehenfion  of  this  precedent :j 
and  aflced  what  fecurity  any  peer  of  England  had  for  his 
right  and  privilege  of  peerage,  which  thofe  lords  had  not  ? 
He  faid,  if  the  bifhops  would  weaken  their  own  caufe,  fo 
far  as  to  give  up  the  two  great  points  of  Epifcopal  ordina 
tion  and  confirmation ;  if  they  would  approve  and  ratify 
the  act  for  fecuring  the  Prefbyterian  church-government 
in  Scotland,  as  the  true  Proteftant  religion  and  purity  of 
worship  j  they  muft  give  up  that  which  had  been  contend 
ed  for  between  them  and  the  Prefbyterians  for  thirty  years, 
and  been  defended  by  the  greateft  and  mod-learned  men 
in  the  church  of  England.  He  objected  to  the  exempting 
articles;  by  which  heritable  offices  and  fuperiorities  were 
referred.  He  affirmed  that  the  Union  was  contrary  to  the 
fenfe  of  the  Scottifh  nation:  That  the  murmurs  of  the 
people  had  been  fo  loud  as  to  fill  the  whole  kingdom,  and 
fo  bold  as  to  reach  even  to  the  doors  of  the  parliament: 
That  the  parliament  itfclf  had  fufpended  their  beloved 
claufe  in  the  act  of  fecurity  for  arming  the  people:  That 
the  government  had  iflued  a  proclamation,  pardoning  all 
(laughter,  bloodfhed,  and  maiming,  committed  upon  thofe 
who  Hiould  be  found  in  tumults.  From  thefe  circumftan- 
ces  he  concluded,  that  the  Scottifh  nation  was  averfe  to  an 
incorporating  union,  which  he  looked  upon  as  one  of  the 
moft  dangerous  experiments  to  both  nations.  Lord  North, 
VOL.  I.  3  M 


458  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK,  and  Grey  complained  of  the  fmall  and  unequal  proportion  of 
the  land-tax  impofed  upon  Scotland.  The  earl  of  Not- 
^"""Y"^  tingham  faid  it  was  highly  unreafonable  that  the  Scots,  who 
J7°6-  were  by  the  treaty  let  into  all  the  branches  of  the  Enslifh. 
trade,  and  paid  fo  little  towards  the  expence  of  the  go 
vernment,  fliould  moreover  have  fuch  a  round  fum  by 
way  of  equivalent.  The  fame  topics  were  infifted  upon 
by  the  lords  North,  and  Grey,  Guernfey,  Granville, 
Stawell,  and  Abingdon.  The  earl  of  Nottingham,  after 
having  oppofed  every  article  feparately,  concluded  with 
words  to  this  effect:  "  As  fir  John  Maynard,  faid  to  the 
"  late  king  at  the  Revolution,  that  having  buried  all  his 
"  cotemporaries  in  Weftminfter-hall,  he  was  afraid,  if  his 
"  majefty  had  not  come  in  that  very  juncture  of  time,  he 
"  might  have  likewile  outlived  the  very  laws  ;  fo,  if  this 
"  Union  do  paf-,  as  I  have  no  reafon  to  dcubt  but,  it  will  I 
<c  mayjuftly  affirm  I  have  outlived  all  the  Lws,  and  the  very 
"  conflitution  of  England:  I,  therefore,  pray  to  God  to 
"  avert  the  dire  effects  which  may  probably  enfue  from 
"  fuch  an  incorporating  Union." 

Treaty  of  Thefe  arguments  and  objections  were  anfwered  by  the. 
fim'dT"  Ioi"d-treafurer  Godolphin,  the  earls  of  Sunderl^nd  and 
aft  of  par-  Wharton,  the  loids  Townfhend,  Hallifax,  and  Somers, 
liament.  the  bifhops  of  Oxford,  Norwich,  and  Sarum.  They  ob- 
ferved,  that  fuch  an  important  meafure  could  not  be  effected 
without  fome  inconveniences  ;  but  that  thefe  ou^ht  to  be 
borne,  in  confideration  of  the  greatnefs  of  the  advantage: 
That  the  chief  dangers  to  which  the  church  was  expofed 
arofe  from  France  and  Popery  ;  and  this  Union  would  ef 
fectually  fecu  re  it  againft  thefe  evils:  That  Scotland  lay 
on  the  weakeft  fide  of  England,  which  could  not  be  de 
fended  but  by  an  expenfive  army.  Should  a  war  break 
put  between  the  two  nations,  and  Scotland  be  conquered, 
yet,  even  in  .that  cafe,  it  would  be  neccflary  to  keep  it 
under  with  a  (landing  army,  which  any  enterprifmg  prince 
might  model  for  his  ambitious  purpofes,  and,  joining  with 
the  Scots,  enflave  his  Englifh  dominions :  That  any  union 
after  a  conqutft  would  be  compulfive,  confequently  of 
fhort  duration  ;  whereas,  now  it  was  voluntary,  it  would 
be  lafting  :  That  with  regard  to  ecclefiaftical  affairs,  all 
heats  and  animofities  might  be  allayed  by  foft  and  gentle 
management.  The  cantons  of  Switzerland,  though  they 
profelTed  different  religions,  were  yet  united  in  one  gene 
ral  body,  and  the  diet  of  Germany  was  compofed  of  prin 
ces  and  ftate?,  among  whom  three  different  perfuafions 
prevailed;  fo  that  two  forts  of  difcipline  might  very  well 
fubfift  under  one  legiflature.  If  there  was  any  danger  on 
either  fide,  it  threatened  the  Scots  much  more  than  the 
Englifh,  as  five  hundred  and  thirteen  members  would 


ANNE. 


459 


certainly  be  too  hard  for  forty-five  ;  and,  in  the  houfe  of  C  H  A  P. 

lord8,  fix-arid-twenty  bifhops  would  always    preponderate 

as  iaft  fixteen  peers  from  Scotland.     Notwithflanding  all    ^"V^ 

t'1  •  oppofition  made  by  the  lords  of  the  Tory  intereft,  eve-       17°6" 

ry  irticle  was   approved  by  a  great   majority,  though  not 

v  i>  )ut  a  good  number  of  proteftations  ;  and  a  bill  of  ra- 

t     —tion    was  prepared  in  the  lower  houfe  by  fir    Simon 

I     ; court,  the  folici tor-general,  in  fuch  an  artful  manner 

as  to  prevent  all  debates.     All  the  articles,  as  they  paffed 

i;i  Scotland,  were  recited  by  way  of  preamble,  together 

wiih  the  acts  made  in  both  parliaments  for  the  fccurity  of 

thi.ir  feveral  churches;  and,  in  conclufion,  there  was  one 

claufe,  by  which  the  whole  was  ratified  and  enacted  into  a 

law.     By  this  contrivance,  thofe  who   were   defirous   of  Bu-net. 

ftartino-  new  difficulties    found  themfelves    difabled  from  r>°^er' 

o  \Juincv* 

purfuing  their  defign.  They  could  not  objedt  to  the  re-  Torcy. 
cital,  which  was  barely  matter  of  fact ;  and  they  had  not  Tindal. 
ftrength  fufficient  to  oppofe  the  o-eneral  enadYms;  claufe.  ^Te"qul~rcS 

f^       i          1111       ATI  •  i  •         •  i    r •     i  t     Win.  or 

(Jn  the  other  hand,  the  Whigs  promoted  it  with  (uch  z^al,  Europ-. 
that  it  pafled  by  a  majority  of  one  hundred  and   fourteen,  Hift  of  the 
before  the  others  had  recollected    themfilves  from  the  fur-  ^  of^[avl" 
prife  which    the  ftructure  of  the  bill    had  occafioned.     It  Condudi  of 
made  its  way  through  the    houfe  of  lords   with  equal  dif-  theDuchefs 
patch  ;  and,  when  it  received  the  royal  fanclion,  the  queen  of  Marlfco- 
exprefTed  the  utmoft  fatisfa£tion.     She   faid   (he   did   not  LrxkKart. 
doubt  but  it  would  be  remembered  and  fpoke  of  hereafter,  Ker. 
to  the  honour  of  thofe  who  had  been  instrumental  in  bring-    rl  ncj- 
ing  it  to  fuch  a  happy  conclufion.     She   defired  that  her 
fubjecls  of  both  kingdoms  fliould  from  hence  forward  be 
have  with  all  poflible  refpe£l  and  kindnefs  towards  one  an 
other,  that  fo   it  might  appear  to  all*  the  world  they  had 
hearts  difpofed  to  become  one  people. 


460 


CHAP.        IV. 


Flrft  Britifi  parliament Allies    defeated    at    Alma- 

za Sir  Cloudejley  Shovel  perijhes  at  fea Charles 

XL  of  Sweden  has  an  interview  with  the  duke  of  Marl- 
borough A  party  in  parliament  formed  again/I  the 

duke Unfuccefsful  attempt  of  the   Pretender  to  in 
vade  England ^-French  defeated  at   Oudenarde— 

Great  fucccejjes  of  the  allies Death  of  Prince  George 

cf  Denmark. 

OOK,      A    S  the  a£  of  Union  did  not   take  place  till  the  ift  of 
./jL  May,  a  great  number  of  traders  in  both  kingdoms 
1 1  folved  to  make  advantage  of  this  interval.     The  Englifh 
propofed  to  export  into  Scotland    fuch  conrnodities  as  en 
titled  them  to  drawback,  with  a  view  to  bring  them  back 
after  the  ift  of  May.     The  Scots,  on   the  other  hand,  as 
their  duties  were   much  lower  than   thofe  in  England,  in 
tended  to  import    great    quantities   of  wine,  brandy,  and 
other  merchandize,  which  they  could  fell  at  a  greater  ad 
vantage  in  England  after   the  Union,  when    there  would 
be  a  free  intercourfe  between  the  two  nations.     Some  of 
the  minifters  had  embarked  in  this  fraudulent  defign,  which 
alarmed  the  merchants  of  England  to   fuch  a  degree,  that 
they  preferred  a  remonftrance  to   the  commons.     Refolu- 
tions  were    immediately  taken  in  the  houfe    againft    thefe 
practices,  and  a   bill  was    prepared ;  but  the  lords  appre 
hending  that  it  in  fome  meafure   infringed  the   articles  of 
the  Union,  and  that  it  might  give  umbrage  to  the  Scottish 
nation,  it  was  dropped.     The   frauds  had  been   in  a  good 
meafure  prevented    by    the  previous    refolutions    of    the 
houfe;  and  the  ift  day  of  May  was  now  at   hand  ;  fo  that 
the  bill    was  thought  unneceffary.     On   the    24th  day  of 
April,  the  queen  prorogued  the    parliament,  after   having 
given  them  to  underftand,  that  fhe   would    continue  by 
proclamation  the  lords  and  commons   already  aflembled,  as 
members  in  the  firft  Britifli  parliament  on  the  part  of  Eng- 


ANNE.  461 


land,  purfuant  to  the  to  the  power  veftecl  in  her  by  the  a£ls  C  H  A  r. 
of   parliament   of  both   kingdoms,  ratifying  the  treaty  of  _^ 

Union.  The  parliament  was  accordingly  revived  byprocla-      """V 
mation,  and  another  iilued  to  convoke  the  firft  parliament  of  The7firrt 
Great  Britain  for  the  23d  day  of  October.     The  Scots  re-  priiawnt 
paired  to  London,  where  they  were  well    received    by   the  cf  Great 
queen,  who  beftowed  the  title  of  duke  on  the  earls  of  Rox 
burgh  and  Montrofe.      She  likewife  granted  a  commilHon 
for  a  new  privy  council  in  that  kingdom,  to  be  in  force  till 
the  next  feflion  of  parliament,  that  the   nation  might  not  be 
difgufted  by  too  fudden  an  alteration  of  outward  appearan 
ces.     The  i ft  of  May   was  appointed  as  a  day  of  public 
thankfgiving,  and  congratulatory  a-ddreiTes  werefent  up  from 
all  parts  of  England  ;  but  the  univerfity  of  Oxford  prepared 
no  compliment;  and  the   Sc  •  s  were  wholly  filent  on  this 
occafion. 

In  the  courfc  of  this  feUlon,  the  common?,  in  an  addrcA 
to  the  queen,  deftred  fhe  would  refettle  the  iflands  of  St. 
Chriftoper's  and  Nevis  in  the  Weft  Indies,  which  had 
been  ravaged  by  the  enemy.  They  likewife  refolved, 
That  an  humble  addrefs  fhould  be  presented  to  her  majefty, 
praying  (he  would  concert  meafures  for  fuppreffing  a  body 
of  pirates  who  had  made  a  fettlemcnt  on  the  iftand  of  Ma- 
dagafcar,  as  alfo  for  recovering  and  preferving  the  ancient 
poiTeillon?,  trade,  and  fifhery  in  Newfoundland.  The 
French  refugees  likewife  delivered  a  remonftrance  to  the 
queen,  recapitulating  the  benefits  which  the  perfecuted 
ProtePcants  in  France  had  reaped  from  the  afiiftance  of  her 
royal  progenitors,  acknowledging  their  own  happinefs  in 
living  under  her  gentle  government,  among  a  people  by 
whom  they  had  been  fo  kindly  entertained  when  driven 
from  their  native  country  ;  and  imploring  her  majefty's  in- 
terpofition  and  good  offices  in  favour  of  their  difLrefTed  and 
perfecuted  brethren  abroad.  She  gracioufly  received  this 
addrefs,  declaring  fhe  had  always  great  co.npaffioa  for  the 
unhappy  circumftances  of  the  Proteftants  in  France:  That 
fhe  would  communicate  her  thoughts  on  this  fubject  to  her 
allies ;  and  fhe  exprefled  her  hope,  that  fuch  meafures 
might  be  taken  as  fhould  effectually  anfvver  the  intent  of 
of  their  petition.  In  the  month  of  May,  fhe  granted  an 
audience  to  an  ambaffador  extraordinary  from  the  czar  of 
Mufcovy,  who  delivered  a  letter  from  his  mafter,  contain 
ing  complaints  of  King  Auguftus,  who  had  maltreated  the 
Ruffian  troops  fent  to  his  afliftance,  concluded  adifhonour- 
able  peace  with  Charles  king  of  Sweden,  without  the  know 
ledge  cf  his  allies,  and  furrendered  count  Patkul,  the  Muf- 
covite  minifrer,  as  a  defcrter,  to  the  Swedifh  monarch,  cor.- 
contrary  to  the  lav/  of  nations,  and  even  to  the  practice  of 


HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

COOK  barbarians.     He,  therefore,  defired  her  Britannic  majefry- 
would  ufe  her  good  offices  for  the  enlargement  of  the  count, 

^ "Y^  and  the  other  Ruffian  prifoners  detained  at  Stockholm; 
l"°7-  and  that  fhe  would  take  into  her  protection  the  remains  of 
the  Ruffian  auxilliaries  upon  the  Rhine,  that  they  might 
cither  enter  into  the  fervice  of  the  allies,  or  be  at  liberty  to 
return  in  fafety  to  their  own  country.  The  queen  actual 
ly  interpofed  in  beh.-lf  of  Patkul ;  but  Ir-r  interceffion  prov 
ed  ineffectual,  and  that  unhappy  miniiter  was  put  to  death 
with  all  the  circumftances  of  wanton  barbarity.  As  many 
fevere  and  farcaltic  writings  had  lately  appeared,  in  which 
the  Whigs  and  miniftry  were  reviled,  and  reflections  hint 
ed  to  the  prejudice  of  the  queen's  perfon,  the  government 
refolved  to  make  examples  of  the  authors  and  publishers  of 
thefe  licentious  productions.  Dr.  Jofeph  Browne  was 
twice  pilloried  for  a  copy  of  verfes,  intituled,  "  The  coun- 
"  try  parfons  advice  to  the  lord  -keeper,"  and  a  letter  which 
he  afterwards  wrote  to  Mr.  Secretary  Harley.  William 
Stephens,  redtor  of  Sutton  in  Surrey,  underwent  the  fame 
Sentence,  as  author  of  a  Pamphlet,  called,  a  A  letter  to  the 
44  author  of  the  Memorial  of  the  Church  of  England."  Ed 
ward  Ward,  was  fined  and  fet  in  the  pillory,  for  having 
written  a  bmlefque  poem  on  the  times,  under  the  title  of 
"  Hudibras  redivivus ;"  and  the  fame  punifhment  was  in 
flicted  upon  William  Pittes,  author  of  a  performance,  inti 
tuled,  "  The  cafc  of  the  church  of  England's  Memorial 
"  fairly  ftated." 

The  lower  houfe  of  convocation  ftill  continued  to  wran 
gle  with  their  fupperiors;  and  though  they  joined  the  up 
per  houfe  in  a  congratulating  addrcfs  to  the  queen  on  the 
faccefs  of  her  arm?,  they  refolved  to  make  application  to 
the  commons  againft  the  Union.  The  queen  being  apprifed 
of  their  defign,  defired  the  archbifhop  to  prorogue  them 
for  three  weeks,  before  the  expiration  of  which  the  a6t  of 
Union  had  pafTtd  in  parliament.  The  lower  houfe  deli 
vered  a  reprefcntation  to  the  bifhops,  in  which  they  affirm 
ed  no  fuch  prorogation  had  ever  been  ordered  during  the 
feffion  of  parliament.  The  bifhops  found  in  their  records 
Seven  or  eight  precedents  of  fuch  prorogations,  and  above 
thirty  instances  of  the  convocation's  having  fat  fomedmes  be 
fore,  and  fometimes  after  a  feffion  of  parliament,  nay,  fome- 
times  even  when  the  parliament  was  diSTolved.  The 
queen,  informed  of  thefe  proceedings,  wrote  a  letter  to  the 
archbishop,  intimating,  that  fhe  looked  upon  the  lower 
houfe  as  guilty  of  an  invafion  of  her  royal  fupremacy  ;  and 
that,  if  any  thing  of  the  fame  nature  Should  be  attempted  for 
the  future.,  fhe  would  ufe  fuch  means  for  puniShing  offend 
ers  as  the  law  warranted.  The  prolocutor  abfenting  him- 


ANNE.  463 

felf  from  the  convocation,  the  archbifliop  pronounced  fen-  C  H  A  P." 
tence  of  contumacy  againft  him.     The  lower  houfc  in  pro-        IV- 
teftation  declared  this    fentence   unlawful   and   altogether  ^•"""Y^*"' 
null.     Neverthelefs,  the  prolocutor  mado  a  full  fubmifiion,       l?°7- 
with  which  the  archbifhop  was   fatisfied,  and  the  fentence 
was  repealed.     About  this  period  the  earl    of  Sunderland 
was  appointed  one  of  the  fecretaries  of  ftate,  in  the  room 
of  Sir  Charles  Hedges.     This   change  was   not  effected 
without  great  oppofition  from  Harky,  who  was  in  his  heart 
an  enemy  to  the  duke  of  Marlborough,  and  all  his   adhe 
rents;   and  had  already,  by  his  fecret  intrigues,  made  con- 
fiderable  progrefs  in  a  fcheme  for  fuperfeding  the  influence 
of  the  duchefs. 

The  French  king  at  this  juncture  feemed  to  be  entirely 
abandoned  by  his  former  good  fortune.  He  had  fuftained 
fuch  a  number  of  fucceffive  defeats  as  had  drained  his  king 
dom  of  people;  and  his  treafury  was  almoft  exhuufted.  He 
endeavoured  to  fupportthe  credit  of  his  government  by  iflu- 
ing  mint-bills,  in  imitation  of  the  bank-notes  of  England; 
but,  notwithftanding  all  his  precautions,  they  pafied  at  a 
difcount  of  three-and-fifty  per  cent.  The  lands  lay  uncul 
tivated;  the  manufactures  could  be  no  longer  carried  on; 
and  the  fubjects  perifhsd  with  famine.  The  allies,  on  the 
other  hand,  feemed  to  profper  in  every  quarter.  They  had 
become  mafters  of  the  greateft  part  of  the  Netherlands, 
in  confequence  of  the  victory  at  Ramillies ;  the  army  of 
King  Charles  was  confiderably  reinforced  ;  a  fcheme  was 
formed  for  the  conqueft  of  Toulon,  by  the  troops  of  the 
emperor  and  the  duke  of  Savoy,  fuppiied  with  a  large  fum 
of  money  by  Queen  Anne,  and  aflifted  by  the  combined 
fleets  of  England  and  Holland,  under  the  command  of  Sir 
Cloudefley  Shovel.  In  a  word,  France  feemed  to  be  redu 
ced  to  the  verge  of  diftruction,  from  which  nothing,  in  all 
probability,  could  have  faved  her  but  the  jealoufy  and  mif- 
condudt  of  the  confederates.  Louis,  by  virtue  of  his  capi 
tulation  with  the  emperor  in  Italy,  was  enabled  to  fend  fuch 
reinforcements  in  Spain,  as  turned  the  fortune  of  the  war 
in  that  country;  while  the  diftractions  in  the  council  of 
King  Charles  prevented  that  unanimity  and  concurrence, 
without  which  no  fuccefs  can  be  expected.  The  earl  of 
Peterborough  declared  againft  an  offenfive  war,  on  account 
of  the  difficulty  of  finding  fubfiftence  in  Caftile;  and  advi- 
fed  Charles  to  truft  to  the  expedition  againft  Toulon.  This 
opinion  he  fent  from  Italy,  to  which  he  had  withdrawn. 

Charles,  however,  was   perfuaded    to    penetrate    once 
more  to  Madrid,  and   give  battle  to  the  enemy   Wherever  fea^  at 
they  fhould  appear.     On  the  1 3th  day  of  March,  the  army  Aimanza. 
was  affembled  at  Caudela,  to  the  number  of  fixteen   tbou- 


464  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK,  fand  men,  under  the  aufpices  of  the  marquis  das  Minas, 
,|*-  to  whom  the  earl  of  G.ilvvay  was  fecond  in  command. 
^*"Y"**^  They  marched  towards  Yccla,  and  undertook  the  fiege  of 
Vilena  ;  but,  having  received  intelligence  that  the  ciulce 
of  Berwick  was  in  the  neighbourhood,  they  advanced  on 
the  .T4tla  day  of  April  in  four  columns  towards  the  town 
of  Almanza,  where  the  enemy  were  drawn  up  in  order  of 
battle,  th<;ir  number  being  confiderably  fuperior  to  that  of 
the  confederates.  The  battle  began  about  two  in  the  af 
ternoon, -and  the  whole  front  of  each  army  was  fully  en 
gaged.  The  Englifh  and  Dutch  fquadrons  on  the"  left, 
iultained  by  the  Portuguefe  horfe  of  the  fecond  line,  were 
overpowered  after  a  gallant  rcfiftance.  The  centre,  con- 
fifting  chiefly  of  battalions  from  Great  Britain  and  Hol 
land,  obliged  the  enemy  to  give  way,  and  drove  their  firft 
upon  their  fecond  line  ;  but  the  Portuguefe  cavalry  on  the 
right  being  broken  at  the  firft  charge,  their  foot  betook 
themfelves  to  flight;  fo  that  the  Englifh  and  Dutch  troops 
being  left  naked  on  the  flanks,  were  furrounded  and  at 
tacked  on  every  fide.  In  this  dreadful  emergency  they 
formed  themfeives  into  a  fquare,  and  retired  from  the  field 
of  battle.  By  this  time  the  men  were  quite  fpent  with 
fatigue,  and  all  their  ammunition  exhaufted  ;  they  were 
ignorant  of  the  country,  abandoned  by  their  horfe,  defti- 
tute  of  provifions,  and  cut  oft  from  all  hope  of  fupplv. 
Moved  by  thefe  difmal  confederations,  they  capitulated, 
and  furrendered  themfelves  prifoners  of  war,  to  the  amount 
of  thirteen  battalions.  The  Portugue-fe,  and  part  of  the 
Englifh  horfe,  with  the  infantry  that  guarded  the  baggage, 
retreated  to  Alcira,  where  they  were  joined  by  the  earl  of 
Galway,  with  about  five-and-twenty  hundred  dragoons 
which  he  had  brought  from  the  field  of  battle.  About 
three  thoufand  men  of  the  allied  army  were  killed  upon 
the  fpot,  and  among  that  number  Brigadier  Killigrew, 
with  many  officers  of  diftindlion.  The  earl  of  Galway, 
who  charged  in  perfon  at  the  head  of  Guifcard's  dragoons, 
received  two  deep  cuts  in  the  face.  The  marquis  das 
Minas  was  run  through  the  arm,  and  faw  his  concubine, 
who  fought  in  the  habit  of  an  Amazon,  killed  by  his  fide  : 
The  lords  Tyrawley,  Mark  Ker,  and  Colonel  Clayton^, 
were  wounded:  All  their  artillery,  together  with  an  hun 
dred  and  twenty  colours  and  ftandards,  and  about  ten 
thoufand  men  were  taken  ;  fo  that  no  victory  could  be 
more  complete  :  Yet  it  was  not  purchafed  without  the 
lofs  of  two  thoufand  men  flain  in  the  adlion,  including 
fome  officers  of  eminence.  The  duke  of  Berwick,  who 
commanded  the  troops  of  King  Philip,  acquired  a  great 
sedition  cf  fame  by  his  conduct  and  behaviour  before  and 


ANNE.  465 

during  the  engagement  :   But  his  authority  was  fuperflded  C  H  A  ? 
by  the  duke  of  Orleans,  who  arrived  in  the  army    imme-       IV- 
diately  after  the  battle.     This    prince   feemed  to  entertain 
Ibme  private  views  of  his  own;  for  he  took   no    effectual      17° 
ftep  to   improve   the    victory.     He  began  a  private  nego- 
ciation   with  the   earl  of  Galway,   during  which  the  two 
armies  lay  inactive  on    the  banks  of  the    Cinca  ;    and  he 
concluded  the  campaign    with  the  fiege  of  Lerida,  which 
was  furrendered  by  capitulation  on  the  2d  day  of  Novem 
ber  :  Then   the  troops  on   both   fides    went   into    winter 
quarters.     The    earl    of  Galway    and    the    marquis    das 
Ivlinas  embarked  at  Barcelona  for    Lifbon,  and    General 
Carpenter    remained   commander   of  the    Englifh   forces 
quartered    in  Catalonia,   which  was  now  the  only   part  of 
Spain  that  remained  to  King  Charles. 

The  attempt  upon  Toulon  by  the  duke  of  Savoy  and 
prince  Eagerie  might  have  fucceeded,  if  the  emperor  not- 
withftanding  the  repeated  remonftrances  of  the  maritime 
powers,  had  not  divided  his  army  in  Italy,  by  detaching  a 
cohaderable  body  through  the  ecclefiaftical  Hate  towards 
Naples,  of  which  he  took  poffeffion  without  any  difficulty. 
Befides,  ten  thoufand  recruits  deftined  for  the  Imperial 
forces  in  Italy  were  detained  in  Germany,  from  an  appre- 
henfioa  of  the  king  of  Sweden,  who  remained  in  Saxony, 
and  feemed  to  be  upon  very  indifferent  terms  with  the 
emperor.  With  the  affiftanee  of  the  Englifh  and  Dutch 
fleets,  the  duke  of  Savoy  and  prince  Eugene  paffed  the 
Var*  on  the  Iith  day  of  July,  at  the  head  of  an  army  of 
thirty  thoufand  men,  and  marched  directly  towards  Toulon, 
whither  the  artillery  and  ammunition  were  conveyed  on 
board  of  the  combined  iquadrons.  The  French  king  was 
extremely  alarmed  at  this  attempt,  as  five  thoufand  pieces 
of  camion,  vaft  magazines,  and  the  bell  part  of  his  fleet, 
were  in  the  harbour  of  Toulon,  and  ran  the  greateft  rifque 
of  being  entirely  taken  or  deilroyed.  The  whole  kingdom 
of  France  was  filled  with  confirmation,  when  they  found 

VOL.  I.  3  N 

*   This    p?.fl'.:2-    v.'as    t.T,£l;d,   to  the    aftonWliment  of   the    French,    \vho 
thought  th>'  v.\nks   they    h;id   r?i'ed  on  that  river  were    impregnable.     The 
honour  of  the  enterprife    was    in  a  f;r.°at   meafure   owing  to  the    gallantry  of 
Sir  John  Norris  and  the  Engli/h   fUinen.     That  brave  officer,   embarking    in 
boats    with    fix   hundred    lailors  and   marines,   entered    the  river,    and   were 
rowed  within  mufket    iliot  of   the  enemy's  works,    where  they  rvadc    fuch    a 
vigorous    and   unexpecle;!    attai-!v,    that  the  French  were  immediately  driven 
from  purr  of  their  entr.  n.  li;/,i:  >t.-- :    Then  Sir    John    hnde.l    with    his    men, 
clambered  ova  t'u^  v. oiks  that  were  drerr:' •  •.        ...  ...      nj   atta^'cini   the 

defendants  fwor.l  in  'ia  ;u,  norip. '!  'd  L:;C.TI  to  fly  \vi:!i  to?  ntmi^ft  p-ecipitai'  ••• 
This  ttetachnieat  was  fuftairjed  by  Sir  CloudelLy  Shovel  in  pcrfon.  Tlic 
duk« of  Savoy  f.king  advanrag:  of  thj  enemy'i  Cjnnjrrutioil,  pafiV-.l  diL- 
river  airrscft  without  onpofiLo:'. 


466  HISTORY  OFENGLAND 

BOOK  their  enemies  were  in  the  bofom  of  their  country.  The 
IJ-  monarch  rtfolved  to  leave  no  (tone  unturned  for  the  relief 

^^V^->  of  the  place,  and  his  fubjc&s  exerted  themfelves  in  a  very 
1707-  extraordinary  manner  for  its  prefervation.  The  nobility 
of  the  adjacent  provinces  armed  their  Servants  and  ten- 
rants,  at  the  head  of  whom  they  marched  into  the  city: 
They  coined  their  plate,  and  pawned  their  jewels  for 
money  to  pay  the  workmen  employed  upon  the  fortifica 
tions  ;  and  fuch  induftry  was  ufed,  that  in  a  few  days  the 
town  and  harbour,  which  had  been  greatly  neglected,  were 
put  in  a  good  pofture  of  defence.  The  allies  took  pof- 
feiTion  of  the  eminences  that  commanded  the  city,  and  the 
ordnance  being  landed,  creeled  batteries.  From  thefe 
they  began  to  cannonade  and  bombard  the  city,  while  the 
fleet  attacked  and  reduced  two  forts  at  the  entrance  of  the 
mole  ;  and  co-operated  in  the  fiege  with  their  great  guns 
and  bomb-ketches.  The  garrifon  was  numerous,  and 
defended  the  place  with  great  vigour.  They  funk  fhips 
in  the  entrance  to  the  mole  :  They  kept  up  a  prodigious 
fire  from  the  ramparts  :  They  made  defperate  iallies,  and 
even  drove  the  befiegers  from  one  of  their  pofls  with 
great  (laughter.  The  French  king,  alarmed  at  this  defign 
of  his  enemies,  ordered  troops  to  march  towards  Toulon 
from  all  parts  of  his  dominions.  He  countermanded  the 
forces  that  were  on  their  route  to  improve  the  victory  of 
Almanza  :  A  great  part  of  the  army  under  Villars  on  the 
Rhine  was  detached  to  Provence,  and  the  court  of  Ver- 
failles  declared,  that  the  duke  of  Burgundy  fhould  march 
at  the  head  of  a  ftrong  army  to  the  relief  of  Toulon. 
The  duke  of  Savoy  being  apprifed  of  thefe  preparations, 
feeing  no  hope  of  reducing  the  place,  and  being  apprehen- 
five  that  his  pafTage  would  be  intercepted,  relblved  to 
abandon  his  enterprife.  The  artillery  being  re-embarked, 
with  the  fick  and  wounded,  he  decamped  in  the  night, 
under  favour  of  a  terrible  bombardment  and  canonadmg 
from  the  Englifh  fleet,  and  retreated  to  his  own  country 
without  mok-ftation*.  Then  he  undertook  the  reduction 
of  Suza,  the  garrifon  of  winch  furrendered  at  difcretion. 
By  this  conqueft  he  not  only  fecured  the  key  to  his  own 
dominions,  but  alfo  opened  to  himfelfa  free  paiTage  into 
Dauphine. 

ferC!°oveeif        Sir  Cloudefley  Shovel  having  left  a  fquadren  with   Sir 

penihes  at    Thomas  Dilkes  for  the  Mediterranean  fervice,  fet  fail  for 

fa. 

*  Had  the  dulce  of  Savoy  marched  with  expedition  from  the  Var,  he 
woulo  have  found  Toulon  'kfenc;>lefs  ;  but  he  lingered  in  f.,ch  a  manner,  as 
gives  reafon  to  b  !.c  e  '>  w-<  not  hearty  in  the  enterprize ;  and  his 
operations  were  retarded  by  a  diff.reiKC  between  him  and  his  kinfman  prince 
Eugene. 


ANNE.  467 

England  with  the  reft  of  the  fleet,  and  was  ifi  foundings  CHAP. 
on  the  22d  day  of  October.  About  eight  o'clock  at  night 
his  own  fhip,  the  affociatiori,  {track  upon  the  rocks  of 
Scilly,  and  periflied  with  every  perfon  on  board.  This  i7°7- 
was  likewife  the  fate  of  the  Eagle  and  the  Romney  :  The 
Firebrand  was  daflied  in  pieces  on  the  rocks;  but  the 
captain  and  four-and-twenty  men  faved  themfelves  in  the 
boat :  The  Phoenix  was  driven  on  fhore  :  The  Royal 
Anne  was  faved  by  the  prefence  of  mind  and  uncommon 
dexterity  of  fir  George  Byng  and  his  officers  :  The  St. 
George,  commanded  by  Lord  Durfiey,  ftruck  upon  the 
rocks,  but  a  wave  fet  her  a-float  again.  The  admiral's 
body  being  caft  afhore  was  dripped  and  buried  in  the 
fand ;  but  afterwards  difcovered  and  brought  into  Ply 
mouth,  from  whence  it  was  conveyed  to  London ;  and  in 
terred  in  Weftminfter-abbey.  Sir  Cloudeiley  Shovel  was 
born  of  mean  parentage  in  the  county  of  Suffolk;  but 
railed  himfelf  to  the  chief  command  at  fea,  by  his  iriduftry, 
valour,  fkill,  and  integrity.  On  the  Upper  Rhine  the  al 
lies  were  unprofperous*.  The  prince  of  Baden  was  dead, 

*  In  the  month  of  May  three  fhips  of  the  line,  namely  the  Royal  Oak, 
of  feventy-fix  guns,  commanded  by  Commodore  Baron  WylJe;  the  Grafton, 
of  feventy  guns,  Captain  Edward  Acton  ;  and  the  Hampton-court,  of  fe- 
venty  guns,  Captain  'Jcorge  Clemen  s,  failed  as  convoy  to  the  Weft-India 
and  Por,ugal  fi  ct  of  merchant  fhips,  amounting  to  five-and-fifty  fail. 
They  fell  in  with  the  Dunkirk  fqua.tron,  con'ifting  of  ten  ihips  of  war, 
one  frigate,  and  four  privateers,  unier  the  command  of  M.  de  Forbin.  A 
furious  action  imm-diately  enfued,  and  notwithstanding  the  vaft  diipropor- 
tion  in  point  of  number,  was  maintained  by  the  Engliih  Commodore  with 
great  gallantry,  until  Captain  Adlon  was  killed,  Captain  Clements  mortally 
wounded,  and  the  Grafton  and  Hampton-court  were  taken,  after  hav.'ng 
funk  the  Salifb^ry,  at  that  time  in  the  hands  of  the  Trench  :  Then  tne 
comiinodore,  having  eleven  feet  water  in  his  hold,  difengaged  himfelf  from 
the  enemy,  by  whom  he  had  been  lurrounded,  and  ran  his  fcip  aground 
near  Daugeueffe  ;  but  fhe  afterwards  floated,  and  he  brought  her  fare 
into  the  Downs.  In  the  mean  time  the  French  frigate  and  privateers 
made  prize  of  twenty-one  Engliih  merchant  {hips  of  great  value,  which,  with 
the  Grarton  and  Hampton-court,  Forbin  conveyed  in  triumph  to  Dunkirk. 
In  July  the  fime  adrive  o.ficer  took  fifteen  ihips  belonging  to  the  Ruffia 
company,  off  the  coaft  of  Lapland.  In  September  he  joined  another  fquadroa 
fitted  out  at  Breil,  under  the  command  of  t:ie  cclebratsd  M.  du  Guai 
Trouin,  and  thefe  attacked  oft"  the  Lizard,  the  convoy  of  the  Portugal  fleet, 
confiding  of  the  Cumberland,  Captain  Richard  Edwavds  of  eighty  guns  j 
the  Devonfhire  of  eighty  ;  the  Royal  Oak  or"  feventy-fix  ;  the  Chcfter  and 
Ruby  of  fifty  guns  each.  Though  the  French  fquairon  did  not  fall  ihort 
of  twelve  fail  of  the  line,  the  Engliih  captains  maintained  the  aclion  for 
many  hours  with  furprlfing  valour.  At  Isn^  h  the  Devonshire  was  obliged 
to  yield  to  fuperior  nu.r.bers  :  The  C  imherland  blew  up  :  The  Cheiter  and 
Ruby  were  taken  :  The  Royal  Oak  fought  her  way  through  the  midtl  of  her 
enemies,  and  arrived  fafe  in  the  harbour  of  Kinials  ;  and  the  Lifoon  fleet 
faved  themfelves,  by  making  the  bcft  of  their  way  during  the  engagement. 
Since  the  battle  off  Malaga  the  French  king  haj  nev^r  dared  to  keep  the 
fea  with  a  large  fleet,  but  carried  on  a  kind  of  piratical  war  of  this  fort,  in 
order  to  dift.efs  the  trade  of  England.  He  was  the  mor.-  encouraged  to  pu;fue 
rhtfe  meafureS)  by  the  correfp'indence  whi'-h  his  miiiiiLers  carried  on  with 


468  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK   and  the  German  army  fo  inconficierable,  that  it   could  not 
11  •        defend  the  lines  of  Buhl  againft   the  marcfchal  do  Viilarf, 
^""Y"**-'   who  broke  through  this  work,   efleemed   the  rampart  of 
J7°7-       Germany,  reduced  Raftadt,  defeated  a  body  of  horfe,  laid 
the  duchy  of  Wirtemberg;  under  contribution,  took  Stut- 
gard   ar.d  Schorndorf ;    and  routed  three   thoufcnd    Ger 
mans  entrenched  at   Lorch,  under  the  command  of  Ge 
neral  Janus,  who  was  made  prifoncr.     In  all  probability, 
this  active  officer  would  have  made  great  progreis  towards 
the  reltorntion  of  the  elector  of  Bavaria,  had    not   lie  been 
obliged  to  {lop  in  the  middle  of  his  career,  in  confluence 
of  his  army's  being;  diminifhed  by  fending  off  detachments 
to  Provence-.     The  Imperial   army  retired  towards  Hail- 
bron,  and   the   command  of  it  was,  at  the  requeft  of  the 
emperor    and   allies,  afiumed   by   the   elector  of  Hanover, 
who    reftored    military   difciplin?,  and  adted  with  uncom 
mon   prudence    and   circurnfpcclion  ;  but  he  had  not  force 
fufficient  to  undertake  any  enterprifc  of  importance. 
Interview          In  the  month  of  April,  the  duke  of  Mai  Iborough  fet  out 
betwixt        from  the  Hague  for  Leipfick  with  a  letter  from  the  queen 
glf",       to   Charles    XII.  of  Sweden,  whofc    defigns  were  ftill  fo 
r-weden  and  myftcrious,  that   the   confederates  could  not  helj.)  being  a- 
the  duke  of  larmed   at  his  being  in  the  heart  of  Germany.     The  duke 

Marlbo-       vvas  pitched  upon  as  the  moft  proper  ambafiador,  to  foothe 
rough.  ,  .  .  K,  .     r     r  ,    .  ?      .,,        rT 

his   vanity  and    penetiate   into  his    real  intention*,     lie 

found  this  original  character,  not  fimple,  but  fordid  in  his 
appearance  and  economy,  favage  in  his  deportment,  fero 
cious,  illiterate,  flubborn,  implacable,  and  referved.  The 
Englii'h  general  adailed  him  on  the  fide  of  his  vanity,  the 
only  part  by  which  he  was  acceffible.  "  Sire,  (faid  he) 
"  I  prefent  to  your  majefty  a  letter,  not  from  the  chancery, 
"  but  from  the  heart  cf  the  queen  my  miftrefs,  and  written 
"  with  her  own  hand.  Had  not  her  fex  prevented  her 
"  from  taking  fo  long  a  journey,  (he  would  have  croffed 
"  the  f.a  to  fee  a  prince  admired  by  the  whole  univerfe. 
"  I  citeem  myfelf  happy  in  having  the  honour  of  alluring 

force  wretches  belonging  to  the  admiralty,  and  other  offices,  who  b.-.fely 
betrayed  their  country  in  transmitting  to  Fiance  fuch  intelligence  concerning 


by  Captain  John  Urj-ierdown,  of  the   Falkland. 

*  \Vlier.  t!;e  duke  »rrived  in  his  coach  a'  the  quarters  of  Count  Piper, 
of  whom  he  had  demanded  an  audience,  lie  was  giveii  to  undenland  that  the 
count  was  bufy,  r,nd  obliged  to  wait  hair"  an  ho. if  bef.r:  the  Swsdiftl  min.iftiT 
ca:ne  dov.'r.  to  rec;iv:j  hi<r..  When  he  appeared  at  lail,  tlic  Jui, :;  alighted 
from  his  coach,  put  on  his  hat,  pafied  the  count  without  fainting  him,  and 
\vc;it  afide  to  the  wall  where  ha\i;i^  ftaitl  fo;r,e  time,  he  retuiTieJ,  and  acco.lLd 
him  with  the  moil  polite  add,  J.t. 


ANNE.  469 

tc  your  majefly  of  rr,y  regard  ;  and  I  fhould  think  it  a  great  c  n  A  p. 
"  happinefs,  if  rny  -affairs  would  allow  me  to  1-oarn  under  J^. 
"  fo  great  a  general  as  your  majcily,  what  I  want  to  know 
"  in  the  art  of  war."  Charles  was  pleafed  with  this  over- 
{trained  compliment,  which  feems  to  have  been  calculated 
for  a  raw,  unintelligent  barbarian,  unacquainted  with  the 
characters  of  mankind.  He  profeffed  particular  veneration 
for  Queen  Anne,  as  well  as  for  the  perfon  of  her  ambafTador, 
and  declared  he  would  take  no  fteps  to  the  prejudice  of 
the  grand  alliance.  Neverthelefs,  the  fincerity  of  this  de 
claration  has  been  queftioned.  The  French  court  is  (aid 
to  have  gained  over  his  minifter,  Count  Piper,  to  th::;- 
intereft.  Certain  it  is,  he  induftrioufly  fought  occafion  to 
quarrel  with  the  emperor,  and  treated  him  with  great  in- 
folence,  until  he  fubmittecl  to  all  his  demands.  The  treaty 
being  concluded  upon  the  terms  he  thought  proper  to  ini- 
pofe,  he  had  no  longer  the  leaft  fhadow  of  pretence  to  con 
tinue  his  difputcs  with  the  court  of  Vienna;  and  there 
fore  began  his  march  for  Poland,  which  was  by  this  time 
over-mi  by  the  czar  of  Mufcovy. 

The  duke  of  Marlborough  returning  from  S  ixony,  af- 
fernbled  the  allied  army  at  Anderlach  near  Bruflels,  about 
the  middle  of  May;  and,  underitamling  that  the  elector  of 
Bavaria  and  the  duke  de  Vendome,  who  commanded 
the  French  forces,  had  quitted  their  line?,  he  advanced 
to  Soigniss,  with  a  defign  to  engage  them  in  the  plain 
of  Fleurus.  But  receiving  certain  intelligence,  that  th.- 
enemy  were  greatly  fuperior  to  the  allies  in  number, 
by  the  help  of  draft  from  all  their  garriions,  he  retreated 
towards  Bruflels,  and  took  poft  at  Mildert;  while  the 
French  advanced  to  Gemblours.  Both  armies  lay  in 
active  until  the  enemy  fsnt  off  a  large  detachment  towards 
Provence.  Then  the  duke  of  Marlborough  and  General 
D'Auverquerque  refolved  to  attack  them  in  their  fortifi 
ed  camp  at  Gemblours.  But  they  retreated  with  fuch  ce 
lerity  from  one  pofl  to  another,  that  the  confederates  could 
not  come  up  with  them  until  they  were  faf-ly  encamped 
with  their  right  at  Pont-a-Trefm,  and  left  under  the  can 
non  of  Liile,  covered  with  the  river  Schelde,  and  fecured 
by  entrenchments.  The  allies  chofe  their  camp  at  He!- 
chin,  and  foraged  under  the  cannon  of  Tournay,  within  a 
league  of  the  enemy  ;  but  nothing  could  induce  them  to 
hazard  an  engagement  ;  and  both  armies'  went  into  win 
ter-quarters  in  the  litter  end  of  October.  The  cuke  of 
Marlborough  fet  out  for  Frankfort,  where  he  conft  rred 
with  the  electors  of  Mentz,  Hanover,  and  Palatine,  about 
the  operations  of  the  next  campaign  :  Then  he  returned 
to  the  Hague,  and  having  concerted  the  neceflary  mai- 


4/o  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  fures  with  the   deputies  of  the   fbtes-general,  embarked 

il-  for  England  in  the  beginning  of  November. 
^"V*^  Tlv  queen's  private  favour  was  now  ihifted  to  a  new  ob- 
17°7  jecT:.  The  duchefs  of  Marlborough  was  fupplanted  by  Mrs. 
fbrms^a  Mafham,  her  own  Icinfwoman,  whom  fhe  had  refcued  from 
party  a-  indigence  and  obfcurity.  This  favourite  fucceeded  to  that 
b  the  afc  ndency  over  the  mind  of  her  fovereign,  which  the  du- 
Maribo-  chefs  had  formerly  poflefled.  She  was  more  humble,  pli- 
lough.  abli,  and  obliging  than  her  firft  pstronefs,  who  had  played 
the  tyrant,  and  thwarted  the  queen  in  fome  of  her  mofl  re- 
fpecl:  i  mav'ms.  Her  majefty's  prepoffeffion  in  favour  of 
the  Tori  and  hisli-churchmen  was  no  longer  mfolently 
condemned,  and  violently  oppofed.  The  new  confidante 
conformed  to  all  her  prejudices,  and  encouraged  all  her  de- 
iigns  with  aflent  and  approbation.  In  political  intrigues 
fh;  ifted  as  aflbciate,  or  rather  auxiliary,  to  Mr.  Secretary 
Harley,  who  had  infinuated  himfelf  into  the  queen's  good 
graces  ;  and  determined  to  fap  the  credit  of  the  duke  of 
'  Marlborough,  and  the  earl  of  Godolphin.  His  aim  was  to 
unite  the  Tory  intereft  under  his  own  aufpices,  and  expel 
the  Whigs  from  the  advantages  they  poflefled  under  the 
government.  His  chief  coadjutor  in  this  fcheme  was  Hen 
ry  St.  John,  afterwards  Lord  Bolingbroke,  a  man  of  warm 
imagination  and  elegant  tafte,  penetrating,  eloquent,  am 
bitious,  and  enterprifmg,  whofe  talents  were  rather  fpe- 
cious  than  folid,  and  whofe  principles  were  loofe  and  fluc 
tuating.  He  was  at  firft  contented  to  act  in  an  inferior 
capacity,  fubfervient  to  the  defigns  of  the  fecretary ;  but, 
when  he  underilood  the  full  extent  of  his  own  parts  and 
influence,  he  was  fired  with  the  ambition  of  eclipfing  his 
principal,  and  from  the  fph  re  of  his  minifter,  raifed  himfelf 
to  the  character  of  his  rival.  Thefe  politicians,  with  the 
affiilance  of  fir  Simon  Harcourt,  a  colleague  of  uncommon 
ability  and  credit,  exerted  their  endeavours  to  rally  and 
reconcile  the  difunited  Tories,  who  were  given  to  under- 
ftand,  that  the  queen  could  no  longer  bear  the  tyranny  of 
the  Whigs :  That  fhe  had  been  always  a  friend  in  her 
heart  to  the  Tory  and  high-church  party ;  and  that  fhe 
would  now  exhibit  manifefr  proofs  of  her  inclination. 
She  accordingly  beftowed  the  bifhopricks  of  Chefter  and 
Exeter  upon  Sir  William  Dawes  and  Dr.  Blackall,  who 
though  other  wife  of  unblemifhed  characters,  had  openly 
condemned  the  Revolution. 

The  p.  ople  in  general  began  to  be  fick  of  the  Whig 
miniitry,  whom  they  had  formerly  carefied.  To  them 
they  imputed  the  burdens  under  which  they  groaned;  bur 
dens  which  they  had  hitherto  been  animated  to  bear 
by  the  pomp  of  triumph  and  uninterrupted  fuccefs.  At 


ANNE.  471 

prefent  they  were  difcouraged  by  the  battle  of  Almanza,  CHAP. 
the  mifcarriage  of  the  expedition  againft  Toulon,  the  lofs  , 
of  Sir  Cloudeiley  Shovel,  and  the  fate  of  four  {hips  of  the  "  ^V*1 
line,  deftroyed  or  taken  by  a  fquadron  under  the  command  l'°~J 
of  Meff.  Forbin  and  Du  Guai  Trouin,  two  of  the  moft  en- 
terprifing  fea-officers  in  the  French  fervice.  No  new  ad 
vantage  had  been  obtained  in  the  Netherlands  :  France,  in- 
ftead  of  finking  under  the  weight  of  the  confederacy,  feem- 
ed  to  rife  with  freih.  vigour  from  every  overthrow:  The 
Englifh  traders  had  lately  fuftained  repeated  loffes  for  want 
of  proper  convoys  :  The  coin  of  the  nation  was  vihbly  di- 
minimed ;  and  the  public  credit  began  to  decline.  The 
Tories  did  not  fail  to  inculcate  and  exaggerate  thefe  caufes 
of  difcontent,  and  the  miniftry  were  too  remifs  in  taking 
proper  fteps  for  the  fatisfaclion  of  the  nation.  Inftead  of 
foothing  by  gentle  meafures,  and  equal  adminiftiation, 
the  Scots,  who  had  expreffed  fuch  averfion  to  the  Union, 
they  treated  them  in  fuch  a  manner  as  ferved  to  exafperate 
the  fpirits  of  that  people.  A  (top  was  put  to  their  whole 
commerce  for  two  months  before  it  was  diverted  to  the  new 
channel.  Three  months  elapfed  before  the  equivalent  was 
remitted  to  that  kingdom,  and  it  was  afterwards  applied 
with  the  moft  fliameful  partiality.  Seizures  of  wines  and 
other  merchandife  imported  from  thence  into  England  were 
made  in  all  the  nothern  parts,  with  an  affection  of  fe verity  and 
difdain  :  So  that  the  generality  of  the  Scottifli  nation  loud 
ly  exclaimed  againft  the  union  and  the  government.  The 
Jacobites  were  again  in  commotion.  They  held  conferences. 
They  maintained  a  correfpondence  with  the  court  of  St. 
Germains.  A  great  number  of  the  moft  rigid  Whigs  en 
tered  fofar  into  their  meafures,  as  to  think  a  revolution  was 
abfolutely  neceflary  to  retrieve  the  liberties,  independence, 
and  commerce  of  their  country:  The  pretender's  birth-day 
was  publicly  celebrated  in  many  different  parts  of  the 
kingdom ;  and  every  thing  feemed  to  portend  an  univerfal 
revolt.  Ireland  continued  quiet  under  the  adminiftration 
of  the  earl  Pembroke,  whom  the  queen  had  appointed  lord 
lieutenant  of  that  kingdom.  A  parliament  having  met  at 
Dublin  in  the  month  of  July,  prefenting  addreflts  of  con 
gratulation  to  her  majefty,  on  the  late  union  of  the  two 
kingdoms.  The  commons  having  infpeded  the  public  ac 
counts,  refolved,  that  the  kingdom  had  been  put  to  exceffive 
charge,  by  means  of  great  arrears  of  rent  returned  by  the 
late  truftees,  as  due  out  of  the  forfeited  eftates,  which  re 
turns  were  falfe  and  unjuft;  and  that  an  humble  reprefenta- 
tion  mould  be  laid  before  her  majefty  on  this  fubject.  They 
pajled  another  laudable  refolution  in  favour  of  their  own 
manufactures.  They  granted  the  necefiary  fupplies,  and 


tain 


472  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK,  having  fmifhed  feveral  bills  for  the  royal  aflent,  were  pro- 

11-        roguecl  on  the  2Qth  day  of  October. 

*-*"V"^        It  was  on  the  23d  of  the  fame  month,  that  the  firft  par- 
.,  17°7'  c  liament  of  Great  Britain  affembled  at   Weftminfter.  when 

Meeting  or  .,          ..  ,       ,    ,        r  n-         i      .  . /. 

thefirftpar-  the  queen,  in  her  fpeech  to  both  houfes,  palliated  the  mif- 
Uaiient  of  carriages  in  Province  and  in  Spain  ;  reprefentedtbeneceflitv 
t  En-  Of  (Baling  further  efforts  againft  the  common  enemy;  and 
exhorted  them  to  be  upon  their  j^uard  againft  thofe  who 
endeavoured  to  low  jealoufies  in  the  ccmmonwealth.  The 
commons,  in  their  addrefs,  exprefled  the  continuance  of 
their  former  zeal  and  devotion  to  her  mzjefty's  govern 
ment;  but,  in  the  houfe  of  lords,  the  earl  of  Wharton  expa 
tiated  upon  the  fcarcity  of  money,  the  decay  of  trade,  the 
mifmanagement  of  the  navy.  He  was  feconded  by  Lord 
Somers,  and  the  leaders  of  the  Tory  party,  v/ho  propofed, 
that  previous  to  every  meafure,  they  fhould  confidcr  the  ftate 
of  the  nation.  The  defign  of  Wharton  and  Somers  was 
to  raife  the  earl  of  Orford  once  more  to  the  head  of  the 
Admiralty;  and  the  Tories,  who  did  not  perceive  their 
drift,  hoped,  in  the  courfe  of  the  enquiry,  to  fix  the  blame 
of  all  the  mifmanagement  upon  the  Whig  minifters.  A 
day  being  fixed  for  this  examination,  the  houfe  received  a 
petition  from  the  fheriffs  and  merchants  of  London,  com 
plaining  of  great  lofTes  by  fea,  for  want  ofcruizers  and  con 
voys  ;  and  thefe  complaints  were  proved  by  witnefles.  The 
report  was  fent  to  the  lord-admiral,  who  anfwered  all  the 
articles  feparately  :  Then  the  Tories  moved  for  an  addrefs, 
in  which  the  blame  of  the  mifcarriages  might  be  laid  upon 
the  miniftry  and  cabinet-council;  but  the  motion  was  over 
ruled.  The  queen  was  prefented  with  a  bare  reprefenta- 
tion  of  the  facts,  and  defired  that  fhe  would  take  the  pro 
per  meafurcs  for  preventing  fuch  evils  for  the  future.  The 
commons  made  fome  progrefs  in  an  enquiry  of  the  fame  na 
ture;  and  brought  in  a  bill  for  the  better  fecuring  the  trade 
of  the  kingdom.  They  cheerfully  granted  the  fupplies  for 
the  fervice  of  the  enfuing  year.  They  prepared  another 
bill  for  repealing  the  Scottifh  act  of  fecurity,  and  that 
about  peace  and  war,  which  had  excited  fuch  jealoufy  in 
the  Engliih1  nation.  They  refolved,  That  there  fhouid  be 
but  one  privy-council  in  the  kingdom  ot  Great  Britain: 
That  the  militia,  of  Scotland  fhould  be  put  on  the  fame 
footing  with  that  of  England  :  That  the  powers  of  the  juf- 
i:c-_s  of  the  peace  fhould  be  the  fame  through  the  whole 
ifland  :  That  the  lords  of  jufticiary  in  Scotland  mould  go 
circuits  twice  in  th<?  year:  That  the  writs  for  electing  Scot 
tifh  tncnbcrs  to  ferve  in  the  houfe  of  commons  fhould  be 
directed,  and  returns  made,  in  the  fame  manner  as  practife- 
ed  in  England.  An  net  being  formed  on  thcfe  rcOlutions, 


ANNE.  473 

they  brought  in  a  bill  for  prefervinjr  the  trade  with  Portu-  CHAP, 
gal  :  Then  they  confidered  the  ftate  of  the  war  in  Spain.  IV> 

When  the  queen  pafTt-d  the   bills,   file  recommended  an  ^"Y**^ 
augmentation    in    the  aids    and  auxiliaries  granted   to  the      1? 
king  of  Spain  and  the  duke  of  Savoy.     This   intimation 
produced  a  debate   in   the   houfe  of  lords,  on  the  affairs  of 
Spain.     The  fervice  of  the  earl  of  Peterborough  were  ex 
tolled  by  the  earl  of  Rochefter  and  Lord  Haverfham,  who 
levelled  fome  oblique  reflections  at  the  earl  of  Gal  way.   Se 
veral  Lords  enlarged  upon  the  neceflity  of  carrying  on  the 
war   until  King  Charles  {hould  be  fully  eftablifhed  on  the 
throne  of  Spain.    The  earl  of  Peterborough  faid  they  ought 
to  contribute  nine  {hillings  in  the  pound  rather  than  make 
peace  on  any   other  tern.s  :  He   declared  himfclf  ready  to 
return  to  Spain,  and  ferve  even  under  the  earl  of  Galway. 
The  earl  of  Rochefter  repeated   a  maxim  of  the  old  duke 
of  Schombcrg,  That  attacking  France  in  the  Netherlands 
was  like  taking  a  bull  by  the   horns.     He,  therefore  pro- 
pofed,  that  the  allies  fhould  (land  on  the  defenfive  in  Flan 
ders,  and  detach  from   thence   fifteen  or  twenty  thoufand 
men  into  Catalonia.     He    was    feconded  by   the    earl   of 
Nottingham  ;  but  warmly  oppofed   by  the  duke  of  Marl- 
borough,  who   urged,  that    the  great   towns    in    Brabant 
which  he  had  conquered  could  not  be  preferved  without  a 
considerable  number  of  men  ;  and  that  if  the  French  fhould 
gain  any  advantage   in  Flanders  from   their  fuperiority  in 
point  of  number,  the  difcontented  party  in  Holland,  which 
was  very  numerous,  and  bore  with  impatience  the  burden 
of  the  war,  would  not  fail  crying  aloud  for  peace.     Being 
challenged  by  Rochefter  to  fliow  how  troops  could  be  pro 
cured  for  the   fervice  of  Italy  and    Spain,  he    allured  the 
houfe,  that  meafures  had   been  already  concerted  with  the 
emperor,  for  forming  an  army  of  forty  thoufand  men  un 
der  the  duke  of  Savoy,  and  for  fending  powerful  fuccours 
to  King  Charles.     This  declaration    finiflied    the    debate, 
which  iffued   in   an   affectionate  addrefs  to   her    majdfty. 
The  lords  refolved,  That  no   peace   could  be  fafe  and  ho 
nourable  for  her   majefty  and    her  allies,  if  Spain  and  the 
Spaniih  Well  Indies  were  fuffered  to  continue  in  the  pow 
er  of  the  houfe  of  Bourbon.     They  prefented    an  addrefs, 
in  which  they  deured  flic  would  prefs  the  emperor  to  fend 
powerful  fuccours  to  Spain,  under  the  command  of  Prince 
Eugene,  with   all    poffible   expedition,  to  make  good  his 
contract  with  the  duke  of  Savoy,  and  ftrengthen  the  army 
on  the  Rhine,  which  was  now  happily   put  under  the  con 
duce  of  that  wife  and  valiant  prince,  the  elector  of  Han 
over.     The  commons  concurred  in   this  remonftrance,  in 
confequence  of  which  the  queen  defired  the  emperor  to  be- 

VOL.    I.  3O 


474  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  ftow  the  command  in  Spain  upon  Prince  Eugene.     The 
court  of  Vienna,  however,  did  not    comply  with  this  rc- 

^"V*^  queft;  but  fent  thither  Count  Staremberg,  who,  of  all 
17°7'  the  German  generals,  was  next  to  the  prince  in  military 
reputation.  The  commons  now  proceeded  to  confidcr  of 
ways  and  means,  and  actually  eftabliihed  funds  for  raifing 
the  fupply,  which  amounted  to  the  enormous  fum  of  fix 
millions. 

At  this  period,  Mr.  Harley's  character  incurred  fu- 
fpiciou  from  the  treachery  of  William  Gregg,  an  inferior 
clerk  in  his  office,  who  was  detected  in  a  correfpondence 
with  Monfieur  Chamillard,  the  French  king's  minifter. 
When  his  practices  were  detected,  he  made  an  ample  con- 
fe/fion,  and  pleading  guilty  to  his  indictment  at  the  Old 
Bailey,  was  condemned  to  death  for  high-treafon.  At  the 
fame  time,  John  Bara  and  Alexander  Valiere  were  com 
mitted  to  Newgate,  for  correfponding  with  the  enemy; 
and  Claude  Baud,  fecretary  to  the  duke  of  Savoy's  mini 
fter,  was,  at  the  requeft  of  his  mafter,  apprehended  for 
traiterous  practices  againft  her  majefty  and  her  govern 
ment.  A  committe  of  feven  lords  being  appointed  to  ex 
amine  thefe  delinquents,  made  a  report  to  the  houfe, 
•which  was  communicated  to  the  queen,  in  an  addrefs, 
importing,  That  Gregas  had  difcovered  fecrets  of  ftate  to 
the  French  minifter:  That  Alexander  Valiere  and  John 
Bara,  had  managed  a  correfpondence  with  the  governors 
and  commiflaries  of  Calais  and  Boulogn;  and,  in  all  pro 
bability,  difcovered  to  the  enemy  the  ftations  of  the  Britifh 
cruizers,  the  ftrength  of  their  convoys,  and  the  times  at 
which  the  merchant-fhips  proceeded  on  their  voyages  : 
That  all  the  papers  in  the  office  of  Mr.  Secretary  Harley,, 
had  been  for  a  confiderable  time  expofedto  the  view  of  the 
meaneft  clerks ;  and  that  the  perufal  of  all  the  letters  to 
and  from  the  French  prifoners  had  been  chiefly  trufted  to 
Gregg,  a  perfon  of  a  very  fufpicious  character,  and  known 
to  be  extremely  indigent.  The  queen  granted  a  reprieve 
to  this  man,  in  hope  of  his  making  fome  important  difco- 
very ;  but  he  really  knew  nothing  of  confequence  to  the 
nation.  He  was  an  indigent  Scot,  who  had  been  em 
ployed  as  a  fpy  in  his  own  country,  and  now  offered  his 
Services  to  Chamillard,  with  a  view  of  being  rewarded  for 
his  treachery;  but  he  was  difcovered  before  he  had  reaped 
any  fruits  from  his  correfpondence.  As  he  had  no  fecrets 
of  importance  to  impart,  he  was  executed  at  Tyburn, 
where  he  delivered  a  paper  to  the  fheriff,  in  which  he 
declared  Mr.  Harley  entirely  ignorant  of  all  his  trea- 
fonable  connections,  notwithftanding  fome  endeavours 


ANNE.  475 

that  were  made  to  engage  him  in  an  accufation  of  that  mi-  CHAP. 
nifter.  IV- 

The  queen  had  refufed  to  admit  the  earl  of  Peterbo-  <*-*~Y"s-r> 
rough  into  her  prefence,  until  he  mould  have  vindicated  I7°7* 
his  conduct,  of  which  King  Charles  had  complained  in 
divers  letters.  He  was  eagerly  djftrous  of  a  parliamenta 
ry  enquiry.  His  military  proceedings,  his  negociations, 
his  difpofal  of  the  remittances  were  taken  into  confidera- 
tion  by  both  houfes ;  but  he  produced  fuch  a  number  of 
witnefles  and  original  papers  to  juftify  every  tranfaclion, 
that  his  character  triumphed  in  the  enquiry,  which  was 
dropped  before  it  produced  any  refolution  in  parliament. 
Then  they  took  cognizance  of  the  ftate  of  affairs  in  Spain, 
and  found  there  had  been  a  great  deficiency  in  the  Englifh 
troops  at  the  battle  of  Almanza.  This,  however,  was 
explained  fo  much  to  their  fatisfa&ion,  that  they  voted  an 
addrefs  to  the  queen,  thanking  her  for  having  taken  mea- 
fures  to  reftore  the  affairs  in  Spain,  and  provide  foreign 
troops  for  that  fervice.  The  bill  for  rendering  the  Union 
more  complete  met  with  a  vigorous  oppoiition  in  the 
houfe  of  lords  from  the  court-party,  on  account  of  the 
claufe  enacting,  that,  after  the  ift  of  May,  there  fhould 
be  but  one  privy-council  in  the  kingdom  of  Great  Britain. 
The  rniniftry  finding;  it  was  ftrenuoufly  fupport..-d  by  all 
the  Tories,  and  a  confiderable  number  of  the  other  fac 
tion,  would  have  compromifed  the  difference,  by  propof- 
ing  that  the  privy-council  of  Scotland  mould  continue  to 
the  ift  day  ofOclober.  They  hinted  this  expedient,  in 
hope  of  being  able  to  influence  the  enfuing  elections;  but 
their  defign  being  palpable,  the  motion  was  over-ruled, 
and  the  bill  received  the  royal  affent ;  a  court  of  exche 
quer,  however,  was  ereclxd  in  Scotland  upon  the  model 
of  that  in  England..  The  execution  of  Gregg,  and  the 
examination  of  Valiere  and  Bara,  who  had  acted  as 
fmuggiers  to  the  coaft  of  France,  under  the  protection  of 
Harley,  to  whom  they  engaged  for  intelligence,  affe6led 
the  credit  of  that  minifter,  who  was  reviled  and  traduced 
by  the  emiil'aries  of  the  Whig  party.  The  duke  of  Marl- 
borough  and  the  earl  of  Godolphin,  being  apprifed  of  his 
fecret  practices  with  Mrs.  Mafham,  wrote  to  the  queen, 
that  they  could  ferve  her  no  longer,  fhould  Mr.  Harley 
continue  in  the  port  of  fecretary.  Being  fummoned  to  the 
cabinet-council,  they  waited  on  her  in  perfon,  and  expof- 
tulated  on  the  fame  fubjecl:.  She  endeavoured  to  appeafe 
their  refentrnent  with  foft  perfuafion,  which  had  no  effect; 
and  when  they  retired  from  court,  to  the  aftonifhment  of 
all  the  fpeclators,  ihe  repaired  in  perfon  to  the  council. 
There  Mr.  Secretary  Harley  began  to  explain  the  caufe 


476  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

B  O  O  K  of  their  meeting,  which  was  fome  circumftance  relating 
1J-  to  foreign  affairs.  The  duke  of  Somerfet  faid  he  did  not 
^-^Y^  fee  how  they  could  deliberate  on  fuch  matters  while  the 
1707-  general  and  treafurer  were  abfent ;  the  other  members 
obferved  a  fullen  filence ;  fo  that  the  council  broke  up, 
and  the  queen  found  herfelf  in  danger  of  being  abandoned 
by  her  minifters.  Next  day  her  majefty  fent  for  the  duke 
of  Marlborough,  and  told  him  that  Harky  fhould  imme 
diately  refign  his  office,  which  was  conferred  upon  Mr. 
Henry  Boyle,  chancellor  of  the  exchequer  ;  but  fhe  deep 
ly  refented  the  deportment  of  the  duke  and  the  earl  of  Go- 
dolphin,  from  whom  fhe  entirely  withdrew  her  confi 
dence.  Sir  Simon  Harcourt,  attorney-general,  fir  Tho 
mas  Manfel,  comptroller  of  the  household,  and  Mr.  St. 
John,  relinquifhed  their  fevcral  pofts  upon  the  difgrace  of 
Harley. 

Thepre-  The  kingdom  was  at  this  period  alarmed  with  a  threat- 
tender  em-  ened  invalion  from  France.  The  court  of  St.  Germains 
n^^k^L  ^a*^  ^"ent  over  one  Colonel  Hook  with  credentials  to  Scct- 
fbrScotLncL  'amo  to  karri  the  fituation,  number,  and  ability  of  the 
pretender's  friends  in  that  country.  This  minifter,  by 
his  mifcondu6t,  produced  a  divifion  among:  the  Scottifli 
Jacobites.  Being  a  creature  of  the  duke  of  Perth,  he  at 
tached  himfelf  wholly  to  the  duke  of  Athol,  and  thofe 
other  zealous  partifans  who  were  bent  upon  receiving  the 
pretender  without  conditions  ;  and  he  neglected  the  duke 
of  [Tamil ton,  the  earl  Marefchal,  and  other  adherents  of 
that  houfe,  who  adopted  the  more  moderate  principles 
avowed  by  the  carl  of  Middleton.  At  his  return  to 
France,  he  made  fuch  a  favourable  report  of  the  difpofi- 
tion  and  power  of  the  Scottifh  nation,  that  Louis  refolved 
to  equip  an  armament,  and  fend  over  the  pretender  to  that 
kingdom.  His  pretence  was  to  eftablifh  that  prince  on 
the  throne  of  his  anceftors  ;  but  his  real  aim  was  to  make 
a  divifion  from  the  Netherlands,  and  excite  a  revolt  in 
Great  Britain,  which  fhould  hinder  Queen  Anne  from 
exerting  herfelf  againft  France  on  the  continent.  He  be 
gan  to  make  preparation  for  this  expedition  at  Dunkirk, 
where  a  fquadron  was  afTembled  under  the  command  of 
the  chevalier  de  Fourbin  ;  and  a  body  of  land-forces  were 
embarked  with  monfieur  de  Gaee,  afterwards  known  by 
the  appellation  of  the  marefchal  de  Matignon.  The  pre 
tender,  who  had  afTumed  the  name  of  the  chevalier  de  St. 
George,  was  furnhlicd  with  fervices  of  gold  and  iilvcr 
plate,  fumptuous  tents,  rich  clothes  for  his  lifs-guards, 
Iplenuid  liveries,  and  all  forts  of  nccefiaries  even  to  profu- 
iion.  Louis,  at  parting,  prefented  him  with  a  fword  flud- 
ded  with  valuable  diamonds,  and  repeated  what  he  had 


ANNE.  477 

formerly  faid  to  this  adventurer's  father:  "  He  hoped  he  C  H  A  P. 
fhould  never  fee  him  again."  The  pope  contributed  to  IV- 
the  expence  of  this  expedition,  and  accommodated  him  ^"Y**' 
with  divers  religious  infcriptions,  which  were  wrought  I7°7' 
upon  his  colours  and  ftandards.  Qjcen  Anrre  being  in 
formed  of  thefe  preparations,  and  the  defign  of  the  French 
monarch,  communicated  to  the  commons  the  advices 
which  fhe  had  received  from  Holland  and  the  Netherlands, 
touching  the  declination  of  the  Dunkirk  armament :  Both 
houfes  concurred  man  addrefs,  affuring  her  they  would  af- 
ftft  her  majelly  with  their  lives  and  fortunes  againft  the  pre 
fer.  Jed  prince  of  Wales,  and  all  her  other  enemies.  Then 
they  paficd  a  bill,  crr,6iing,  That  the  Oath  of  abjuration 
fhould  be  tendered  to  all  perfons,  and  fuch  as  refufcd  to  take 
it  fhould  be  in  the  condition  of  Convicted  recufants.  E'y 
another,  they  fufpended  the  Habeas  Corpus  aft  till  Octo 
ber,  with  relation  to  perfons  apprehended  by  the  govern 
ment  on  fufpicion  of  trc-afonable  practices.  The  preten 
der  and  his  adherents  were  proclaimed  traitors  and  rebels  ; 
and  a  bill  w^s  pafled,  difchargir.g  the  clans  of  Scotland 
from  all  vadalage  to  thofe  chiefs  who  ihoulJ  t;ske  up  amis 
againft  her  majeily.  Tranfports  were  hired  to  brinz  over 
ten  British  battalions  from  Oftend  :  A  large  flc-t  being 
equipped  with  incredible  diligence,  failed  from  Deal  to 
wards  Dunkirk,  under  the  conduct  of  Sir  John  Lcake,  Sir 
George  Byng  and  Lord  Duriley.  The  French  imagined 
that  Leake  had  failed  to  Lifbon,  and  that  Britain  was  un 
provided  of  (hips  of  war  ;  fo  that  they  were  amazed  and 
confounded  when  this  fleet  appeared  off  Mardyke  :  A  ftop 
was  immediately  put  to  the  embarkation  of  their  troops  : 
Frequent  exprefles  were  difpatched  to  Paris  :  The  count 
de  Fourbin  represented  to  the  French  Icing  the  little  pro 
bability  of  fucceeding  in  this  enterprife,  and  the  danger 
that  would  attend  the  attempt:  But  he  received  pofitive 
orders  to  embark  the  forces,  and  let  fail  with  the  firft  fa 
vourable  wind. 

The  Britifh  fleet  being  forced  from  their  flation  by  fe-  His  deflgm 
vere  weather  on  the  I4th  day  of  March,  the  French  fqua-  fruftrated- 
dron  filled  on  the  iyth  from  the  road  of  Dunkirk:  But  the 
wind  fhifting,  it  anchored  in  Newport-pits,  till  the  igth 
in  the  evening,  when  they  fet  fail  again  with  a  fair  breeze, 
fleering  their  courfe  for  Scotland,  fir  George  Byng  hav 
ing  received  advice  of  their  departure,  from  an  Ollemi 
velTel  fent  out  for  that  purpofe  by  Mvjor-general  Cadogan, 
gave  chace  to  the  enemy,  after  having  detached  a  fqujidron 
under  Admiral  Baker,  to  convey  the  troops  that  were  em 
barked  at  Oftend  for  England.  On  the  icth  day  of  March, 
the  queen  went  to  the  houfe  of  peers,  \yheie,  in  a  fpecch 


47s  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  to  both  houfes,  fhe  told  them  that  the  French  fleet  failed ; 
that  fir  George   Byng  was    in   purfuit  of  them ;  and  that 

^~Y~^  ten  battalions  of  her  troops  were  expe&ed  every  day  in 
I7°7'  England.  This  intimation  was  followed  by  two  very  warm 
addrefTes  from  the  lords  and  common*;,  in  which  they  re 
peated  their  affurances  of  ftanding  by  her  againft  all  her 
enemies.  They  exhorted  her  to  perfevere  in  fupporting 
the  common  caufe,  notwithflanding  this  pretty  attempt  to 
difturb  her  dominions ;  and  levelled  fome  fevere  infmua- 
tions  againft  thofe  who  endeavoured  to  foment  jealoufies 
between  her  maj-fty  and  her  mo  ft  faithful  fervants.  Ad- 
drefles  on  the  fame  occafion  were  fent  up  from  different 
parts  of  the  kingdom ;  fo  that  the  queen  feemed  to  look 
with  contempt  upon  the  defigns  of  the  enemy.  Several 
regiments  of  foot,  with  fome  fquadrons  of  cavalry,  be<ian 
their  march  for  Scotland  :  1  he  earl  of  Leven  commander 
in  chief  of  the  forces  in  that  country  and  governor  of  the 
caftla  of  Edinburgh,  haflened  thither  to  put  that  fortrefs  in 
apollurc  of  defence,  and  to  make  the  proper  difpofitions  to 
oppofe  the  pretender  at  his  landing.  But  the  vigilance  of 
fir  George  Byng  rendered  all  thefe  precautions  unnecefTa- 
ry.  He  failed  directly  to  the  frith  of  Edinburgh,  where  he 
arrived  almoft  as  foon  as  the  enemy,  who  immediately 
took  the  advantage  of  a  land  breeze,  and  bore  away  with 
all  the  full  they  could  carry.  The  Englifh  Admiral  gave 
chace;  and  the  Salifbury,  one  of  their  {hips,  was  boarded 
and  taken.  At  night  Monfieur  de  Fourbin  altered  his 
courfe;  fo  that  next  day  they  wore  out  of  reach  of  the  Eng 
lifh  fqtiadron.  The  pretender  defired  they  would  proceed  to 
the  northward,  and  land  him  at  Invernefs,  and  Fourbin 
feemed  willing  to  gratify  his  requeft;  But  the  wind  chang 
ing,  and  blowing  in  their  teeth  with  great  violence,  he 
reprefented  the  danger  of  attempting  to  profecute  the  voy 
age;  and  with  the  confent  of  the  chevalier  de  St.  George 
and  his  general,  returned  to  Dunkirk,  after  having  been 
toffed  about  a  whole  month  in  very  tempeftuous  weather. 
In  the  mean  time,  fir  George  Byng  failed  up  the  Leith 
road,  where  he  received  the  freedom  of  the  city  of  Edin 
burgh  in  a  golden  box,  as  a  teftimony  of  gratitude  for  his 
having  delivered  them  from  the  dreadful  apprehenfions  un 
der  which  they  laboured. 

Certain  it  is,  the  pretender  could  not  have  chofen  a 
more  favourable  opportunity  for  making  a  defcent  upon 
Scotland.  The  people  in  general  were  difaffecled  to  the 
government  on  account  of  the  Union :  The  regular  troops 
under  Leven  did  not  exceed  five-and-twenty  hundred  men, 
ancl  even  great  part  of  thefe  would  in  all  probability  have 
joined  the  invarier:  The  caftle  oi  Edinburgh  was  dcilivute 


ANNE.  479 

»f  ammunition,  and  would   in  all  appearance  have  fun-en-  C  H  A  P- 
dered  at  the    firft  fummons ;  in  which  cafe  the  Jacobites        IV- 
mud  have  been  matters   of  the   equivalent   money  lodged    ***~Y**~^ 
in  that  fortrefs;  A  good  number   of  Dutch   Ihips,  loaded      I/°7' 
with  cannon,  fmall  arms,  ammunition,  and  a  large  mm  of 
money,  had  been  driven  on  fhore   in  the  {hire    of  Angus, 
where  they  would  have  been  feized  by  the   friends  of  the 
Pretender,  had  the  French  troops  been  landed  ;  and  all  the 
adherents  of  that  houfc-  were  ready  to  appear  in  arms.     In 
England,  fuch  a  demand   was  made  upon  the   bank,  by 
thole  who  favoured  th ;  invafion,  and  thofe  who  dreaded  a 
Revolution,  that  the  public  credit  feemed  to  be  in  danger. 
The  commons  refolved,  That  whoever  deflgnedly  endea 
voured  to  deftroy  or  leflen  the  public  credit,  efpecially  at  a 
time  when  the  kingdom  was  threatened  with  an  invafion, 
was  guilty  of  a  high  crime  and  mifdemeanour,  and  an  e- 
nemy  to  her  majefty  and   the   kingdom.     The   lord-trea-  Burnet. 
furer  fignified  to   the  directors  of  the  bank,  that  her  ma-  Hare- 
jefty  would  allow,  for  fix   months,  an   intereft   of  fix  per  Lo^art 
cent,  upon  their   bills,  which  was    double  the  ufualrate;  Feuquieres. 
and  confiderable   fums  of  money  were   offered  to  them  by  Daniel, 
this  nobleman,  as  well    as  by  the    dukes  of  Marlborough,  t;-,ldll^.e  Of 
Newcaftlc,    and   Somerfet.      The   French,    Dutch,    and  Maribo- 
Jewim   merchants,  whofe  intereft  was  in  a  peculiar  man-  r°ugh. 
ner  connected  with  the  fafcty  of  the  bank,  exerted  them-  Ji^a^ff 

r  i  r         •        r  i     i        i-       r>  •  11     i    •      the  duchefs 

lelves  ror    its  lupport;  and  the  directors   having  called  in  ofMarlbo- 
twenty  per  cent,  upon  their  capital  ftock,  were  enabled  to  rough, 
anfwer   all  the  demands  of  the   timorous    and   difaffe£ted.  g""'^1' 
All   the  noblemen   and  perfons  of  diftin&ion  in  Scotland,  Tindai.' 
fufpe&ed  of  an  attachment  to  the  court  of  St.  Germain's,  Lives  of  th; 
were  apprehended,  and   either    imprifcned  in  the  cattle  of  Adnniau. 

t?  J«    L        .1  i  T          i  i  r-       i  «      Voltaire, 

xLdinburgh,  or  brought  up  to  London,  to  be  confined  in 
the  Tower  or  in  Newgate.  Among  thefe  was  the  duke 
ef  Hamilton,  who  found  means  to  make  his  peace  with 
the  Whig  minifters  ;  and  in  a  little  time,  the  other  pri- 
foners  were  admitted  to  bail  *. 

*  Three  Camifurs,  or  Proteftants,  from  the  Cevennois,  having  made 
their  efcape,  and  repaired  to  London,  acquired  about  this  tirr.e  the  appellation 
of  French  Prophets,  from  their  enthufiafti;  gefticulations,  effufions,  and  con - 
vuliions  ;  and  even  formed  a  fe&  of  their  countrymen.  The  French  refugees, 
fcandalized  at  their  behaviour,  and  authorifed  by  the  bilhop  of  London,  as 
fjperiorofth- French  congregation:,  rcfolved  to  enquire  into  the  miflion  of 
thefe  pretended  prophets,  whofe  names  were  Ellas  Marlon,  John  Cavalier, 
and  Durand  Fage.  They  wen;  declared  importers  and  counterfeits.  Not- 
withftanding  this  decilion,  which  was  confirmed  by  the  bifliops,  they  continu 
ed  their  aflemblies  in  Soho,  under  the  countenance  of  Sir  Richard  Bullteley 
and  John  Lacy.  They  reviled  the  minifters  of  the  eftabliihed  church:  They 
denounced  judgments  againft  the  city  of  London,  and  the  whole  British  na 
tion  j  and  published  their  prediilions,  compofed  of  unintelligible  jargon. 
Then  they  wore  profecuted  at  the  expencc  ef  the  French  church «,  as  diftur- 


480  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK        On  the  firft  day  of  April,  the  parliament  was  prorogued, 
,  and   afterwards  difloived   by    proclamation.     Writs  were 

"""V"*1  iilued  out  for  new  elections,  together  with  a  proclamation, 
commanding  all  the  peers  of  North  Britain  to  aff-nible  at 
HoPyroodhoufe  in  Edinburgh,  on  the  17^)1  day  of  June,  to 
elecSt  fixtecn  peers  to  reprefent  them  in  the  enfuing  Briti/h 
parliament,  purfuant  to  the  22d  article  of  the  treaty  of 
Union.  After  the  diflolution  of  the  parliament,  the  lords 
Griffin,  Clermonf,  two  fons  of  the  earl  of  Middleton,  and 
feveral  Scottiih  and  Irilh  officers,  who  had  been  taken  on 
board  the  Salifbury,  were  brought  to  London,  and  impri- 
foned  in  the  Tower,  or  in  Newgate.  Lord  Griffin  being 
attainted  by  for  outlawry,  high-treafon  committed  in  the 
reign  of  King  William,  was  brought  to  the  bar  in  the 
court  of  king's  bench,  and  a  rule  made  for  his  execution  ; 
but  he  W2S  reprieved  from  month  to  month,  until  he  died 
of  a  natural  death  in  prifon.  The  privy  council  of  Scot 
land  was  diffolved.  The  duke  of  Qucenfberry  was  created 
a  Britifh  peer,  by  the  title  of  Baron  of  Rippon,  Marquis 
of  Beverly,  and  duke  of  Dover;  and  the  office  of  fecretary 
at  war,  vacant  by  the  refignation  of  Henry  St.  John,  was 
beftowed  upon  Robert  Wai  pole,  a  gentleman  who  had 
rendered  himfelf  confiderable  in  the  houie  of  commons, 
and  whofe  concaufl  we  fhall  have  occafion  to  mention  more 
at  large  in  the  frquel.  About  the  fame  time,  a  proclama 
tion  was  iffucd  for  diftributing  prizes,  in  certain  propor 
tions,  to  the  different  officers  and  feamen  of  the  royal  na 
vy  ;  a  regulation  that  ftill  prevails. 

The  French  king,  not  at  all  difcouraged  by  the  mifcar- 
riage  of  his  projected  invasion,  refolved  to  improve  the  ad 
vantages  he  had  gained  on  the  continent  during  the  laft  cam 
bers  of  the  public  peace,  and  falfe  prophets.  They  were  fentenced  to  pay  a 
fine  of  twenty  marks  each,  and  (land  twice  on  a  fcarfold,  with  papers  on  their 
breafts  denoting  their  offtnce  :  A  fentence  which  was  executed  accordingly  at 
Cha:  ing-Grafs,  and  tho  Royal -Exchange. 

In  the  courie  of  this  year,  Mr.  Stanhope,  who  was  refident  from  the  queen 
at  the  court  ofCi'.irles,  concluded  a  treaty  of  commerce  with  this  monarch, 
v.hich  would  havf  proved  extr-'mely  advantageous  to  Great  Britain,  haj  he- 
been  firmly  ertablilied  on  the  throne  of  Sp.'.in.  It  was  (Vipulated  that  the 
Engliih  merchants  fliould  enjoy  the  privik-ge  of  importing  all  kinds  of  mer- 
chaudife  from  t!;s  conft  of  B.irbavy  into  the  maritime  places  of  Spain,  without 
paying  Any  higher  duty  than  if  that  merchandise  had  been  the  produce  of 
Great  Britain  ;  and  th<t  tvm  thefe  dutii  s  fiiould  not  be  paid  till  fix  months 
after  the  merchaudifi  flijuld  be  landed  and  fald,  the  merchants  giving  fecurity 
tor  the  cuftoms.  It  was  agiee<i,  that  the  whole  commerce  of  the  Spanish 
Weft-Indies  fhould  be  carried  on  by  a  joint  company  of  Spaniih  and  Briti.h 
merchants  ;  and  in  the  interim,  as  the  greater  jart  of  that  cojntry  was  in  the 
hands  of  Philip,  his  competitor  confented  that  the  Briri'h  fubjecls  ihojld  trade 
freely  in  all  the  ports  of  the  Well-Indies  with  ten  ir.ips  of  rive  hundred 
tan,  ea;h,  under  fuch  convoy  us  her  Britannic  majetty  ihould  th\nk  fit  to  ap 
point. 


A    N     N     I-.  4.8  r 

f/aign;  and  indeed  he  made  efforts  that  were  altogether  in-  CHAP. 
credible,  confidering  the  confumptive  frate  of  his  finances*.  lv 
He  aflembled  a  prodigious  army  in  the  Netherlands,  under 
the  command  of  the  duke  of  Burgundy,  affifted  by  Vendorr.e, 
and  accompanied  by  the  duke  of  Berry  and  the  Chevalier 
de  St.  George.  The  clevflor  of  Bavaria  was  deftincd  to  the 
command  of  the  troops  upon  the  Rhine,  where  he  was  fe- 
condcd  by  the  duke  of  Berwick  ;  and  the  marefchal  de  Vil- 
leroy  was  fent  to  conduit  the  forces  in  Dauphine.  About 
the  latter  end  of  March,  the  duke  of  Marlborough  repaired 
to  the  Hague,  where  he  was  met  by  Prince  Eugene:  Thefe 
two  celebrated  generals  conferred  with  thePenfionary  Hen- 
fius,  and  the  deputies  of  the  ftates-gencral.  Then  they 
made  an  excurfion  to  Hanover,  where  they  prevailed  up 
on  the  elector  to  be  fatisfied  with  acting  upon  the  defenfive 
in  his  command  on  the  Rhine,  and  fpare  part  of  his  forces, 
that  the  confederates  might  be  enabled  to  make  vigorous  ef 
forts  in  the  Netherlands.  The  prince  proceeded  to  Vienna, 
and  the  duke  immediately  returned  to  Flanders,  where  he 
afTembled  the  army  towards  the  latter  end  of  May.  On  the 
twenty-fifth  day  of  that  month,  the  duke  de  Vendo.-ne  march 
ed  to  Soignies,  and  pofted  himfelf  within  three  leagues  of 
the  confederates,  who  were  encamped  at  Billinghen  and 
Halle.  The  duke  of  Marlborough  having  received  intel 
ligence  that  the  enemy  were  on  their  march  by  Bois-Seig- 
nsur-Ifaac  to  Braine-la-Leuwe,  concluded  their  intention 
was  to  take  poil  on  the  banks  of  the  Deule,  to  hinder  the 
allies  from  paffing  that  river,  and  to  occupy  Louvaine.  He, 
therefore,  commanded  the  army  to  march  all  night,  and  on 
VOL.  I.  3? 

*  Before  the  opening  of  the  campaign,  a  very  daring  enterprift:  was  formed 
'•y  one  Colonel  QJjntetr:,  a  partifan  in  the  imperial  army.  This  man  laid  a 
fcheme  for  carrying  oft  the  Dauphin  of  France  from  the  court  of  VerfaiHrs. 
He  fdefted  thirty  men  of  approved  valour  for  this  undertaking.  He  procured 


an  <,  wt  te  ngs  ver  s,  an  arree  te  peron  wo  was  n  r,  on  te 
fuppofitionof  his  being  a  prince  of  the  blood.  It  wa<=,  however,  M.  de  Berrin- 
ghen,  the  king's  firft  equerry.  This  officer  they  mounted  on  a  fpare  horfe, 
and  fet  out  for  the  Low  Countries  ;  but,  being  lit'le  acquainted  with  the  roads, 
they  did  not  reach  Chantilly  till  next  morning,  when  they  heard  the  Toxen,  or 
alarm  bell,  and  thence  concluded  that  detachments  were  fent  out  in  purfuit  of 


e,  o  copane  o  s  eng  n.-poe.  e  cwe  procure  a  cae 
and  ordered  the  back  of  it  to  be  lowered  for  his  convenience.  Thefe  a&s  of 
humanity  retarded  him  fo  much,  that  he  was  overtaken  by  a  detachment  of 
horfe  at  Hum,  within  three  hours  ride  of  a  place  cf  fatVry.  Finding  hi  mil-  If 
firrounjcd,  he  thought  proper  to  fuirender,  and  M.  de  Berringhen  treated  him 
with  great  generofity,  for  the  civilities  he  had  experienced  at  his  hands.  He  car 
ried  him  back  to  Verfculles,  and  lodged  hwn  in  his  own  apartments.  Madame 
dc  Ecrrmghenmade  him  a  confidcrable  prtfent  :  and  the  king  ordered  him  arvd 
liis  companions  to  be  difcharged,  on  acco.mt  of  the  courage  and  humanity  they 


482  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK   the  third  day  of  June  encamped  at  Terhank,  General  d'Au- 
.  ,    verquerque  fixing  his  quarters  in  the  fuburbs  of  Louvaine, 

'T*'  wn'le  the  French  advanced  no  farther  than  Genap  and 
Braine-la-Leuwe.  As  they  were  more  numerous  than  the 
confederates,  and  headed  by  a  prince  of  the  blood,  the  ge- 
nenils  of  the  allies  at  firft  expe6ted  that  they  would  hazard 
a  battle  ;  but  their  fcheme  was  to  retrieve  by  ftratagem  the 
places  they  had  loft  in  Flanders.  The  elector  of  Bavaria 
had  rendered  himfclf  extremely  popular  in  the  great  towns  : 
The  Count  de  Bergeyck,  who  had  confiderable  intereft  a- 
mong  them,  was  devoted  to  the  houfc  of  Bourbon  :  The  in 
habitants  of  the  great  cities  were  naturally  inconftant  and 
mutinous,  and  particularly  diflatisfied  with  the  Dutch  go 
vernment.  The  French  generals  re'folved  to  profit  by 
thefe  circumftances.  A  detachment  of  their  troops,  under 
the  Brigadiers  la  Faille  and  Pafteur,  furprifed  the  city  of 
Ghent,  in  which  there  was  no  garrifon :  At  the  fame 
time,  the  Count  de  la  Motte,  with  a  ftrong  body  of  forces 
appeared  before  Bruges,  which  was  furrendercd  to  him 
without  oppofition  :  Then  he  made  afruitlefs  attempt  up 
on  Damme,  and  marched  to  the  little  fort  of  Pla-fiendhaJ, 
which  he  took  by  aflault.  The  duke  of  Marlborough  was 
no  fooner  appriicd  of  the  enemy's  having  ient  a  ftrong  de 
tachment  towards  Tubize,  than  he  marched  from  Teibank, 
pafled  the  canal,  and  encamped  at  Anderlech.  The  French 
crofled  the  Senne  at  Halle  and  Tubize,  and  the  allies  re- 
folved  to  attack  them  next  morning  ;  but  the  enemy  pafTed 
the  Dender  in  the  night  with  great  expedition  ;  and  the 
duke  of  Marlborough  next  day  encamped  at  Afche,  where 
he  was  joined  by  Prince  Eugene,  who  had  marched  with  a 
confiderable  reinforcement  of  Germans  from  the  Mofelle. 
The  enemy,  underftanding  that  this  general  was  on  his 
march,  determined  to  reduce  Oudenarde,  the  only  pafs  on 
the  Schelde  pofTefTed  by  the  confederates  ;  and  invefted  in 
on  the  gth  day  of  July,  hoping  to  fubdue  it  before  the  allies 
could  be  reinforced.  The  duke  of  Marlborough  was  im 
mediately  in  motion,  and  made  a  furprifing  march  from 
Afche,  as  far  as  Herfelingen,  where  he  was  joined  by  the 
reinforcement.  Then  ht  took  poffcffion  of  the  ftrong  camp 
at  Lefllnes,  which  the  French  had  intended  to  occupy,  in 
order  to  cover  the  fiege  of  Oudenarde. 

Thus  difappointed,  the  French  generals  altered  their  re- 

IS.reTat   folution)  abandoned  Oudenarde,   and   began    to   pafs  the 

Cudtinarde.    Schelde  at  Gavre.     The  two  generals  of  the  confederates 

were  bent  tipon  bringing  them  to  an   engagement.     Cado- 

gan  was  fent  with  fixteen  battalions  and  eight  fquadrons  to 

repair  the  roads,  and  throw  bridges  over  the  Schelde   below 

Oudenarde.     The  army  was  in  motion  at  eight  o'clock, 


ANNE.  483 

and  marched  with  fuch  expedition,  that,  by  two  in  the  af-  c  H  A  l>- 
ternoon,  the  horfe  had  reached  the  bridges  over  which  Cado-  ' 

gan  and  his  detachment  were  paffing.  The  enemy  had  ^~Y^ 
ported  feven  battalions  in  the  village  of  Heynem,  fituated 
on  the  banks  of  the  Schelde,  and  the  French  houfehold-troops 
were  drawn  up  in  order  of  battle  on  the  adjacent  plain,  op- 
pofite  to  a  body  of  troops  under  Major-General  Rantzaw, 
who  were  pofted  behind  a  rivulet  that  ran  into  the  river. 
The  duke  de  Vendome  intended  to  attack  the  confederates 
when  one  half  of  their  army  fhouldhave  pafT.-d  the  Schelde; 
but  he  was  thwarted  by  the  duke  of  Burgundy,  who  feem- 
ed  to  be  perplexed  and  irrefolute.  This  prince  had  ordered 
the  troops  to  halt  in  their  march  to  Gavre,  as  if  he  had  not 
yet  formed  any  refolution ;  and  now  he  recalled  the  fquadrons 
from  the  plain,  determined  to  avoid  a  battle.  Vendome 
remonftrated  againft  this  conduct,  and  the  difpute  continued 
till  three  in  the  afternoon,  when  the  greater  part  of  the  alli 
ed  army  had  pafled  the  Schelde  without  oppofition.  Then 
the  duke  of  Burgundy  declared  for  an  engagement,  and 
Vrendome  fubmitted  to  his  opinion  with  great  reluctance,  as 
the  opportunity  was  now  lofr,  and  the  army  unformed.  Ma- 
jor-General  Grimaldi  was  ordered  to  attack  Rantzaw  with 
the  horfe  of  the  king's  houfehold,  who,  finding  the  rivulet 
marfhy,  r«fufcd  to  charge,  and  retired  to  the  right.  Mean 
while,  Cadogan  attacked  the  village  of  Heynem,  which  he 
took,  with  three  of  the  feven  battalions  by  which  it  was 
guarded.  Rantzaw,  palling  the  rivulet,  advanced  into  the 
plain,  and  drove  before  him  fcveral  fquadrons  of  the  enemy. 
In  this  attack  the  electoral  prince  of  Hanover,  his  late  ma- 
jefty,  George  II.  charged  at  the  he?d  of  Bulau's  dragoons 
with  great  intrepidity.  His  horfe  was  (hot  under  him  and 
Colonel  Lafchky  killed  by  his  fide.  Divers  French  regi 
ments  were  entirely  broken,  and  a  good  number  of  officers 
and  ftandards  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  Hanoverians.  The 
confederates  continued  ftill  paffing  the  river;  but  few  or 
none  of  the  infantry  were  come  up  till  five  in  the  afternoon, 
when  the  duke  of  Argyle  arrived  with  twenty  battalions, 
which  immediately  fuftained  a  vigorous  afiault  from  the 
enemy.  By  this  time  the  French  were  drawn  up  in  order 
of  battle;  and  the  allies  being  formed  as  they  pafTed  the 
river,  both  armies  were  engaged  through  the  whole  extent  of 
their  lines  about  feven  in  the  evening.  Europe  had  not 
for  many  years  produced  two  fuch  noble  armies ;  above  one 
hundred  jreneral  officers  appeared  in  the  field,  and  two  hun 
dred  and  fifty  colonels  fought  at  the  head  of  their  refpeftive 
regiments.  The  number  of  the  French  exceeded  that  of 
the  allies  by  twelve  thoufind  ;  but  their  generals  were  di 
vided  ;  their  forces  ill-difpofjd ;  and  the  men  difpirited  by 


484  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  the  uninterrupted  fuccefs  of  their  advei  furies.     They  feem- 
IL       ed  from  the  beginning  aveife  to  an    engagement,  and   acted 
^Y"^   in  hurry   and  trepidation.     Neverthelefs,   the  aclion   w:.s 
17°8'       maintained  until  General  d'Auvetquerque  and  Count  1  il 
ly,  who   cammanded  on  the  left  of  the   allies,  obliged  the 
right  of  the  enemy  to    give   ground;    and  the    prince    of 
Orange,  with  Count   Oxicnftern,  attacked    them  in   flank 
with  the  Dutch    infantry.     Then  they  began  to  give  way, 
and  retired   in  great    confufion.     The  duke   de    Vendomc 
alighting  from  his  horfe,  rallied  the  broken  battalions,  call 
ed  the  officers  by  name,  conjured  them  to  maintain  the  ho 
nour  of  their  country,  and  animated  the  men  with  his    voice 
and    example.      But,   notwithftandmg  all  his  endeavours, 
they  were  forced  back   among  the  inclofurcs    in  great  con- 
fulion.      Some  regiments  were  cut  in  pieces ;  others  defired 
to  capitulate ;  and,  if  the  darknefs  had  not  interpofed,  their 
whole  army  would  have    been  ruined.     The  night   coming 
on,  fo  that  it  became  impolTible  to  diftinguifh  friends   from 
enemies,  the  two  generals  ordered  the  troops  toceafe  firing, 
and  the  enemy  took   this    opportunity  of  efcaping,  by  the 
road  which  leads  from  Owdenarde  to  Ghent.     The  duke  de 
Vendome  feeing  the  French  forces  flying  in  theutmoft  ter 
ror  and  precipitation,  formed  a  rear-guard  of  about  five-and- 
twenty  Iquadrons,   and  as  many  battalions,  with  which    he 
iscured  the  retreat.     To  this    precaution  the  fafety  of  their 
army  was   entirely   owing;  for    at  day-break   the  duke  of 
Marlborough  fent  a  large  detachment  of  horfe  and  foot,  un 
der  the  Lieutenant-Generals  Bulau  and  Lumley,  to  purfue 
the  fugitives ;  but  the  hedges  and   ditches  thatfkirted    the 
road  were  lined  with  the  French  grenadiers  in  fuch  a  man 
ner,  that  the  cavalry  could  not  form,  and  they  were  obliged 
to  defifl.     The  French  reached  Ghent  about  eight   in  the 
morning,  and  marching   through    the    city,   encamped   at 
Lovendegen  on  the  canal.     There  they  thought  proper  to 
caft  up  entrenchments,  upon  which  they  planted  their  artil 
lery,  which  they  had  left  at  Gavre   with  their  heavy   bag 
gage.  About  three  thoufand  were  {lain  on  the  field  of  bat 
tle  :  Two  thoufand  deferted ;  and   about   feven   thoufand 
were  taken,  including  a  great  number  of  officers,   together 
with  ten  pieces  of  cannon,  above  an  hundred  ftandards   and 
colours,  and  four  thoufand  horfes.     The  lofs   of  the   allies 
did  not  amount  to  two  thoufand  men  ;  nor  was  one   officer 
of  diftin&icn  killed  on  their  fide  during  the  whole  engage 
ment*.     After  the  confederates  had  refted  two  days  on  the 
field  of  battle,  a  detachment  was  ordered  to  level  the  French 

*  Among  the  officers  who  were  engaged  in  this  battle,  old  General  D'  Au- 
vcrquerque,  and  the  duke  of  Argyle,  dutipguiiTied  thtmfclvcs  by  the  ircft  ex 
traordinary  valour  and  adivity. 


A     N     N     E.  485 

lines    between   Ypres   and    the  Lys  ;  another  was  fent  to  C  H  A  P. 
raife   contributions   as    far    as   Arras  :  They  ravaged  the 
country,  and   (truck    terror    even   into   the  city  of  Paris.   V-X~Y"^ 
While   the  allies  plundered  the  province  of  Picardy,  a  de-      I7C 
tachment   from    the  French  army,  under  the  Chevalier  de 
Rozen,  made   an   irruption    into  Dutch  Flanders -,  broke; 
through   the  lines   of   Bervliet,  which   had   been  left  un 
guarded,  and    made  a  ddcent  upon  the  ifland  of  Cadfandt, 
which  they  laid  under  contribution. 

The  generals  of  the  allies  now  undertook  an  enterprise, 
which,  in  the  opinion  cf  the  French  generals,  favoured  of 
raihnefs  and  inconfidcrate  frlf-fufEciency.      This  was  the 
fiege   of  Lifle,  the   ftrongeft  town  in  Flanders,  provided  Li(le  b;;- 
\vith   all    necefiaries,  ftore  of  ammunition,  and  a  garrifon    ( 
reinforced   with    one-and-twenty   battalions    of   the    beft 
troops    in  France,  commanded  by  Marefchal  de  Boufflers 
in    perfon.     But  thefe   were   not  the  principal  difficulties 
which  the  allies  encountered.     The  enemy  had  cut  oft  the 
communication   between   them    and    their   magazines    at 
Antwerp   and  Sas-Van-Ghent ;  fo  that  they  were  obliged 
to  bring  their  convoys  from  Oflend  along  a  narrow  caufe- 
way,  cxpofed    to    the    attack    of  an  army  more  numerous 
than  that  with  which  they  fat  down  before  Lifle.     On  the 
I3th  of  Aiigufl  it  was  inverted  on  one  fide  by  Prince  Eu 
gene,  and  on    the  other  by  the  Prince  of  Orange-Nafiau, 
ftadtholder   cf  Frieiland  ;  while  the  duke  of  Maryborough 
encamped   at    Helchin,  to  cover  the  fiege.     The  trenches 
v/erc    opened    on    the    22d  day  of  Auguft,  and  carried  on 
with  that  vigour  and  alacrity  which  is  always  infpired  by 
viflorv  and  fuccefs.  The  dukes  of  Burgundy  and  Vendome 
being  now  joined  bv  the  duke   of  Berwick,  refolved,  if 
poffible,  to  relieve  the  place  ;  arid  made  feveral  marches 
and  counter-marches  for  this  purpofe.  Marlborough  being 
apprifed  of  their  intention,  marched  cut  of  his  lines  to  give 
them    battle,   being    reinforced    by  a  confiderable  body  of 
troops  from  the  fiege,  including  Auguftus  king  of  Poland 
and    the    landgrave  of  He  fie,  as  volur.  jeers  ;  but  the  ene 
my  declined   an   engagement,  and   the   allies  returned  to 
their   camp,  which    they    fortified    v/ith  an  entrenchment. 
On    the    yth   day  of  September,  the  befiegers  took  by  af- 
fault   the   counterfcarp   ofLiile,  after  an  obftinate  action, 
in  which  they  loft  a  th  on  fond  men.     The  French  generals 
continued   to   hover   about   the  camp  of  the  confederate?, 
which   they  actually  cannonaded;  and  the  duke  of  Marl- 
borough  again    formed    his    army  in  order  of  battle  ;  but 
their   deugn    was  only  to  harrafs  the  allies  with  co:::;:u;:.l 
alarm?,  and    interrupt  the  operations  of  the  fiege.     They 
endeavoured    to   furprifc   the    tov/n  of  Aeth,  by  means  of 


HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

B  O  O  K  a   fecret   correfpondence   with   the   inhabitants ;  but  the 
,  confpiracy   was   difcovered  before  it  took  effect.     Then 

*"Y""*  they  cut  off  all  communication  between  the  befiegcrs  and 
the  Schelde,  the  banks  of  which  they  fortified  with  ftrong 
entrenchments,  and  a  prodigious  number  of  cannon ;  fo 
that  now  all  the  ftores  and  neceffaries  were  fent  to  the 
camp  of  the  confederates  from  Oftend.  On  the  2ift  day 
of  September,  Prince  Eugene,  who  was  in  the  trenches, 
feeing  the  troops  driven  by  the  enemy  from  a  lodgement 
they  had  made  on  the  counterfcarp  of  the  Tenaille,  rallied 
and  led  them  back  to  the  charge  ;  but  being  wounded  over 
the  left  eye  with  a  mufket  fhot,  he  was  obliged  to  retire,  and 
for  fome  days  the  duke  of  Marlborough  fuftainedthe  whole 
command  both  in  the  fiege,  and  of  the  covering  army.  On 
the  23d  the  Tenaille  was  ftormed,  and  a  lodgement  made 
along  the  covered  way.  Marefchal  Boufflers  having  found 
means  to  inform  the  duke  de  Vendome  that  his  ammuni 
tion  was  almoft  expended,  this  general  detached  the  Che 
valier  de  Luxemburg  with  a  body  of  horfe  and  dragoons, 
to  fupply  the  place  with  gunpowder,  every  man  carrying  a 
bag  of  forty  pounds  upon  the  crupper.  They  were  difco 
vered  in  paffing  through  the  camp  of  the  allies,  and  purfu- 
cu  to  the  barrier  of  the  town,  into  which  about  three  hun 
dred  were  admitted  ;  but  a  great  number  were  killed  by  the 
confederates,  or  miferably  deftroyed  by  the  explofion  of  the 
powder  which  they  carried. 

The  next  attempt  of  the  French  generals  was  to  inter 
cept  a  convoy  from  Oftend.  The  count  de  la  Motte 
marched  from  Ghent,  with  about  two-and-twenty  thoufand 
men,  to  attack  this  convoy,  which  was  guarded  by  fixthou- 
The  French  fand  of  the  allies,  commanded  by  Major-general  Webb, 
t  This  officer  made  fuch  an  admirable  difpofition  by  the 
wood  of  Wynendale,  and  received  the  enemy  with  fuch  a 
clofe  fire,  that,  after  a  very  warm  aflion,  that  lafted  two 
hours,  they  retired  in  the  utmoft  confufion,  notwithftand- 
ing  their  great  fuperiority  in  number,  leaving  fix  thoufand 
men  killed  upon  tlae  field  of  battle  ;  the  lofs  of  the  allies 
not  exceeding  nine  hundred  and  twelve,  officers  and  fol- 
diers.  This  was  the  moft  honourable  exploit  performed 
during  the  whole  war,  and  of  fuch  confequence  to  the  con 
federates,  that  if  the  convoy  had  been  taken,  the  fiege  muft 
have  been  raifed.  The  duke  de  Vendome  ordered  the 
dykes  between  Bruges  and  Newport  to  be  cut,  fo  as  to  lay 
the  whole  country  under  water,  in  hopes  of  deftroying  the 
communication  between  Oitend  and  the  camp  of  the  con 
federates  ;  and,  after  a  regular  fiege  he  took  Colonel  Caul- 
field  and  a  body  of  Britifh  troops  pofted  in  the  village  of 
Leffinghen,  by  whofe  means  the  convoys  had  been  forward- 


ANNE.  487 

ed  to  the  duke  of  Marlborough.  On  the  22d  of  Oclober,  CHAP. 
Marefchal  Boufflers  defired  to  capitulate  for  the  town  of  1V- 
Lifle  :  Next  day  the  articles  were  figned :  On  the  25th,  the 
allies  took  pofleffion  of  the  place,  and  the  marcfchal  retired 
into  the  citadel  with  the  remains  of  his  garrifon,  which, 
from  twelve  thoufand,  was  reduced  to  lefs  than  the  half  of 
that  number.  A  negociation  was  begun  for  the  furrender 
of  the  citadel ;  but  Bouffiers  made  fuch  extravagant  de 
mands  as  were  rejected  with  difdain.  Hoftilities  were  re 
newed  on  the  29th  day  of  the  month ;  and  the  carl  of  Stair 
was  detached  to  provide  corn  for  the  army  in  the  diftricls  of 
Furnes  and  Dixmuyde.  During  thefe  tranfadtions,  Velt- 
Marefchal  d'Auverquerque  died  at  Ruffelaer,  in  the  lixty- 
feventh  year  of  his  age,  after  having,  in  above  thirty  cam 
paigns,  exhibited  innumerable  proofs  of  uncommon  cou 
rage,  ability,  and  moderation.  The  duke  de  Vendome  did 
not  yet  defpair  of  obliging  the  confederates  to  abandon  their 
enterprife  :  The  French  minifters  at  Rome  and  Venice 
publicly  declared  the  allied  army  was  cooped  up  in  fuch  a 
manner,  that  it  muft  either  raife  the  fiege  ov  be  famimed. 
The  elector  of  Bavaria,  with  a  detachment  of  ten  thoufand 
men,  marched  to  Bruflels,  and  attacked  the  counterfcarp 
with  incredible  fury  ;  but  was  repulfed  by  the  garrifon,  un 
der  the  command  of  General  Pafchal,  and  retired  with  pre 
cipitation,  when  he  underftood  that  the  duke  of  Marlbo 
rough  was  in  motion  to  relieve  the  place.  This  nobleman 
and  Prince  Eugene  no  fooner  underftood  the  danger  to 
which  Bruflels  was  expofed,  than  they  marched  with  the 
covering-army  to  the  Schelde,  which  they  patted  on  pon 
toons  without  oppofition,  notwithstanding  the  formidable 
works  which  the  French  had  raifed.  They  now  abandon 
ed  them  with  precipitation,  to  the  furprife  of  the  confede 
rates,  who  had  laid  their  account  with  the  lofs  of  a  thou 
fand  men  in  the  attack.  Having  paffed  the  river  between 
EfkenafFe  and  Hauterive,  as  well  as  at  other  places,  they 
marched  to  Oudenarde,  where  they  received  intelligence 
that  the  elector  had  retreated.  '  Then  Prince  Eugene 
returned  to  Lifle,  and  the  duke  of  Marlborough  proceeded 
to  BrufTels,  where  he  was  received  with  joy  and  acclama 
tion.  He  afterwards  took  poft  at  Oudenards,  fo  as  to 
maintain  a  communication  with  Prince  Eugene. 

The  beftegers  having  made  lodgements,  and  raifed  bat 
teries  on  the  fecond  counterfcarp  of  the  citadel,  fent  a  mef- 
uge  to  Boufflers,  intimating,  that  if  he  would  furrender  be 
fore  the  opening  of  the  batteries,  he  ftiould  have  an  honour 
able  capitulation;  otherwise  he  and  his  garrifon  muft  be 
made  prifoners  of  war.  He  chofe  to  avofd  the  laft  part  of  L-fie  fur- 
the  alternative  ;  Hoftages  were  exchanged  on  the  8th  day  rerders* 


4-oS  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

B  O^o  K  of  December,  and  the  articles  figned  on  the  10th;  \vhen  the 
Il-  marefchal  and  his  garrifon  marched  out  with  the  honours 
**"Y7*  of  war,  and  were  conducted  to  Douay.  In  this  great  en- 
Oi'  terprife,  fpirit  and  perfjverance  made  amends  f  >r  want  of 
forefight  and  (kill,  which  was  flagrant  on  the  fide  of  the 
confederates;  yei"  their  fuccefs  was  owing  in  a  great  mea- 
fure  to  the  improvidence  and  mifconducl:  of  the  befieged. 
The  French  generals  never  dreamed  that  the  allies 
would  attempt  anything  of  confequence  after  the  reduction 
of  Lifle,  confidering  the  advanced  fcafon  of  the  year,  and 
therefore  they  returned  to  Paris,  after  having  diftributed 
their  army  into  winter-quarters.  Bat  their  indefatigable 
antagonrfts  were  determined  to  ftrike  another  ftroke  of  im 
portance  before  their  forces  fhould  feparate.  On  the  20th 
day  of  December,  they  invefted  the  city  of  Ghent  on  all 
fides ;  and  on  the  3Oth,  when  the  batteries  were  ready  to 
open,  the  count  de  la  Motte,  who  commanded  the  garrifon, 
defired  to  capitulate.  On  the  3d  clay  of  the  next  month, 
he  marched  out  with  thirty  battalions  and  fixteen  fqua- 
drons,  which  were  conducted  to  Tournay;  while  the  duke 
ofArgyle,  with  fix  Britifh  battalion?,  took  polFeilion  of 
the  town  and  citadel.  Then  the  enemy  abandoned  Bruges, 
Plaffendahl,  and  Leffengen ;  and  the  generals  of  the  allies 
having  fettled  the  plan  of  winter-quarters,  repaired  to  Hol 
land,  leaving  the  farces  under  the  command  of  Count  Til 
ly.  The  French  king  was  confounded  and  difmayed  at 
thefe  conquefts  in  the  Netherlands.  Nor  was  he  eafy  on 
the  fide  of  Dauphine  :  In  fpite  of  all  the  vigilance  and  acli- 
vity  of  Villers,  the  duke  of  Savoy  made  himfelf  mafler  of 
the  important  fortreflesof  Exilles,  La  Peroufe,  the  valley  of 
St.  Martin,  and  Feneflralles ;  fo  that,  by  the  end  of  the 
campaign,  he  had  fecured  a  barrier  to  his  own  frontiers, 
and  opened  a  way  into  the  French  provinces,  after  having 
made  a  diverfion  in  favour  of  king  Charles,  by  obliging  the 
enemy  to  fend  a  ftrong  detachment  from  RouflUlon  to  the 
ailiflance  of  Villars. 

The  campaign  in  Catalonia  v/as  productive  of  a  great 
event.  Count  Guido  de  Staremberg  arrived  at  Barcelona 
on  the  laft  day  of  April  :  But  the  Imperial  troops  brought 
from  Italy  by  Admiral  Leake  did  not  land  in  time  to  re 
lieve  Tortofa,  which  the  duke  of  Orleans  befieged  and 
took,  together  with  Denia,  the  garrifon  of  which  were 
made  prifoners  of  war,  contrary  to  the  articles  of  capitu 
lation.  Thefe  lofies,  however,  were  abundantly  made 
up  to  the  allies  by  the  conqueft  of  Sardinia,  and  Minorca. 
Sir  John  Leake,  having  taken  on  board  a  handful  of 
troops,  under  the  conduct  of  the  marquis  d'Alconzcl,  lot 
fail  for  Cagliari,  and  fummcned  the  viceroy  to  fubmit  to 


ANNE.  489 

King  Charles.  As  he  did  not  fend  an  immediate  anfwer,  C  H  A  P. 
the  admiral  began  to  bombard  the  city,  and  the  inhabi 
tants  compelled  him  to  furrerider  at  difcretion.  The  ^*V^N^ 
greater  part  of  the  garrifon  enlifted  themfelves  in  the  ler-  1?'-'8- 
vice  of  Charles.  The  deputies  of  the  dates  being  affembled 
by  the  marquis  d'Alconzel,  acknowledged  that  prince  as 
their  fovereign,  agreed  to  furni/h  his  army  with  thirty 
thoufand  facks  of  corn,  which  were  accordingly  tranfported 
to  Catalonia,  where  their  was  a  great  fcarcity  of  proviuon. 
Majoi  -general  Stanhope  having  planned  the  conqueft  of  Mi 
norca,  and  concerted  with  the  admiral  the  meafures  neccffc- 
ry  to  put  it  in  execution,  obtained  from  Count  Staremberg 
a  few  battalions  of  Spaniards,  Italians,  and  Portuguefe  :  At 
the  head  of  thefe  he  embarked  at  Barcelona  with  a  fine 
train  of  the  Britifli  artillery,  accompanied  by  Brigadier 
Wade  and  Colonel  Petit,  an  engineer  of  great  reputation. 
They  landed  on  the  ifland,  about  tvvo  miles  from  St.  Phi 
lip's  fort,  on  the  26th  of  Auguf-,  with  about  eight  hundred 
marines,  which  augmented  their  number  to  about  three 
thoufand.  Next  day  they  erected  batteries  ;  and  General  Ml-norca 
Stanhope  ordered  a  number  of  arrows  to  be  Ihot  into  the  reduced  hy 
place,  to  which  papers  were  affixed,  written  in  the  Spaniih 
and  French  languages,  containing  threats,  th'it  all  the  gar- 
rifon  fhould  be  Tent  to  the  mines,  if  they  would  not  furren- 
der  before  the  batteries  were  finiihed.  The  garrifon  con 
fided  of  a  thoufand  Spaniards  and  fix  hundred  French  ma 
rines,  commanded  by  Colonel  la  Jonquiere,  who  imagined 
that  the  number  of  the  befiegers  amounted  to  at  leaft  ten 
thoufand ;  fo  artfully  had  they  been  drawn  up  in  light  of  the 
enemy.  The  batteries  began  to  play,  and  in  a  little  time 
demoiiihed  four  towers  that  ferved  as  outworks  to  the  fort: 
Then  they  made  a  breach  in  the  outward  wall,  through 
which  Brigadier  Wade,  at  the  head  of  the  grenadiers, 
ftormed  a  redoubt,  with  fuch  extraordinary  valour  as  ftruck 
the  befieged  with  confternation.  On  the  fecond  or  third 
day  they  thought  proper  to  beat  a  parley,  and  capitulate,  on 
condition,  That  they  fhould  march  out  with  the  honours  of 
war  :  That  the  Spaniards  fhould  he  tranfported  to  Alurcia, 
and  the  French  to  Toulon.  Thefe  laft,  however,  were  de 
tained,  byway  of  a  reptifal  for  the  garrifon  ofDenia.  The 
Spaniih  governor  was  fo  mortified  when  he  learned  the 
real  number  of  the  befiegers,  that  on  his  arrival  at  Murcia 
he  threw  himfelf  out  of  the  window  in  difpair,  and  was 
killed  upon  the  fpot.  La  Jonquiere  was  confined  for  life, 
and  all  the  French  officers  incurred  their  mailers  difplea- 
fure.  Fort  St.  Philip  being  thus  reduced,  to  the  amaze 
ment  of  all  Europe,  and  the  garrifon  of  Port  Fornelles  hav 
ing  furrendered  themfelves  prifoners  to  the  Admirals 
VOL.  I.  3  Q_ 


490  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND 

BOOK  Leake  and  Whi taker,  the  inhabitants  gladly  fubrnitted  to 
1J-  the  Enojifh  government,  for  King  Philip  had  opprefled 

\*~Y**"*  and  deprived  them  of  their  privileges  ;  General  Stanhope 
1708.  appointed  Colonel  Petit  governor  of  Fort  St.  Philip,  and 
deputy-governor  of  the  whole  iiland.  After  this  important 
Conqueft  he  returned  to  the  army  in  Spain,  where  an  un- 
ficcefsful  attempt  to  furprize  Toitofa  finifhed  the  opera 
tions  of  the  campaign. 

Quarrel  be-  The  Britifh  fleet  not  only  contributed  to  the  reduction 
of  Minorca,  but  likewife  over-awed  the  pope,  who  had 

pope  and  »  r      i  •  •        T     i 

t-nperorof   endeavoured   to   form    a  league   or   the   princes   in   Italy 
Germany,     againft  the  emperor.     This  pontiff  had  manifefted  his  par 
tiality  to  the  houfe  of  Bourbon  in  fuch  a  palpable  manner, 
that  his  Imperial  majefty   ordered   Monfieur  de   Bonneval 
to  march  with  the  troops  that  were  in  Italy,  re-inforced  by 
thofe  belonging   to  the   duke  of  Modena,  and   invade  the 
duchy  of   Ferrara.       He   accordingly    took    pofTeflion   of 
Cornachio  and   fome  other  places,   pretending    they   were 
allodial    eftates     belonging    to    the     duke   of    Modena, 
and    fiefs    of   the   emperor,   to   which    the   holy   fee   had 
no  lawful  claim.     The  viceroy  of  Naples   was    forbid    to 
remit    any   money    to    Rome  ;    and    the   council   of  the 
kingdom  drew  up  a   long   memorial,  containing  the  pre- 
tennons  of  his  Catholic  majefty,  which  ftiuck  at  the  very 
foundation  of  the  pope's  temporal   power.     His   holinefs 
wrote  a  long  remonftrancc  to  the  emperor,  on  the  injuflice 
of  thofe  proceedings,  and  declared  that  he  would  aflert  this 
caufe  though   he  ihould  lofe  his  life  in    the   conteft.     He 
forthwith  began   to  raife  an  army,  and  revived  a  plan   of 
forming  a  league  among  the   princes   and  ftates    of   Italy 
for  their  mutual  defence.     Sir  John  Leake   had    received 
orders  to  bombard  Civita-Vecchia,  in  refentment  for  the 
pope's   having   countenanced    the    pretender's  expedition 
to  Great  Britain,  but  as  the  emperor  and  duke  of  Savoy 
hoped    to   effect   an     accommodation   with  the    court  of 
Rome,  they  prevailed    upon  the  Englifh  admiral   to   fuf- 
pend  hoft  ill  ties  until  they  fhould   have  tried   the  method 
of  r.egociation.     The   marquis    de    Prie,   a    Piedmontefe 
nobleman,  was  fent  as  ambaiTador  to  Rome  ;  but  the  pope 
Avould  not  receive  him  in  that  quality.     Elated  with  the 
promifes  of  France,   he  fet  the   emperor  at  defiance  ;  and 
his  troops  having  furprifed  a  body  of  Itnperialifts,  were   fo 
barbarous  as  to  cut  them   all  in    pieces.       The   duke    of 
Savoy  having  ended   the  campaign,  the  troops  of  the   em- 
p  ror,  which  h.id  ferved  under  that   prince,   were  ordered 
to  march  into  the  papal  territories,  and  drove  the  forces  of 
his  holinefs  before  them,  without  any  regard  to  number. 
Bologna  capitulated  j  and  Rome  began  to  tremble  with 


ANNE.  491 

the  apprehenfion  of  being  once  more  fackecl  by  a  German  C  H  A  F- 
army.  Then  the  pope's  courage  failed ;  he  was  glad  to  ( 
admit  the  marquis  de  Prie-as  envoy  from  the  emperor.  ^V° 
He  confented  to  difband  his  new  levies  ;  to  accommodate 
the  Imperial  troops  with  winter-quarters  in  the  papal  ter 
ritories  ;  to  grant  the  inveftiture  of  Naples  to  King 
Charles  ;  and  to  allow  at  all  times  a  paflage  to  the  Impe 
rial  troops  through  his  dominions.  On  the  upper  Rhine 
the  electors  of  Bavaria  and  Hanover  were  fo  weak,  that 
they  could  not  undertake  any  thing  of  confequence  againft 
each  other.  In  Hungary  the  clifpur.es  ftill  continued  be 
tween  the  ^rnperer  and  the  malcontents.  Poland  was  at 
length  delivered  from  the  oppreflion  exercifed  by  the  king 
of  Sweden,  who  marched  into  the  Ukraine  againft  the  rzar 
ofMufcovy,  notwithftanding  the  fubmiffions  with  which 
that  monarch  endeavoured  to  appeafe  his  indignation. 
During  the  courfe  of  this  year  the  Englifli  merchants  fuf- 
tained  no  confiderable  lofles  by  fea:  The  cruizers  wereju- 
diciouOy  ftationed,  and  the  trade  was  regularly  fupplied 
v/ith  convoys.  In  the  Weil  Indies  Commodore  Wager 
deftroyed  the  admiral  of  the  galleons,  and  took  the  rear- 
admiral  on  the  coaft  of  Carthagena.  Had  the  officers  of 
his  fqu?.dron  done  their  duty,  the  greateft  part  of  the  fleet 
would  have  fallen  into  his  hands.  At  his  return  to  Ja 
maica,  two  of  his  captains  were  tried  by  a  court-martial, 
and  difmifled  from  the  fervice. 

The  court  of  England  was  about  this  time  not  a  little  Mufrovite 
difquieted,  by  the  confequences  of  an  outrage  committed  *mblj^ador 
on  the  perfon  of  the  Count  de  Mztueof,  the  Mufcovite  Condon  "~ 
ambaffador.  He  was  publicly  arrefted  at  the  fuit  of  a 
laceman,  and  maltreated  by  the  bailiffs,  who  dragged  him 
to  prifon,  where  he  continued  until  he  was  bailed  by  the 
earl  of  Feverfham.  Incenfed  at  this  infult,  he  demanded 
redrefs  of  the  government,  and  was  feccnded  in  his  re- 
monftrances  by  the  minifters  of  the  emperor,  the  king  of 
Pruflia,  and  feveral  other  foreign  potentates.  The  queen 
exprefled  uncommon  indignation  againft  the  authors  of  this 
violence,  who  were  immediately  apprehended,  and  orders 
were  given  to  profecute  them  with  the  ut  noft  fjverity  of 
the  law.  Matueof  repeated  his  complaints  with  great 
acrimony;  and  Mr.  Secretary  Boyle  affurerl  him,  in  the 
queen's  name,  that  he  fhould  have  air.ple  fntisfaction. 
JNotu'ithftanding  this  afTurance,  he  demanded  a  pafs  for 
himfelf  and  fitinily  ;  refufed  the  ordinary  prefents  'at  his 
departure;  and  retired  to  Holland.  P'rom  thence  he  tranf- 
mitied  a  memorial,  \vi,h  a  letter  from  the  czar  to  the  queen, 
infifting  upon  her  punifning  with  death  1 11  the  pe;  f^ns 
concerned  in  violating  the  law  of  nations  upon  th^  perfon 


492  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

B  O  O  K.  of  his  ambaffador.     Such  punifhment  being  altogether  in- 

JI-       confident  with  the  laws  of   England,  the   queen   and  her 

^"Y*^  minifcry  were  extremely  perplexed,  and  held  feveral  coun- 

1"c8-      cils,  to  deliberate  upon  the  meafures   proper  to  be  taken 

on  fuch  an  occafion. 

Death  of  Qn  t]-,e  twenty-eighth  day  of  Oclober,  Prince  George 
George  of  of  Denmark  died  of  an  afthma  and  dropfy,  with  which 
Denmark,  he  had  been  long  afllidled.  He  was  a  prince  of  an  amiable 
rather  than  a  {hining  charter,  brave,  good-natured,  mo- 
deft,  and  humane,  but  devoid  of  (jre.it  talents  and  ambition. 
He  had  always  lived  in  lnrr,'>ny  with  the  queen,  who,  dur 
ing  the  whole  term  of  -their  union,  and  especially  in  his 
Lift  illnefs,  approved  hcrfelf  a  pattern  of  conjugal  truth 
and  tendernefs.  At  his  death  the  earl  of  Pembroke  was 
created  lord  high-admiral,  the  earl  of  Wharton  promoted 
to  the  government  of  Ireland,  and  Lord  Somers  ap 
pointed  prefidont  of  the  council.  Notwithstanding  thefe 
promotions  of  the  Whig  noblemen,  the  duke  of  Marlbo- 
rough  declined  apace  in  his  credit  with  the  queen,  who 
privately  confulted  and  repofed  her  chief  confidence  in 
Mr.  Harley,  though  he  had  no  vifible  concern  in  the 
adminiftratioh. 

Padiamen-  The  new  parliament,  in  which  the  Whig  intercft  flill 
tarytianf-  preponderated,  was  aflemblcd  on  the  i6th  day  of  Novem 
ber,  when  they  were  given  to  underftand,  by  a  commif- 
fion  under  the  great  feal,  that  the  archbifhop  of  Canter 
bury,  the  chancellor,  the  lord-treafurer,  the  lord-fteward, 
and  the  mafter  of  the  hoi  fc,  were  appointed  to  rcprefent 
the  perfon  of  her  majt'fty,  whom  decency  would  not  per 
mit  to  appear  in  the  houfe  fo  foon  after  the  death  01  her 
confort.  Sir  Richard  Onflow  being  chofen  fpeakcr  of  the 
lower  houfc  with  the  queen's  approbation,  the  chancellor, 
in  a  fpeech  to  both  houfes,  recommended  the  vigorous 
profecution  of  rhe  war,  telling  them  her  majtfty  hoped 
they  wouIJ,  enable  her  to  make  a  confidenible  augmenta 
tion  for  preferving  and  improving  the  advantages  which 
the  allies  had  gained  in  the  Netherlands:  That  {he  deiir- 
cd  they  would  prepare  fuch  bills  as  might  confirm  and 
render  the  union  efFe&ual ;  and  that  if  they  would  propofe 
means  for  the  advancement  of  trade  and  manufacture,  (he 
would  take  pleafurc  in  enacting  fuch  proviiions.  Both 
houfes  having  prcfented  addrefles  of  condolance  and  con 
gratulation,  on  the  death  of  Prince  George,  and  the  fuc- 
cefs  of  her  rnajefty's  arms  during  the  laft  cair.paign,  the 
commons  took  cognizance  of  controverted  elcclions, 
which  were  decided  with  fhameful  partiality  for  the  Vv  hig 
fy6lion.  Then  they  proceeded  to  conhder  the  difterent 
branches  of  the  fupply  :  They  approved  of  an  augmenta- 


ANNE.  493 

tion  often  thoufand  men,  which  was  judged  necefTary  for  CHAP. 
the  more  vigorous  profecution  of  the  war;  and  they  voted 
above  feven  millions  for  the  fervice  of  the  enfuing  year. 
The  bank  agreed  to  circulate  two  millions  five  hundred 
thoufand  pounds  in  exchequer  bills  for  the  government, 
on  condition  that  the  term  of  their  continuance  fhould  be 
prolonged  for  one-and-twenty  years  ;  and  that  their  ftock 
of  two  millions  two  hundred  and  one  thoufand  one  hun 
dred  and  feventy-one  pounds,  fhould  be  doubled  by  a  new 
fubfcription.  The  two-thirds  fublidy  was  appropriated 
for  the  intereft  of  the  money  raifcd  by  this  expedient. 

Great  debates  having  avifen  about  Scottifh  elections, 
the  houfe  considered  the  petitions  and  representations  that 
were  delivered,  touching  the  incapacity  of  the  eldeft  fons 
of  Scottish  peers,  excluded  from  fitting  in  the  parliament 
of  Great  Britain.  Counfel  being  heard  upon  the  fubjecl, 
that  incapacity  was  confirmed  ;  and  new  writs  were  iflu- 
ed,  that  new  members  might  be  elected  for  the  fhires  of 
Aberdeen  and  Linlithgqw,  in  the  room  of  William  Lord 
Haddo,  and  James  Lord  Johnftown.  Petitions  were  like- 
wife  prcfented  to  the  houfe  of  Lords  by  fome  Scottifli 
peer?,  concerning  their  right  of  voting,  and  finning 
proxies.  After  warm  debates,  the  houfe,  upon  a  divifion, 
determined  that  a  Scottifh  lord  created  a  peer  of  Great 
Britain  faould  no  longer  retain  his  vote  in  Scotland  ;  and 
that  the  noblemen  who  were  in  the  caftle  of  Edinburgh 
had  a  right  to  iign  proxies,  after  having  taken  the  oaths 
to  the  government.  The  Scottifli  peers  and  commoners 
that  fat  in  the  Britifh  parliament  were  divided  into  two 
factions.  The  duke  of  Queenfberry  was  in  great  credit 
with  the  queen  and  the  lord-treafurer,  by  whofe  intereft 
he  was  appointed  fecretary  of  ftate  for  Scotland.  His  in 
fluence  in  elections  was  fo  great,  that  all  offices  in  that 
kingdom  were  beftowed  according  to  his  recommendation. 
He  w^s  oppofed  by  the  dukes  of  Hamilton,  Montrofe, 
and  Roxburgh,  who  were  fupported  by  the  earl  of  Sun- 
derland  and  lord  Somers ;  fo  that  the  whole  intereft  in 
that  country  was  engrafted  by  one  or  other  member  of  the 
miniftry.  A  bill  for  a  general  naturalization  of  all  Pro- 
teftants  was  brought  into  the  houfe,  and  notwithftanding 
violent  oppofition  from  the  Tories,  both  among  the  lords 
and  commons,  was  enacted  into  a  law.  The  Whigs  ar 
gued  for  this  bill,  as  a  meafure  that  would  encourage  in- 
duftry,  improve  trade  and  manufacture,  and  repair  the 
watte  of  men  which  the  war  had  occasioned  :  But  one  of 
their  chief  motives  was  to  throw  an  addition  of  foreigners 
into  the  balance  againft  the  landed  intereft.  The  Tories 
pleaded,  that  a  conflux  of  aliens  rright  prove  dangerous 


494  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

B  o  o  K  to  the  conflitution  :  That  they  would  retain  a  fondnefs  for 
th'-ir    native   countries,  and,  in  times  of  war,  a6t  as  fpies 

^<^V>~'  and  enemies :  That  they  v/ould  infmuate  themfelves  into 
J7°8*  places  of  truft  and  profit ;  become  members  of  parliament; 
and,  by  frequent  intermarriages,  contribute  to  the  extinc 
tion  of  the  Englifh  racv:  That  they  would  add  to  the 
number  cf  the  poor,  already  fo  ex  pen five ;  and  (hare  the 
bread  of  the  labourers  and  tradefrhen  of  England. 

An  enquiry  b:  :"!gvfet  on  foot  in  both  houfes,  concerning 
the  late  intended  invasion  of  Scotland,  Lord  Haverfham, 
and  the  other  Tory  members,  endeavoured  to  demonftrate, 
that  proper  precautions  had  not  been  taken  for  th_-  fecurity 
of  that  kingdom,  even  after  the  miniftry  had  received  un 
doubted  intelligence  of  the  pretenders  defign  :  That,  flnce 
the  attempt  had  mifcan  ied,  many  perfons  of  quality  had 
been  apprehended,  and  fevercly  uf.'d  by  the  govcrnm-.-nt, 
on  pretended  fufpicion  of  high  treafon  ;  though,  in  all  pro 
bability,  the  aim  of  the  mmiftry,  in  confining  thofe  per 
fons,  \\\ :.s  to  remove  all  poflibility  of  their  oppofing  the 
court  at  the  enfuing  tlpiflions  for  members  of  parliament. 
Thefe  afiertions  were  Supported  by  many  inconteftcd  fails 
and  fhrewd  arguments,  notwithstanding  which,  the  ma 
jority  were  fo  little  difpofed  to  find  fault,  that  the  enquiry 
ifiued  in  a  joint  addrcfs  to  the  queen,  containing  rtfolutions, 
That  timely  and  effectual  care  had  been  taken  to  difap- 
point  the  defigns  of  her  n^.::jefty's  ener-.ies,  both  at  home 
and  abroad.  A  bill,  however,  was  brought  into  the  houfe 
cf  lords,  under  the  title  of  "An  acl:  for  improving  the 
"  Union  of  the  two  kingdoms."  It  related  to  trials  for 
treafun  in  Scotland,  which,  by  this  law,  were  reguhted  ac 
cording  to  the  manner  of  proceeding  in  England,  with 
fome  frnall  variation.  The  Scottifh  members  opp(.fj  i  it 
as  an  incroachincnt  upon  the  form  of  their  laws  ;  and  they 
were  joined  by  thofo  \vho  had  laid  it  down  as  a  maxim  to 
oppole  all  the  court-meafures :  Neverthelefs,  the  bill  pa  (led 
through  both  houfes,  and  received  the  royal  afT'iit.  Yet, 
in  order  to  fweeten  this  unpalatable  medicine,  the  qu  ,.n 
contented  to  an  a£t  of  grace,  by  which  ail  trcafons  were 
pardoned,  except  thofo  committed  on  the  high  f  as  ;  an 
exception  levelled  at  thofe  who  had  embarked  with  the 
pretender.  Major-general  Webb,  who  had  been  defraud 
ed  of  his  due  honour,  in  a  partial  reprefentadon  of  the  bat 
tle  of  Wynendaic,  tranfmitted  by  Caidonnel,  fecretary  to 
the  duke  of  iVlarlborough,  was  now  thanked  by  the  houfe 
of  commons  for  the  great  and  eminent  fervices  which  he 
had  performed  in  that  engagement.  This  motion  was 
made  by  the  Tories  ;  and  the  Whigs  did  not  fail  to  pro 
cure  a  compliment  of  the  iVane  njture  to  the  duke  of 


ANNE.  495 

Marlborough,  even  before  he  returned  to  England.     When  C  H  A  l1- 
the  news  of  Ghent's    being  taken  arrived,   the  lords  and         Iv- 
commons  congratulated  the   queen  on   this  L'i  effort  of  a   ^""Y^ 
glorious   campaign  ;    and  the   duke,   at   his    arrival,  was  %,*l^°' 
thanked,  in  the  name  of  the  peers,  by   the  lord   chancellor.  Daniel. 
As  he   was    fuppofed    to  have  brought- over   propofJs   ofHift.ofthe 
peace,  the   two  houfes,   in   an  addrefs,  defired  the    queen  ^rou^h**' 
would  infifl  on  the  demolition  of  Dunkirk,  which   was   a  MH.  Hjft. 
neft  of  pirates  that  infefted  the  ocean,  and   did  infinite  pre-  Conduct  of 
judice  to  the  commerce  of  England.     The  queen  promifed  tre»?J^efs 

...  .  n  r»  n  i-     i      °*  MuTUMm 

to  comply  with    their  rcquelr.     But  me   was  not  a    little  rough, 
furprifcd  at  the   next  addrefs  they  prefrnted,  humbly  in-  f  euquieres 
treating:,    that  fhe   would  have    fuch    indulgence    to  the  ^i"icy- 

1.  j     r  r  i  r    i   •      r,  •  i  r  LlVCS  fifth* 

hearty  deiires  of  her  lubjects,  as  to  entertain   thoughts   ot  Admirals. 
a  fecond  marriage.     She  told  them,  that  the   provifion  ftie  Hare, 
had  made  for  the  Proteftant  fucceffion  would  always  be   a  Voltaire- 
proof  how   much  fhe  had  at  heart  the   future  happinefs   of 
the  kingdom  ;  but  the  fubjeft  of  this  addrefs  was  of  fuch  a 
nature,  that  {he  was  perfuaded  they  did  not  expedl  a  parti 
cular  anfwer. 

The  laws  having  been  found  inefficient  to  punifti  ca-  Bill  forpre- 
pitaiiy  the  authors  of  the  infult  offered  to  the  Mufcovite  ferving  the 
ambaffador,  a  bill  was  brought  into  the  houfe  of  commons  '^^  °f 
for  prefervins;  the  privileges  of  ambaffadors  and  other  fo-  dors, 
reign  miniflers ;  and  puffed  through  both  houfes  ;  as  did 
another,  to  prevent  the  laying  of  wagers  relating  to  the 
public,  a  practice  which  had  been  carried  to  a  degree  of 
infatuation,  and  by  which  many  unwary  perfons  fell  a 
facrifice  to  crafty  adventurers.  On  the  14-th  day  of  March, 
the  commons  voted  the  fum  of  one  hundred  and  three 
thouiand  two  hundred  and  three  pounds,  for  the  relief  of 
the  inhabitants  of  Nevis  and  St.  Chriftopher's,  who  had 
differed  by  the  late  invafion ;  and,  on  the  2ift  day  of 
April,  the  parliament  was  prorogued.  The  Mufcovite 
rtmbaffador  continued  to  write  expoftulatory  letters  to 
Mr.  Secretary  Boyle,  who  at  laft  owned,  that  the  laws  of 
the  kingdom  did  not  admit  of  fuch  punifhment  as  he  de 
manded.  An  information  was  tried  in  the  court  of  queen's 
bench  for  her  majefty  againft  Thomas  Morcon,  laceman, 
and  thirteen  other  perfons  concerned  in  the  infuh,  of 
which  they  were  found  guilty  ;  and  the  fpecial  matter 
of  the  privileges  of  ambaffadors  was  to  be  argued  next 
term  before  the  judges.  Meanwhile,  the  queen,  by  way 
of  fatisfia&ion  to  the  czar,  condefcended  to  make  folemn 
excufcs  by  her  ambaffador  ;  to  repair  MatueoPs  honour 
by  a  letter,  and  indemnify  him  for  all  his  cofts  and  dama 
ges  :  Conceflions  with  which  the  czar  and  his  ambaffador 


496  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND 

BOOK  declared  themfelves  well  fatisfied.  The  convocation  had 
been  fummoned,  chofen,  and  returned  with  the  new  par- 
liament;  but  as  the  old  fpirit  was  fuppofed  to  prevail 
in  the  lower  houfe,  the  queen,  by  writ  to  the  archbifhop, 
ordered  him  to  prorogue  it  from  time  to  time,  until  the  fcf- 
fion  of  Parliament  was  finifhcd. 


[    497     J 


CHAP.        V. 


Ineffectual  negotiations  for  peace-—— -French  defeated  at 
Malplaquct Farther  fuccejjes  of  the  allies Ac 
count  of  Dr.  Sacheverel Transactions  in  Spain 

•  ••  Change   of  minljlry- Violent     apportion  to  the 

duke    of  Marlborough His     lajl     campaign Is 

difmijjed  from  all   his    employments Prince  Eugene 

arrives    in    England ^-Conference   opened  at  Utrecht 

• 'Britijh    troops    withdrawn   from    the    allies 

Peace  figned Princeipal  articles  of  the  treaty. 

THE   French  king  was   by  this  time  reduced  to  fuch  CHAP, 
a  ftate  of  humiliation  by  the  lofles  of  the  laft  cam-   ,T_, 
paign  and  a  fevere  winter,  which   completed  the   mifery  of  ^**y~*~' 
his  fubjec"ts,  that   he  refolvcd  to  facrifice  all  the  confidera-      I?0^ 
tions  of  pride  and  and  ambition,  as  well  as  the   intereft  of 
his  grandfon,  to  his    defire  of  peace,   which  was  now  be 
come  fo  neceflary  and    indifpenfible.     He   difpatched   the  Louls  fues 
prefident  Rouille  privately  to  Holland,   with  general  pro-  again  for 
pofals  of  peace,  and  the  offer  of  a  good  barrier  to  the  ftates-  psace. 
general,  ftill  entertaining    hopes  of  being   able  to  detach 
them  from  the  confederacy.     This    minifter   conferred   in 
fecret  with    Buys  and  Vanderduflen,    the   penfionawes   of 
Amfterdam  and  Gouda,   at   Moerdyke,  from  whence  he, 
\vas  permitted  to   proceed  to  Woerden,   between   Leyden 
and  Utrecht.     The  rrates   immediately  communicated   his 
propofals  to  the   courts   of    Vienna   and    Great   Britain, 
Prince  Eugene  and  the  duke  of  Marl  borough   arrived   at 
the  Hague  in  April,   and  conferred  with    the   grand  pen- 
fionary  Heinfius,   Buys,  and  Vanderduflen,  on  the   fubjeil 
of  the  French  propofals,  which  were  deemed  unfatisfacflory. 
P-ouille  immediately  difpatched  a  courier  to  Paris,  for  fur 
ther  inftruclions  ;  and  the  duke  of  Marlborough  returned 
to  England,  to  make  the  queen  acquainted  with  the  pro- 
VOL.  I.  3  R 


498  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK,   grefs  of  the  negociation.     Louis,  in  order  to  convince  the 
H-        ftates  of  his  fincerity,  fent  the  marquis   de  Torcy,  his  fe- 

(**~Y**~>  cretary  for  foreign  affairs,  to  the  Hague,  with  frefh  offers, 
I7°9-  to  which  the  deputies  would  make  no  anfwer,  until 
they  knew  the  fentiments  of  the  queen  of  Great  Britain. 
The  eluke  of  Marlborough  crofled  the  feas  a  fecond  time, 
accompanied  by  the  lord  Vifcount  Townfhend,  as  ambaf- 
fador  extraordinary,  and  joint-plenipotentiary  ;  Prince 
Eugene  being  like  wife  at  the  Hague,  the  conferences 
were  begun.  The  French  minifter  declared,  that  his 
mafter  would  confent  to  the  demolition  of  Dunkirk; 
That  he  would  abandon  the  Pretender,  and  difmifs  him 
rom  his  dominions:  That  he  would  acknowledge  the 
queen's  title  and  the  proteftant  fucceffion  :  That  he  would 
renounce  all  pretenfions  to  the  Spanifh  monarchy,  and 
cede  the  places  in  the  Netherlands,  which  the  ftates-gene- 
ral  demanded  for  their  barrier:  That  he  would  treat  with 
the  emperor  on  the  footing  of  the  treaty  concluded  at 
Ryfwick,  and  even  demolifh  the  fortifications  of  Straf- 
burs;.  The  minifters  of  the  allies,  rendered  proud  and 
wanton  by  fuccefs,  and  feeing  their  own  private  intereft 
n  the  continuation  of  the  war,  infifted  upon  the  reftitu- 
tion  of  the  Upper  and  Lower  Alface  to  the  empire;  upon 
the  French  monarch's  reftoring  Strafburgh  in  its  prefent 
condition;  upon  his  ceding  the  town  and  caftellany  of 
Lifle,  demolishing  Dunkirk,  New-Brifac,  Fort-Louis, 
and  Hunningen.  In  a  word,  their  demands  were  fo  info- 
lent,  that  Louis  would  not  have  fuffered  them  to  be  men 
tioned  in  his  hearing,  had  not  he  been  reduced  to  the  laft 
degree  of  diftrefs.  One  can  hardly  read  them  without  feel 
ing  a  fentiment  of  companion  for  that  monarch,  who  had 
once  given  law  to  Europe,  and  been  fo  long  accuftomed 
to  victory  and  conqueft.  Notwithftanding  the  difcourag- 
ing  difpatches  he  had  received  from  the  prefident  Rouille, 
after  his  firft  conferences  with  the  deputies,  he  could  not 
believe  that  the  Dutch  would  he  fo  blind  to  their  own  in 
tereft,  as  to  reject  the  advantages  in  commerce,  and  the 
barrier  which  he  had  offered.  He  could  not  conceive 
that  they  would  choofe  to  bear  the  burden  of  exceflive 
taxes  in  profccuting  a  war,  the  events  of  which  would  al 
ways  be  uncertain,  rather  than  enjoy  the  bleflings  of 
peace,  fecurity,  and  advantages  commerce;  he  flattered 
himfelf,  that  the  allies  would  not  fo  far  deviate  from  their 
purpofed  aim  of  eftablifhing  a  balance  of  power,  as  to 
throw  fuch  an  enormous  weight  into  the  fcale  of  thehoufe 
of  Auftria,  which  cherifhed  all  the  dangerous  ambition 
and  arbitrary  principles,  without  the  liberality  and  fenti 
ment  peculiar  to  the  houfe  of  Bourbon.  In  proportion  as 
they  rofe  in  their  demands  Louis  fell  in  his  condefcenfion. 


ANNE. 


499 


His  fecretary  of  {late,  the  marquis  de  Torcy,  polled  in  C  H  A  P 
difguife  to  Holland,  on  the  faith  of  a  common  blank  paff- 
port.  He  folicited,  he  foothed,  he  fupplicated,  and  made  ****y~*~' 
concefiions  in  the  name  of  his  fovereign.  He  found  the  J7°9' 
ftates  were  wholly  guided  by  the  influence  of  Prince  Eu 
gene  and  the  duke  of  Marlboroutih.  He  found  thefe  ge 
nerals  elated,  haughty,  overbearing,  and  implacable.  He 
in  private  attacked  the  duke  of  Marlborough  on  his  weak- 
eft  fide;  he  offered  to  that  nobleman  a  large  fum  of  money, 
provided  he  \vould  effect  a  peace  on  certain  conditions. 
The  propofal  was  rejected.  The  duke  found  his  enemies 
in  England  increafing,  and  his  credit  at  court  in  the  wane; 
and  he  knew  that  nothing  but  a  continuation  of  the  war, 
and  new  vi6tories,  could  fupporthis  influence  in  England. 
Torcy  was  fenfible  that  his  country  was  utterly  exhaufted; 
that  Louis  dreaded  nothing  fo  much  as  the  opening  of  the 
campaign;  and  he  agreed  to  thofe articles  upon  which  they 
infifted  as  preliminaries.  The  French  kin^  was  con 
founded  at  thefe  propofals  ;  he  felt  the  complicated  pangs 
of  grief,  fname,  and  indignation.  He  rejected  the  preli 
minaries  with  difdain.  He  even  defigned  to  fubmit  his 
conduct  to  the  judgment  of  his  fubjects.  His  offers  were 
publifhed,  together  with  the  demands  of  the  allies.  His 
people  interefted  themfelves  in  the  glory  of  their  mo 
narch.  They  exclaimed  againft  the  cruelty  and  arro 
gance  of  his  enemies.  Though  impoverifhed  and  half- 
itarved  by  the  war,  they  refolved  to  expend  their  whole  fub- 
ftance  in  his  fupport;  and  rather  to  fight  his  battles  with 
out  pay,  than  leave  him  in  the  dire  neceflity  of  complying 
with  fuch  difhonourable  terms.  Animated  by  thefe  fenti- 
ments,  they  made  fuch  efforts  as  amazed  the  whole  world. 
The  preliminaries  being  rejected  by  the  French  king, 
Rouille  was  ordered  to  quit  Holland  in  four-and-twenty 
hours,  and  the  generals  of  the  confederates  refolved  to 
open  the  campaign  without  further  hefitation. 

Prince  Eugene  and  the  duke  of  Marlborough  proceeded  Tournay 
to  Flanders,  and  towards  the  end  of  June  the  allied  army  be|">eged 
encamped  in  the  plain  of  Lifle,  to  the  number  of  one 
hundred  and  ten  thoufand  fighting  men.  At  the  fame 
time,  the  Marefchal  Villars,  accounted  the  moft  fortunate 
general  in  France,  affembled  the  French  forces  in  the 
plain  of  Lens,  where  he  began  to  throw  up  entrenchments. 
The  confederate  generals  having  obferved  his  fituation, 
and  perceiving  he  could  not  be  attacked  with  any  probabi 
lity  of  fuccefs,  refolved  to  undertake  the  fiege  of  Tour- 
nay,  the  garrifon  of  which  Villars  had  imprudently  weak 
ened.  Accordingly,  they  made  a  feint  upon  Yprefs,  in 
order  to  deceive  the  enemy,  and  convert  all  their  atten- 


5oo  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  tion  to  that  fide,  while   they   fuddenly    invefted  Tournay 
on  the  2710  day  of  June.     Though    the  garrifon  did  not 
exceed  twelve  weakened  battalions,  and  four  fquadrons  of 
dragoons,  the  place  was  fo  ftrong,  both  by  art  and  nature, 
and  Lieutenant   de  Surville,  the    governor,  poffefied  fueh 
admirable  talents,  that  the  fiege  was   protracted,  contrary 
to    the   expectation  of  the   allies,  and   coft  them  a  great 
number  of  men,  notwithftanding  all   the  precautions  that 
could   be  taken  for  the   fafety  of  the  troops.     As  the  be- 
fiegcrs    proceeded  by  the  method  of  fap,  their   miners  fre 
quently  met  with  thofe   of  the  enemy   under  ground,  and 
fought  with  bayonet  and  piftol.     The  volunteers  on  both 
fides  prefenied  themfdves  to  thefc  fubterraneous  combats, 
in  the  midft  of  mines  and  countermines  ready  primed  for 
explonon.     Sometimes   they   were   kindled    by    accident 
and    fometimes   fprung  by   defign;  fo  that  great    num 
bers     of    thofe    brave   men   were     ftifled     below;    and 
whole  battalions  blown  into  the  air,  or  buried  in  the  rub- 
bifh.     On  the  28th  day  of  July,  the  befiegers  having  ef 
fected  a  practicable  breach,  and  made  the  neceffary   difpo- 
fitions  for  a  general   aflault,  the   enemy  offered  to  capitu 
late  ;  the  town  was  furrendered  upon  conditions  ;  and  the 
garrifon   retired  to  the  citadel.     Surville  likewife  entered 
into  a  treaty  about  giving  up  the  citadel  ;  the  articles  be 
ing  fent  to  the  court  of  V  erfailles,  Louis  would  not  ratify 
them,  except  upon  condition  that  there  fliould  be  a  general 
cefiation  in   the  Netherlands   till  the  5th  day  of  Septem 
ber.     Hoftilities  were  renewed  on  the  8th  day  of  Auguflr, 
and   profecuted   with    uncommon   ardour  and   animofity. 
On  the  30th,  Surville  defired  to  capitulate  on  certain  ar 
ticles,  which  were  rejected  by  the  duke  of  Marlborough, 
who  gave  him  to  underftand  that  he  had  no  terms  to  ex 
pect,  but  muft  furrender  at   difcretion.     At   length,  his 
provifion  being  quite  exhaufted,  he  was   obliged   to   fur- 
render  himfelf  and  his  garrifon   prifoners   of  war,  though 
they  were  permitted  to  return  to  France,  on  giving  their 
parole  that  they  would  not  act  in  the  field  until  a  like  num 
ber  of  the  allies  fhould  be  releafed. 

The  next  object  that  attracted  the  eyes  of  the  confede 
rates  was  the  city  of  Mons,  which  they  refolved  to  be- 
fiege  with  all  pofTible  expedition.  They  pafied  the  Schelde 
on  the  3d  day  of  September,  and  detached  the  prince  of 
Hefle  to  attack  the  French  lines,  from  the  Haifne,  to  the 
Sombre,  which  were  abandoned  at  his  approach.  On 
the  yth  day  of  September,  marefchal  de  BoufHers  arrived 
in  the  French  camp  at  Quievrain,  content  to  act  in  an 
inferior  capacity  to  Villars,  although  his  fuperior  in  point 
of  feniorily.  The  duke  of  Marlborough  having  received 


A    N    N    E.  501 

advice,  that  the  French  were  on  the  march  to  attack  the  C  H  A  P- 
advanced  body  under  the  prince  of  Hefle,  decamped  from 
Havre,  in  order  to  fupport  that  detachment.  On  the  gth, 
the  allies  made  a  motion  to  the  left,  by  which  the  two  ar- 
rhies  were  brought  fo  near  each  other,  that  a  mutual  can 
nonading  enfued.  The  French  army,  amounting  to 
J20,coo  men  were  pofted  behind  the  woods  of  La  Merte 
and  Tanieres,  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Malplaquet. 
The  confederates,  nearly  of  the  fame  number,  encamped 
with  the  right  near  Sart  and  Bleron,  and  the  left  on  the 
edge  of  the  wood  of  Lagniere  ;  the  head-quarters  being  at 
Blaregnies.  The  enemy,  inftead  of  attacking  the  allies, 
began  to  fortify  their  camp,  which  was  naturally  ftrong, 
with  triple  entrenchments.  In  a  word,  they  were  fo  co 
vered  with  lines,  hedges,  entrenchments,  cannon,  and 
trees  laid  acrofs,  that  they  feemed  to  be  quite  inacceflible. 
Had  the  confederates  attacked  them  on  the  qth,  the  bat 
tle  would  not  have  been  fo  bloody,  and  the  victory  would 
have  proved  more  decifive ;  for  they  had  not  then  begun 
to  fecure  the  camp  :  But  Maryborough  poftponed  the  en 
gagement  until  they  fliould  be  reinforced  by  eighteen  batta- 
lionc  which  had  been  employed  in  the  fiege  of  Tournay  ; 
and,  in  the  mean  time,  the  French  fortified  themfelves 
with  incredible  diligence  and  difpatch.  On  the  nth  day 
cf  September,  early  in  the  morning,  the  confederates,  fa 
voured  by  a  thick  fog,  erected  batteries  on  each  wing,  and 
in  the  centre ;  and,  about  eight  o'clock,  the  weather 
clearing  up,  the  attack  began.  Eighty-fix  battalions  on 
the  right,  commanded  by  General  Schulcmburg,  the  duke 
of  Argyle,  and  other  generals,  and  fupported  by  two-and- 
twenty  battalions  under  Count  Lottum,  attacked  the  left 
of  the  enemy  with  fuch  vigour,  that,  noiwithilanding  their 
lines  and  barricadocs,  they  were  in  kfs  than  an  hour  dri 
ven  from  their  entrenchments  into  the  woods  of  Sart  and 
Tanieres.  The  prince  of  Orange  and  Baron  Fagel,  with 
fix--and-thirty  Dutch  battalions,  advanced  againft  the 
right  of  the  enemy,  pofted  in  the  wood  of  La  Merte,  and 
covered  with  three  entrenchments.  Here  the  battle  was 
maintained  with  the  moft  dcfperate  courage  on  both  fides. 
The  Dutch  obliged  the  French  to  quit  the  firft  entrench 
ment;  but  were  repulfed  from  the  fccond  with  grat  flaugh- 
ter.  The  prince  of  Orange  perfiited  in  his  efforts  with 
incredible  perfeverance  and  intrepidity,  even  after  two 
horfes  had  been  killed  under  him,  and  the  greater  part  of 
his  officers  either  fiain  or  difabled.  The  French  fought 
with  an  obftinacy  of  courage  that  bordered  on  dcfpair,  till, 
feeing  their  lines  forced,  their  left  wing  and  centre  giving 
way,  and  their  general,  Villars,  dangeroufly  woundei', 


502  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  they  made  an   excellent  retreat  towards  Bavay,  under  the 

conduct  of  BooHkrs,  and  took  poft  between  Qnefnoy,  and 

^"Y^   Valenciennes.     The  field  of  battle  they  abandoned  to  the 

1709.       confederates,  with  about  forty  colours  and  ftandards.  fix- 
French  de-  .  .  f       -it  j     }          j  ,       .,' 
fated-         tcen  pieces  of  artillery,  and  a   good  number  of  pnfontrs : 

But  this  was  the  deareft  victory  the  allies  had  ever  pur- 
chafed.  About  20,000  of  their  beft  troops  were  killed  in 
the  engagement;  whereas  the  enemy  did  not  lofe  half  the 
number,  and  retired  at  leifure,  perfectly  recovered  of  that 
apprehenfion  with  which  they  had  been  for  fome  years  in- 
fpired  and  overawed  by  the  fucceffes  of  their  adverfaries. 
On  the  fide  of  the  allies,  Count  Lottum,  General  Tettau, 
Count  Oxienftern,  and  the  marquis  of  Tullibardine  were 
killed,  with  many  officers  of  diftinction.  Prince  Eugene 
was  (lightly  wounded  on  the  head:  Lieutenant-General 
Webb  received  a  (hot  in  the  groin.  The  duke  of  Argyle, 
who  diftinguifhed  himfelf  by  extraordinary  feats  of  valour, 
efcaped  unhurt;  but  fever al  mufket-balls  penetrated 
through  his  clothes,  hat,  and  periwig.  In  the  French  ar 
my,  the  Chevalier  de  St.  George  charged  twelve  times 
with  the  hofehold  troops,  and  in  the  laft  was  wounded 
with  a  fword  in  the  arm.  The  marefchal  de  Villars  con 
fidently  afTerted,  that  if  he  himfelf  had  not  been  difa- 
bled,  the  confederates  would  certainly  have  been  de 
feated. 

Confidering  the  fituation  of  the  French,  the  number 
of  their  troops,  and  the  manner  in  which  they  were  forti 
fied,  nothing  could  be  more  rafh  and  imprudent  than  the 
att  ack,  which  coft  the  lives  of  fo  many  gallant  men, 
and  was  attended  with  fo  little  advantage  to  the  con 
querors.  Perhaps  the  duke  of  Marlborough  thought  a 
victory  was  abfolutely  neceflary  to  fupport  his  finking  in- 
tereft  at  the  court  of  Great  Britain.  His  intention  was 
to  have  given  battle  before  the  enemy  had  intrenched 
themfelves  ;  but  Prince  Eugene  infifted  upon  delaying  the 
action  until  the  reinforcement  fhould  arrive  from  Tour- 
nay.  The  extraordinary  carnage  is  imputed  to  the  impe- 
tuofity  of  the  prince  of  Orange,  whofe  aim,  through  this 
whole  war,  was  to  raife  himfelf  into  confideration  with  the 
flates-general,  by  fignal  acts  of  military  prowefs.  The 
French  having  retired  to  Valenciennes,  the  allies  were 
left  at  liberty  to  befiege  Mons,  which  capitulated  about 
the  end  of  October ;  and  both  armies  were  diftributed  in 
winter-quarters.  The  campaign  on  the  Rhine  produced 
nothing  but  one  {harp  action,  between  a  detachment  of 
ihe  French  army  commanded  by  the  couut  de  Borgh,  and 
a  body  of  troops  under  count  Merci,  who  pafied  the  Rhine 
in  order  to  penetrate  into  Franche-comte.  The  Imperial 


ANNE.  503 

officer  was  worfted  in  this  encounter,  with  the  lofs  of  C  H  A  P. 
2OOO  men  ;  obliged  to  repafs  the  river,  and  retired  to  v- 
Fribourg.  In  Piedmont,  Velt-Marsfchitl  Thaun,  com- 
manded  the  confederates,  in  the  room  of  the  duke  of  Savoy 
who  had  refufed  to  take  the  field  until  fome  differences 
which  had  arifen  between  the  emperor  and  him  fhould  be 
adjuftcd.  Thaun's  defign  was  to  befiege  Brian9on;  but 
the  duke  of  Berwick  had  taken  fuch  precautions  as  fru- 
ftrated  his  intention,  though  part  of  the  troops  under  the 
French  general  were  employed  in  fuppreffing  an  infur- 
reclion  of  the  Camifars,  and  other  malcontents  in  the  Vi- 
varez.  Thefe  were  entirely  defeated  in  a  pitched  battle ; 
and  Abraham,  one  of  their  leaders,  being  taken,  was 
broke  alive  upon  the  wheel ;  three-and-twenty  were  hang 
ed,  and  the  other  prifoners  fent  to  the  gallies.  The  pope 
delayed  acknowledging  King  Charles,  under  various  pre 
tences,  in  hope  that  the  campaign  would  prove  favourable 
to  the  houfe  of  Bourbon  ;  till  at  length  the  emperor  giving 
him  to  underftand,  that  his  army  fhould  take  up  their 
winter-quarters  in  the  ecclefiaftical  ftate,  his  holinefs  fo- 
lemnly  owned  Charles  as  king  of  Spain,  Naples,  and  Si 
cily. 

The  military  operations  in  Spain  and  Portugal  were  un-  Operations 
favourable  to  the  allies.  On  the  feventh  of  May,  the  For-  pj*^* 
tuguefe  and  Englifh  were  defeated  at  Caya,  by  the  Spa 
niards  under  the  command  of  the  marefchal  de  Bay.  The 
caftleof  Alicant,  guarded  by  two  Englifh  regiments,  had 
been  befieged,  and  held  out  during  the  whole  winter.  At 
length,  the  Chevalier  d'Asfeldt  ordered  the  rock  to  be 
undermined,  and  having  lodged  200  barrels  of  gunpowder, 
gave  Syburg,  the  governor,  to  underftand,  that  two  of 
his  officers  might  come  out  and  fee  the  condition  of  the 
works.  This  offer  being  accepted.  Asfeldt  in  perfon  ac 
companied  them  to  the  mine  :  He  told  them,  he  could  not 
bear  the  thoughts  of  feeing  fo  many  brave  men  perifh  in 
the  ruins  of  a  place  they  had  fo  gallantly  defended ;  and 
allowed  them  four-and-twenty  hours  to  confider  on  the 
refolution  they  fhould  take.  Syburg  continued  deaf  to  his 
remonftrances;  and,  with  an  obftinacy  that  favoured  more 
of  ftupidity  than  of  valour,  determined  to  (land  the  explo- 
fion.  When  the  centinels  that  were  ported  on'the  fide  of 
the  hill  gave  notice,  by  a  preconcerted  fignal,  that  fire 
was  fet  to  the  mine,  the  governor  ordered  the  guard  to 
retire,  and  walked  out  to  the  parade,  accompanied  by  fe- 
veral  officers.  The  mine  being  fprung,  the  rock  opened 
under  their  feet,  and  they  falling  into  the  chafm,  it  inftant- 
ly  clofed,  and  crufhed  them  to  death.  Notwithflanding 
this  dreadful  incident,  Colonel  d'Albon,  who  fucceeded 


5°4  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  to  the  command,  refolved  to  defend  the  place  to  the  lafl 
extremity.  Sir  Edward  Whitaker,  failed  from  Barcelona 
to  the  relief  of  the  place  ;  but  the  enemy  had  creeled  fuch 
works  as  efreclually  hindered  the  troops  from  landing. 
Then  General  Stanhope,  who  commanded  them,  capitu 
lated  with  the  Spanifh  general  for  the  garrifon,  which 
marched  out  with  all  the  honours  of  war,  and  was  tranf- 
ported  to  Minorca,  where  the  men  were  put  into  quarters 
of  refrefhment.  On  the  frontiers  of  Catalonia,  General 
Staremberg,  maintained  his  ground,  and  even  annoyed  the 
enemy.  He  paffed  the  Segra,  and  reduced  Balaguer. 
Having  left  a  ftrong  garrifon  in  the  place,  he  repafled  the 
river,  i;nd  fent  his  forces  into  winter-quarters.  The  moft 
remarkable  event  of  this  fummer,  was  the  battle  of  Pul- 
towa,  in  which  the  king  of  Sweden  was  entirely  defeated 
by  the  czar  of  Mufcovy,  and  obliged  to  take  refuge  at 
Bender,  a  town  of  Aloldavia,  in  the  Turkifh  dominions. 
Auguftus  immediately  marched  into  Poland  againft  Stanif- 
laus,  and  renounced  his  own  refignation,  as  if  it  had  been 
the  effect  of  com pulfion.  He  formed  a  proj eel:  with  the 
kings  of  Denmark  and  Pruffia,  to  attack  the  Swedifh  ter 
ritories  in  three  different  places;  but  the  emperor  and  ma 
ritime  powers  prevented  the  execution  of  this  fcheme  by 
entering  into  guaranty  for  prefer ving  the  peace  of  the  em 
pire.  Neverihelefs,  the  king  of  Denmark  declared  war 
againft  Sweden  and  transported  an  army  over  the  Sound 
to  Schonen ;  but  they  were  attacked  and  defeated  by  the 
Swedes,  and  oblige  to  re-embark  with  the  utmoft  precipi 
tation.  The  war  ftill  continued  to  rage  in  Hungary, 
where,  however,  the  revolters  were  routed  in  many  petty 
engagements. 

Though  the  events  of  the  fummer  had  been  lefs  unfa 
vourable  to  France  than  Louis  had  reafon  to  expecl,  he 
faw  that  peace  was  as  necefTary  as  ever  to  his  kingdom  ; 
but  he  thought  he  might  now  treat  with  fome  freedom  and 
dignity.  His  miniftcr,  Torcy,  maintained  a  correfpon- 
dcnce  with  Mr.  Petkum,  refident  of  the  duke  of  Holftein 
at  the  Hague :  He  propofed  to  this  minlfter,  that  the  ne- 
gociation  ihould  be  renewed ;  and  demanded  pafles,  by 
virtue  of  which  the  French  plenipotentiaries  might  repair 
in  fafjty  to  Holland.  In  the  mean  time,  the  French  king 
withdrew  his  troops  from  Spain,  on  pretence  of  demon- 
ftrating  his  readinefs  to  oblige  the  allies  in  that  par'ucu'ar ; 
though  this  meafure  was  the  effeft  of  neceifity,  which 
obliged  him  to  recal  thofe  troops  for  the  defence  of  his 
own  dominions.  The  dates  general  refufcd  to  grant  paf- 
fes  to  the  French  minifters  ;  but  they  allowed  Petkum  to 
make  a  journey  to  Verfoilles.  In  the  interim  King  Phi- 


ANNE.  505 

A  P. 


lip  publiftied  a  manifefto,  protefting  agairifl  all  that  ihould  C  H 
be  tranfadted  at   the    Hague  to  his    prejudice.     Far  from       v- 


yielding  Spain  and  the  Indies  to  his  competitor,  he  de- 
clared  his  intention  of  driving  Charles  from  thofe  places  17°9- 
that  were  now  in  his  pofTeffion.  lie  named  the  duke  of 
Alba,  and  Count  Bergheyck  for  his  plenipotentiaries,  ;v.J 
ordered  them  to  notify  their  credentials  to  the  maritime 
powers  ;  but  no  regard  was  paid  to  their  intimation. 
Philip  tampered  likcwifc  with  the  duke  of  Marlborough  ; 
and  the  marquis  do  Torcy  renewed  his  attempts  upqri 
that  general  ;  but  all  his  application  and  addrefs  proved  in 
effectual.  Pctkurn  brought  back  from  Verfailles  a  kind 
of  memorial,  importing,  That  thofe  motives  which  influ- 
cnced  the  French,  before  the  campaign  was  opened,  no 
longer  fubfifted  :  That  the  winter  feafon  naturally  pro 
duced  a  ceffation  of  arms,  during  which  he  would  treat  of 
a  general  and  reafonable  peace,  without  reftnciing  himftlf 
to  the  form  of  ch  .  preliminaries  which  the  allies  had  pre 
tended  to  irnpofe  :  That,  neverthelefs,  he  would  ftill  treat 
on  the  foundation  of  thofe  conditions  to  which  he  had  con- 
fented,  and  fend  plenipotentiaries  to  begin  the  conferences 
with  thofe  of  the  allies,  on  the  firft  day  of  January.  The 
irates-  general  inveighed  againft  this  memorial,  as  a  proof 
of  the  French  king's  infmcerity;  though  he  certainly  had 
a  right  to  retracl  thofe  offers  they  had  formerly  rejected. 
They  came  to  a  refolution,  that  it  was  abfolutely  neccfi'ary 
to  profecutc  the  war  with  vigour  ;  and  they  wrote  pref- 
fing  letters  on  this  fubject  to  all  their  allies. 

The  parliament  of  Great  Britain  being  afiembled  on  Proceedi 
the  1  5th  day  of  November,  the  queen,  in  her  fpeech,  told  OIPa<rhu 
both  houfes,  That  the  enemy  had  endeavoured,  by  falfe 
appearances,  and  deceitful  inftnuations  of  a  defire  after 
peace,  to  create  jealoufies  among  the  allies:  That  God 
Almighty  had  been  pleafed  toblefs  the  arms  of  the  confe 
derates  with  a  moft  remarkable  victory,  and  other  fuccef- 
fe«,  which  had  laid,  France  open  to  the  irnpreilion  of  the 
allied  arms,  and  confequently  rendered  peace  more  necef- 
fary  to  that  kingdom  than  it  was  at  the  beginning  of  the 
campaign.  She  infifted  upon  the  expediency  of  prof-jcut- 
ing  the  advantages  {he  had  gained;  by  r.ducing  that 
exorbitant  and  oppreflive  power  which  had  fo  long  threat 
ened  the  liberties  of  Europe.  The  parliament  were  as 
eager  and  compliant  as  ever.  They  prefented  congratu 
latory  addrefies:  They  thanked  the  duke  of  Marlborough 
for  his  fignal  fervices  ;  while  great  part  of  the  nation  re 
proached  him  with  having  wantonly  facrificed  fo  many 
thoufand  lives  to  his  own  private  intereft  and  rtputatiori. 
In  lefs  than  a  month,  the  commons  granted  upwards  ct" 

VOL.  I.  7  S 


• 

HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK    fix  millions  for  the  fervice  of  the    enfuing  year;  and  efta 
blifhed  a  lottery,  with    other  funds,  to   anfwer   this  enor-. 
t"*"Y"°    tnous  fupply.      On  the  I3th  day  of  December,  Mr.  Dol- 
EKt7i°i?4ii     ^en'  *"0i1  to  t'"'c  ^';te  arcnbiihop  °f  York,  complained  to  the 
ccs  Mlied     houfe  of  two  fermons  preached  and  publifhedby  Dr.  Hen- 
by  Dr.         ry    Sacheven  .1,  reel  or  of  St.    Saviour's  in   Southwark,  as 
•;!'"'"''verel<, containing  pofitions  contrary  to  Revolution  principles,  to 
the  pni'fent    government,  and    the    Proteftant    fucceflion. 
Sachevcrel  was   a  clergyman    of  narrow  intellects,  and  an 
over-heated  imagination.     He  had  acquired   fome  popula 
rity  among  thofe  who  diftinguifhed  themfelves  by  the  name 
of  High-churchmen  ;  and  took   all   occafions  to  vent  his 
animofity  againft  the  Difienters.     At  the   fummer  affizes 
at  Derby,  he  had  held  forth  in  thatftrain  before  the  judges. 
On  the  5th  day   of  November,  in    St.  Paul's  church,  he, 
in  a  violent  declamation,  defended  the  doctrine  of  non-re- 
fiftance  ;  inveighed  againft  the   toleration  and   Difienters; 
declared  the  church  was  dangeroufiy  attacked  by  her  ene 
mies,  and  {lightly  defended  by  her  falfe  friends:   He  found 
ed  the  trumpet  for  the  church,  and  exhorted  the  people  to 
put  on   the  whole  armour  of  God.     Sir  Samuel   Garrard, 
the  lord-Mayor,  countenanced    his  harangue,  which  was 
publifhed  under   his   protection,  extolled    by  the    Tories, 
and  circulated  all  over  the  nation.     The  complaint  of  Mr. 
Dolben   againft  Sacheverel  was  feconded   in  the  houfe  of 
commons  by  fir   Peter  King,  and  other  members.     The 
moft  violent   paragraphs    were  read:  The    fermons  were 
voted  fcandalous  and    fedetious   libels.     Sacheverel  being 
brought  to  the  bar  of  the  houfe,  acknowledged  himfelf  the 
author  of  both,  and  mentioned  the  encouragement  he  had 
received  from  the  lord-mayor  to   print  that  which  was  en 
titled,  "  The  perils  of  falfe  brethren."     Sir    Samuel  who 
was  a  member,  denied  he  had  ever  given  him  fuch  encou 
ragement.     The  dodlor  being  ordered    to   withdraw,  the 
houfe  refolved-  he  fhould  be  impeached  of  high  crimes  and 
mifdemeanors ;  and  Mr.  Dolben  was  ordered   to  impeach 
him  at  the  bar  of  the  houfe  of  lords,  in  the  name  of  all  the 
commons   of  England.     A  committee  was   appointed  to 
draw  up  articles,  anc!  Sacheverei  was   taken  into  cuftody. 
At  the  fame  time,  in  order  to  demonftrate  their  own  prin 
ciples,    they    refolved,    That  the   Rev.    Mr.     Benjamin 
Hoadly,  reclor  of  St.  Peter's-poor,  for    having  often  juf- 
tified  the  principles  on  which  her   majefty  and  the   nation 
proceeded  in  the  late  happy  Revolution,  had  juftly  merited 
the  favour   and    recommendation  of  the   houfe;  and  they 
prefented  an  addrefs  to  the    queen,  befeeching  her   to  be- 
ftow  fome  dignity  in  the  church  on  Mr.   Hoadley,  for  his 
eminent  fervices  both  to  the  church  and  ftate.     The  queen 


ANNE.  507 

returned  a  civil  anfwer,  though  file  paid  no  regard  to  their  c  H  A  p- 
recommendation.  Hoadlcy  was  a  clergyman  of  found  un- 
derftanding,  unblemifhed  characterj  and  uncommon  mo- 
deration,  who,  in  a  lermon  preached  before  the  lord- 
mayor  of  London,  had  demonftrated  the  lawfulnefs  of  re- 
fiftin^  wicked  and  cruel  governors;  and  vindicated  the 
late  Revolution.  Ey  avowing  fuch  doctrines,  he  incurred 
the  refentment  of  the  High-churchman,  who  accufed  him 
of  having  preached  up  rebellion.  Many  books  were  writ 
ten  againft  the  maxims  he  profefled.  Thefe  he  anfwered ;, 
and,  in  the  courfe  of  the  controverfy,  acquitted  himfclf 
with  fuperior  temper,  judgment,  and  folidity  of  arjru- 
ment.  He,  as  well  as  Bifhop  Burnet,  and  feveral  otb  ;r 
prelates,  had  been  treated  with  great  virulence  in  Sache- 
verel's  ferrnon  ;  and  the  lord-treafurer  was  fcurriloufly 
abufed  under  the  name  of  Volpone. 

The  doctor  being  impeached  at  the  bar  of  the  upper- 
houfe,  petitioned  that  he  might  be  admitted  to  bail  ;  but 
this  indulgence  was  refufed,  and  the  commons  feemed  bent 
upon  profecutin'T  him  w'th  fuch  feverity  as  gave  difijuft  to 
men  of  moderate  principles.  Meanwhile  the  Tories  were 
not  'die.  They  boldly  affirmed  that  the  Whigs  had  formed 
a  defign  to  pull  down  the  church ;  and  that  this  profecution 
was  intended  to  try  their  ftrength,  before  they  would  pro 
ceed  openly  to  the  execution  of  their  project.  Thefe  af- 
fertions  were  fupported,  and  even  credited  by  great  part  of 
the  clergy  who  did  not  fail  to  alarm  and  inflame  their  hear 
ers;  while  emiflaries  were  employed  to  raife  a  ferment 
among  the  populace,  already  prepared  with  difcontent,  arif- 
ing  from  a  fcarcity  which  prevailed  in  almoft  every  country 
of  Europe.  .  The  minifters  magnified  the  dangers  to  which 
the  church  was  expofed,  from  Diffenters,  Whigs,  and  luke 
warm  Prelates.  Thefe  they  reprefented  as  the  authors  of  a 
ruinous  war,  which  in  a  little  time  would  produce  univer- 
fal  famine;  and  as  the  immediate  encouragers  of  thofepalan- 
tine  refugees  who  had  been  brought  over  to  the  number  of 
fix  thoufand,  and  maintained  by  voluntary  contributions, 
until  they  could  be  conveniently  tranfported  into  Ireland, 
and  the  plantations  in  America.  The  charity  beftowed 
upon  thefe  unhappy  flrangers  exafperated  the  poor  of  Eng 
land,  who  feltfeverely  the  effects  of  the  dearth,  and  helped  to 
fill  up  the  meafure  of  popular  difcontent.  The  articles 
againft  Dr.  Sacheverel  being  exhibited,  his  perfon  was 
committed  to  the  deputy-ufher  of  the  blackrod:  But,  after 
wards,  the  lords  admitted  him  to  bail.  Then  he  drew  up  an 
anfwer  to  the  charge,  in  which  he  denied  fome  articles,  and 
others  he  endeavoured  to  juftify  -or  extenuate.  The  com 
mons  having  fcnt  up  a  replication,  declaring  they  were  rea- 


5c8  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK   dy  to  prove  the  charge,  the  lords  appointed  the  2yth  day  of 
t*!_j   February  for  the  trial,  in  Weftminftcr-hall. 

^T"*  I  he  eyes  of  the  whole  kingdom  were  turned  upon  this 
His  trial,  extraordinary  trial.  It  lafted  three  weeks,  during  which 
all  other  bufinefs  was  fufpended;  and  the  queen  herfelf 
was  every  day  prefent,  though  in  quality  of  a  private  fpec- 
tator.  The  managers  for  the  commons  were  Sir  Jofeph 
Jekyl,  Mr.  Eyre,  folicitor-gcneral,  Sir  Peter  King,  recor 
der  of  the  city  of  London,  Lieutenant-General  Stanhope, 
Sir  Thomas  Parker,  and  Mr.  Robert  Walpole,  treafurer  of 
the  navy.  The  doftor  was  defended  by  Sir  Simon  Har- 
courtand  Mr.  Phipps,  and  aflifted  by  Dr.  Atterbury,  Dr. 
Smallridge,  and  Dr.  Friend.  A  vaft  multitude  attended 
him  every  day  to  and  from  Weftminfter-hall,  ftriving  to 
kifshis  hand,  and  praying  for  his  deliverance,  as  if  he  had 
been  a  martyr  and  confeffor.  The  queen's  fedan  was  be- 
fct  by  the  populace,  exclaiming,"  God  blefs  your  majefty 
"  and  the  church.  We  hope  your  mrtjedy  is  for  Dr.  Sache- 
''  verel."  They  compelled  all  perfons  to  lift  their  hats  to 
the  doctor,  as  hs  paflfed  in  his  coach  to  the  Temple,  where 
he  lodged  ;  and  among  thefe  fome  members  of  parliament, 
who  were  abufed  and  infulted.  They  deftroyed  fc'/eral 
meeting-houfes  ;  plundered  the  dwelling-houfes  of  eminent 
Di/Tenters  ;  and  threatened  to  pull  down  thofe  .of  the  lord- 
chancellor,  the  earl  of  Wharton,  and  the  bifhop  of  Sarum. 
They  even  propofed  to  attack  the  bank  ;  fo  that  the  direc 
tors  were  obliged  to  fend  to  Whitehall  for  affiftance.  The 
horfe  and  foot  guards  were  immediately  fent  to  difperfj  the 
rioters,  who  fled  at  their  approach.  Next  day  the  guards 
were  doubled  at  Whitehall,  and  the  trained-bands  of  Well- 
minder  continued  in  arms  during  the  whole  trial.  The 
commons  entreated  the  queen,  in  an  addrefs,  to  take  effec 
tual  meafures  for  fupprcffing  the  prefent  tumults,  fet  on 
foot  and  fomented  by  Papifts,  Nonjurors,and  other  enemies 
to  her  title  and  government.  She  cxpreffed  a  deep  fenfe 
of  their  care  and  concern,  as  well  as  a  juft  refentment  at 
thefe  tumultuous  and  violent  proceedings.  She  published 
a  proclamation  for  fuppreffing  the  tumults  ;  and  feveral 
perfons  being  apprehended,  were  afterwards  tried  for  high- 
treafon.  Two  of  them  were  conviclcd,  and  fentenced  to 
die  ;  but  neither  fuffered.  The  commons  prefented  another 
addrefs  of  thanks  to  her  majefty,  for  her  gracious  anfwer  to 
their  firft  remonftrance.  They  took  this  occahon  to  de 
clare,  that  the  profecution  of  the  commons  againftDr.  Hen 
ry  Sacheverel  proceeded  only  from  the  indifpenfable  obliga 
tion  they  lay  under  to  vindicate  the  late  happy  Revolution, 
the  glory  of  their  royal  deliverer,  her  own  title  and  admi- 
niftration,  the  prefent  eftablimment  and  Protelhnt  fuccef- 


A    N    N    E.  509 

fion,  together  with  the  toleration  and  the  quiet  of  the  go-  C  H  A  ?. 
vernment.  When  the  doctor's  council  had  finifhed  his  de 
fence,  he  himfelf  recited  a  fpecch,  wherein  he  folemnly  juf- 
tified  his  intentions  towards  the  queen  and  her  government; 
and  fpoke  in  the  mod  refpectful  terms  of  the  Revolution, 
and  the  Proteftant  fucceflion.  He  maintained  the  doctrine 
of  non-refiftance  in  all  cafes  whatfoever,  as  a  maxim  of  the 
church  in  which  he  was  educated  ;  and  by  many  pathetical 
exprefnons  endeavoured  to  excite  the  companion  of  the  au 
dience.  He  was  furrounded  by  the  queen's  chaplains,  who 
encouraged  and  extolled  him  as  the  champion  of  the  church  ; 
and  he  was  privately  favoured  by  the  queen  herfelf,  who, 
could  not  but  relifh  a  doctrine  fo  well  calculated  for  the 
fupport  of  regal  authority. 

On  the  loth  day  of  march,  the  lords  being  adjourned  to 
their  own  houfe,  the  earl  of  Nottingham  propofed  the  fol 
lowing  queftion,  "  Whether,  in  proftcutions  by  impeach- 
"  ments  for  high  crimes  and  mifdemeanors,  by  writing  or 
a  fpealcing,  the  particular  words  fuppofed  to  be  criminal  are 
"  neceflury  to  be  exprefsly  fpeciHed  in  fuch  impeachments  ?" 
The  judges  being  confulted,  were  unanimoufly  of  opinion, 
that,  recording  to  law,  the  grounds  of  an  indictmentor  im 
peachment  ought  to  be  exprcfsly  mentioned  in  both.  One 
of  the  lords  having  fuggefbed,  that  the  judges  had  delivered 
their  opinions  according  to  the  rules  of  Wefrminfter-halj, 
and  not  according  to  the  ufage  of  parliament,  the  houfe  rc- 
folved,  that  in  impeachments  they  fhoul.l  proceed  accordinr 
to  toe  laws  of  the  land,  and  the  law  and  ufage  of  parliaments. 
On  i  he  l6th  day  of  the  month,  the  queen  being  in  the  houfe 
incognito,  they  proceeded  to  conftder  whether  or  not  the 
commons  had  made  good  the  articles  exhibited  againft  Dr. 
Sacheverel,  The  earl  of  Wharton  obferved,  That  the  doc 
tor's  fpeech  was  a  full  confutation  and  condemnation  of  his 
ferrnon  :  That  all  he  had  advanced  about  non-refiflance  and 
unlimited  obedience  was  falle  and  ridiculous:  That  the 
doctrine  of  paffive  obedience,  as  urged  by  the  dcccor,  was 
not  reconcileable  to  the  practice  of  churchmen :  That  if  the 
Revolution  was  not  lawful,  many  in  that  houfe,  and  vaft 
numbers  without,  were  guilty  of  blood,  marcher,  rapine, 
and  injuftice  ;  and  that  the  queen  herfelf  was  no  lawful  fo- 
vereign,  fince  the  beft  title  fhe  had  to  the  crown  was  her 
parliamentary  title,  founded  upon  the  Revolution.  He  was 
anfwered  by  the  Lord  Haver/ham  in  a  long  fpeech,  Lord 
Ferrers  faid,if  the  doctor  was  guilty  of  fome  fool ifh  unguard 
ed  exprcffions,  he  ought  to  have  been  tried  at  common  law. 
The  earl  of  Scarborough  obferved,  the  Revolution  was  a 
nice  point,  and  above  the  law :  He  moved  that  they  fhculd 
adjourn  the  debate,  and  talcs  time  to  ccr,f:der  before  they 


5io  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  gave  judgment.  Doclor  Hooper,  bifhopof  Bath  andWeHS 
IL  allowed  the  neceffity  and  legality  of  refinance  in  fonie  ex- 
traordinary  cnfes;  but  was  of  opinion,  that  this  maxim 
ought  to  be  concealed  from  the  knowledge  of  the  people, 
who  are  naturally  too  apt  to  refill: :  That  the  Revolution, 
was  not  to  be  boafted  of,  nor  made  a  precedent :  But  that 
a  mantle  ought  to  be  thrown  over  it,  and  it  fhould  be  call 
ed  a  vacancy  or  abdication.  He  faid  the  original  compact 
were  dangerous  words,  not  to  be  mentioned  without  great 
caution:  Thnt  thofe  who  examined  the  Revolution  too 
nicely  were  no  friends  to  it;  and  that  there  feemed  to  be  a 
neceffity  fo:  preaching  up  non-refiftance  and  paffive  obedi 
ence  at  that  time,  when  refinance  was  juftified.  The  duke 
of  Argyle  affirmed,  that  the  clergy  in  all  ages  had  delivered 
up  the  rights  and  privileges  of  the  people,  preaching  up  the 
king's  power,  in  order  to  govern  him  the  more  eafily  ;  and, 
therefore,  they  ought  not  to  be  fuffered  to  meddle  with  poli 
tics.  The  earl  of  Anglcfey  owned  the  do£tor  had  preached 
nonfenfe  ;  but  faid  that  was  no  crime.  The  duke  of  Leeds 
diftinguiihed  between  refiftance  and  revolution ;  for,  had 
not  the  laft  fucceeded,  it  would  have  certainly  been  rebelli 
on,  fince  he  knew  of  no  other  but  hereditary  right.  The 
bifhop  of  Salifbury  juftified  refiftance  from  the  book  of 
Maccabees  :  He  mentioned  the  conduct  of  Queen  Elizabeth, 
who  affifted  the  Scots,  the  French,  and  the  dates-general,  in 
refifting  their  different  fovereigns,  and  was  fupported  in  this 
practice  both  by  her  parliaments  and  her  convocations.  He 
obferved,  that  King  Charles  L  had  affifted  the  citizens  of 
Rochelle  in  their  rebellion :  That  Manwaring  incurred  a 
fevere  cenfure  from  the  parliament,  for  having  broached  the 
doctrine  of  the  divine  right  of  kings  ;  and  that  though  this 
became  a  favourite  maxim  after  the  Reftoration,  yet  its 
warmeft  aflerters  were  the  firft  who  pleaded  for  refiftance 
when  they  thought  themfelves  oppreff-d.  The  archbifhop 
of  York,  the  due  of  Buckingham,  and  other  leaders  of  the 
Tory  iirtereft,  declared  that  they  never  read  fuch  a  peace  of 
madnefs  and  nonfenfe  as  Sacheverel's  fermon  ;  but  they  did 
not  think  him  guilty  of  a  mifdemeanour.  Next  day,  Dr. 
Wake,  bi/hop  of  Lincoln,  accufed  Sacheverel  of  having 
made  a  ftrange  and  falfe  reprefentation  of  the  defign  for  a 
comprehenfion,  which  had  been  fat  on  foot  by  Archbifhop 
Bancroft,  and  promoted  by  the  moft  eminent  divines  of  the 
church  of  England.  He  was  of  opinion  that  fame  ften 
fhould  be  taken  for  puting  a  ftop  to  fuch  preaching,  as,  if 
not  timely  corrected,  might  kindle  heats  and  animefities 
that  would  endanger  both  church  and  ft?.te.  Dr.  Trimnel, 
bifhop  of  Norwich,  expatiated  upon  theinfolcnce  of  Sache 
verel,  who  had  arraigned  Archbiihop  Grindal,  one  of  the 


ANNE.  5ir 

eminent  Reformers,  as  a  perfidious  prelate,  for  having  fa-  C  H  A  P. 
vourcd  and  tolerated  the  difcipline  of  Geneva.  He  enlarged  v- 
upon  the  good  effe&s  of  the  toleration.  He  took  notice  of  (~^y~*~' 
Sacheverel's  preemption  in  publiming  inflammatory  pray-  I7'0< 
ers,  declaring  himfelf  under  perfecution,  while  he  was  pro- 
fecuted  for  offending  againft  the  law,  by  thofe  who  in  com 
mon  juflice  ought  to  bethought  the  faireft  accufers,  and 
before  tlieir  lordfhips,  who  were  juftly  acknowledged  to  be 
the  moft  impartial  judges.  In  difcufling  the  fourth  article, 
the  biiliop  of  Salifbury  fpoke  with  great  vehemence  againft 
Sacheverel,  who,  by  inveighing  againft  the  Revolution, 
Toleration,  and  Union,  fccmed  to  arraign  and  attack  the 
queen  herfclf;  fmce  her  majefty  had  fo  great  a  fhare  in  the 
firft  ;  had  often  declared  fhe  would  maintain  the  fecond; 
and  that  fhs  looked  upon  the  third  as  the  moft  glorious  e- 
vent  of  her  reign.  He  affirmed  that  nothing  could  be  more 
nlain  than  the  doctor's  reflecting  upon  her  majefty's  mini- 
iter  ;  and  that  he  had  fo  well  marked  out  a  noble  peer  there 
prefent,  by  an  ugly  and  fcurrilous  epithet  which  he  would 
uot  repeat,  that  it  was  not  poilible  to  miftake  his  mean 
ing.  Some  of  the  younger  peers  could  not  help  laughing  at 
this  undefigned  farcafm  upon  the  lord-treafurer,  whom  Sache- 
verel  had  reviled  under  the  name  of  Volpone  :  They  ex- 
"  claimed,  "  Name  him,  name  him  ;"  and,  in  all  proba 
bility,  the  zealous  bifhop,  who  was  remarkable  for  abfence 
of  mind  and  unguarded  expreilions,  would  have  gratified 
their  requeft,  had  not  the  chancellor,  interpofmg,  declared 
that  no  peer  was  obliged  to  fay  more  than  he  fhould  think 
proper. 

After  obftinate  difputes,  and  much  virulent  altercation, 
Sacheverel  was  found  guilty  by  a  majority  of  feventeea 
voices;  and  four-and- thirty  peers  entered  a  proteft  againft 
this  decifion.  He  was  prohibited  from  preaching  for  the 
term  of  three  years  :  His  two  fermons  were  ordered  to  be 
b'^rnt  by  the  hands  of  the  common  hangman,  in  prefence 
of  the  lord-mayor  and  the  two  fherifFs  of  London  and 
Middlefex.  The  lords  likewife  voted,  that  the  execu 
tioner  fhould  commit  to  the  fame  fire,  the  famous  decree 
pafled  in  the  convocation  of  the  univerfity  of  Oxford,  af- 
ierting  the  abfolute  authority  and  indefeafible  right  of 
princes.  A  like  fentence  was  denounced  by  the  commons 
upon  a  book  intituled,  "  Collections  of  paffages  referred 
"  to  by  Dr.  Sacheverel,  in  his  anfwer  to  the  articles  of 
"  impeachment."  Thefe  he  had  felecled  from  impious 
.  books  lately  publifhed,  and  they  were  read  by  his  counfei, 
as  proofs  that  the  church  was  in  danger.  The  lenity  of 
the  fentence  parted  upon  Sacheverel,  which  was  in  a  ^reat 
meafure  owing  to  the  dread  of  popular  refentment,  his 
friends  confidered  as  a  victory  obtained  over  a  Whig  fac- 


HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

O  i>  K  •  ti'on,   and    they  celebrated  their  triumph  with  bonfires  "and 
illuminations.     On   the   fth    day  of  April,    the  queen  or- 
dered    the    parliament   to  be  prorogued,   after  having,   in 
Bamct          ^er    ^Pcec^   to  both  houfcs,  cxprefled  her  concern  for  the 
Hare.  ncceflkry   occafion  which  had  taken  up  great  part  of  their 

•lorcy.  time  towards  the  latter  end  of  the  feflion.  She  declared 
Hiftfof1**"  ^at  no  Prnicc  COIJld  have  a  more  true  and  tender  concern 
the  (iukecf  for  the  welfare  and  profperity  of  the  church  than  {he  had, 
Rfarlbo-  and  fhould  always  have;  and  fhe  faid  it  was  very  inju 
rious  to  take  a  pretence  from  wicked  and  malicious  libels. 

1  jnCuli.  .       — 

Vokaii-e.  to  infuiuate  that  the  church  was  in  danger' by  her  adminif- 
tration. 

Joeffedhial  The  French  king,  feeing  the  mifery  of  his  people  daily 
increafe,  and  all  his  refcurces  fail,  humbled  himfelf  again 
before  the  allies,  and  by  means  of  Petkum,  who  ftill  cor- 
refponded  with  his  minifters,  implored  the  ftates-general, 
that  the  negociation  might  be  rcfumed.  In  order  to  faci 
litate  their  con  fen  t,  he  difpatched  a  new  proje6l  of  pacifi 
cation,  in  which  he  promifed  to  renounce  his  grandfon, 
and  to  Comply  with  all  their  other  demands,  provided  the 
electors  of  Cologn  and  Bavaria  fhould  be  re-eftablifhed  in 
their  eflates  and  dignities.  Thefe  overtures  being  rejected, 
another  plan  was  offered,  and  communicated  to  the  ple 
nipotentiaries  of  the  emperor  and  queen  ef  Great  Britain. 
Then  Petkurn  wrote  a  letter  to  the  marquis  de  Torcy, 
intimating,  that  the  allies  required  his  moft  Chriftian  ma- 
jefly  fhould  declare,  in  plain  and  exprelTive  terms,  that 
he  cor.fented  to  all  the  preliminaries,  except  the  thirty- 
ieventh  article,  which  flipulated  a  ceflation  of  arms,  in 
cafe  the  Snanifh  monarchy  fhould  be  delivered  to  King 
Charles  in  the  fpace  of  two  months.  He  faid,  the  allies 
would  fend  pafTports  to  the  French  minifters,  to  treat  of  an 
equivalent  for  that  article.  Louis  was  even  forced  to  fwal- 
low  this  bitter  draught.  He  fignified  his  confent,  and  ap 
pointed  the  Marefchal  D'Uxellcs  and  the  Abbe  Polig>iac 
his  plenipotentiaries.  They  were  not  differed,  however, 
to  enter  Holland,  but  were  met  by  the  Deputies  Buys 
and  VanderdufTen  at  Gertruydenberg.  Meanvvhile,  the 
ftates  defired  the  queen  of  England  to  fend  over  the  duke 
of  Marlborough,  to  aflift  them  with  his  advice  in  thefe 
conferences.  The  two  houfes  of  parliament  fcconded  their 
requeft  in  a  joint  addrefs  to  her  majefly,  who  told  them 
fhe  had  already  given  directions  for  his  departure ;  and 
faid  fhe  was  glad  to  find  they  concurred  with  her  in  a  juft 
fenfe  of  the  duke's  eminent  fervices.  Both  the  letter  and 
the  addrefs  were  procured  by  the  intereft  of  Marlborough, 
to  let  the  queen  fee  how  much  that  nobleman  was  confi- 
dered  both  at  home  and  abroad.  But  fhe  was  already 


ANNE.  513 

wholly   alienated  from  him  in  her  heart,  and  thefe  expedi-  C  H  A  r- 
ents  ferved  only  to  increafe  her  diAjuft.  v- 

The  French  miniHers  were  fubje&ed  to  every  fpecies  of  >-*"y*»'-' 
mortification.  They  were  in  a  manner  confined  to  a  finall  I7IO> 
fortified  town,  and  ail  their  con  duel:  narrowly  watched. 
Their  accomodation  was  mean  :  Their  letters  were  open 
ed;  and  they  were  daily  infulted  by  injurious  libels.  The 
Dutch  deputies  would  hear  of  no  relaxation,  and  no  expe 
dient  for  removing  the  difficulties  that  retarded  the  negoci- 
ation.  In  vain  the  plenipotentiaries  declared,  that  the 
French  king  would  not  with  decency,  or  the  leaft  regard 
to  his  honour,  wage  war  againft  his  own  grandfon  :  The 
deputies  infiftedupon  his  effecting  the  L-iTion  of  Spain  and 
and  th:;  Indies  to  the  houfe  of  Auftria  ;  and  fubmitting  to 
to  every  other  crticl;  fpecified  in  the  preliminaries.  Nay, 
they  even  referved  to  thcmfelves  a  power  of  making  ulterior 
demands  after  the  preliminaries  {hould  beadjufted.  Louis 
propcfcd  thatfome  fmall  provifion  (liould  be  made  for  the 
duke  of  Anjou,  which  might  induce  him  to  relinquish 
Spain  the  more  eafily.  He  mentioned  the  kingdom  of 
Arreagon  ;  and  this  hint  being  difigreeable  to  the  allies,  he 
demanded  Naples  and  Sicily.  When  they  urged  that  Na 
ples  was  was  already  in  pofleffion  of  the  houfe  of  Au'i:rk, 
he  rcftn&ed  the  provifion  to  Sicily  and  Sardinia.  He  of 
fered  to  deliver  up  four  cautionary  towns  in  Flanders,  as  a 
fecuiity  for  Philip's  evacuating  Spain  ;  and  even  promifjd 
to  fupply  the  confederates  with  a  monthly  Aim  of  money, 
to  defray  the  expence  of  expelling  thatprince  from  his  do 
minions,  fhould  he  refufe  to  refign  them  with  a  good  grace. 
The  fubftance  of  all  the  conferences  was  communicated  to 
Lord  Townfhend,  and  Count  Zinzendorf,  the  Imperial 
plenipotentiary;  but  the  conducl  of  the  deputies  was  regu 
lated  by  the  penfionary  Heinfius,  who  was  firmly  attached 
to  Prince  Eugene  and  the  duke  of  Marlborough,  more  a- 
verfe  than  ever  to  a  pacification.  The  negociation  lafted 
from  the  igth  of  March  to  the  25th  of  July,  during  whic'i 
term  the  conferences  were  feveral  times  interrupted,  and 
a  great  many  difpatches  and  new  propoials  arrived  from 
Verfailles.  At  length,  tie  plenipotentiaries  returned  to 
France,  after  having  f-nt  a  letter  to  the  penfionary,  in 
which  they  declared,  that  the  propofals  made  by  the  depu 
ties  were  unjufr.  and  impracticable  ;  and  complained  cf  the 
unworthy  treatinent  to  which  they  had  been  expofed.  Louis 
refolved  to  hazard  another  campaign,  not  without  hope, 
that  there  might  be  forne  lucky  incident  in  the  events  of 
war,  and  that  the  approaching  revolution  in  the  Englifh 
miniflry,  of  which  he  v/as  well  apprifed,  would  be  productive 
of  amore  reafonable  pacification.  The  ftatcs-geiicrul  re- 
VOL.  I.  3  T 


$14  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

Book  folved,  That  the  enemy  had  departed  from  the  foundation 
on  which  the  negociation  had  begun,  and  fludicd  pretences 
to  evade  the  execution  of  the  capital  points,  the  rcflitution 
of  Spain  and  the  Indies  ;  and,  in  fhort,  that  France  had  no 
other  view  than  to  fow  and  create  jealoufy  and  difunion 
among  the  allies.  Lord  Townfhend,  in  a  memorial,  afiur- 
ed  them,  that  the  queen  entirely  approved  their  rcfolution, 
rjid  all  the  fteps  they  had  tak.cn  in  the  cmrfe  of  the  nego 
ciation  ;  and  that  fhe  was  firmly  refolved  to  profecute  the 
war  with  r.ll  poflible  vigour,  until  the  enemy  fhould  accept 
fuch  terms  of  peace  as  might  fecure  the  tranquillity  of  the 
Chriftian  world. 

ies  '^nc  conferences  did  not  retard  the  operations  of  the 
campaign.  Prince  Eugene  and  the  duke  of  Msrlborough 
fet  out  from  the  Hague  on  the  1 5th  day  of  March  for 
Tourney,  in  order  to  afTemble  the  forces  which  were 
quartered  on  the  Maefe,  in  Flanders,  and  Brabant.  On 
the  2Oth  of  April,  they  fuddenly  advanced  to  Pont-a-Ven- 
din,  in  order  to  attack  the  lines  upon  which  the  French  had 
been  at  work  all  the  winter,  hoping  by  thefe  to  cover  Doiiay 
and  other  frontier  towns,  which  were  threatened  by  the 
confederates.  The  troops  left  for  the  defence  of  the  lines 
retired  without  oppofition.  The  allies  having  laid  bridges 
over  the  Scarpe,  the  duke  of  Marl  borough  with  his  divifi- 
on  puffed  that  river,  and  encamped  at  Vitri.  Prince  Eu 
gene  remained  on  the  other  fide,  and  inverted  Doiiay,  the 
enemy  retiring  towards  Cambiay.  Marfchal  Villars  ftill 
commanded  the  French  army,  which  was  extremely  numer 
ous  and  well  appointed,  confidering  the  diftrefs  of  that 
kingdom.  Indeed,  the  number  was  augmented  by  this  dif- 
trefs ;  for  many  thoufands  faved  themfelves  frera  dying  of 
hunger,  by  carrying  arms  in  the  fervice.  The  marefchal 
having  auembled  all  his  forces,  pafied  the  Schelde,  and  en 
camped  at  Boucham,  declaring  that  he  would  give  battle 
to  the  confederates  :  An  alteration  was  immediately  made 
in  the  difpofition  of  the  allies,  and  proper  precautions  taken 
for  his  reception.  He  advanced  in  order  of  battle;  but 
having  viewed  the  fituation  of  the  confederates,  he  march 
ed  back  to  the  heights  of  St.  Laurence,  where  he  fixed  his 
camp.  His  aim  was  by  continual  alarms  to  interrupt  the 
fiege  of  Doiiay,  which  was  vigoroufly  defended  by  a  nu 
merous  garrifon,  under  the  command  of  Monfieur  Albcr- 
gotti,  who  made  a  number  of  fuccefsful  fJlies,  in  which 
the  befigers  loft  a  great  number  of  nu-n.  They  were  like- 
wife  repulfed  in  feveral  allaults  ;  but  {lill  proceeded  with 
unrcmitted  vigour,  until  the  bcfieged  being  reduced  to  the 
laft  extremity,  were  obliged  to  capitulate  on  the  26th  of 
June,  fifty  days  after  the  trenches  had  been  opened.  The 


ANNE.  513 

generals  finding  it  impracticable  to  attack  the  enemy,   who  CHAP. 
were  potted  within  ftrong  lines  from  Arras  towards  Mira- 
rnont,  refolved  to  befie^e  Bethune,  which  was  inverted  on   ^"Y"**^ 
the  I5th  day  July,  and  furrendered  on  the    2gth  of  Auguft.       1''10' 
Villars  marched  out  of  his  entrenchments  with   a  view    to 
raile  the  fiege ;  but  he  did  not  think  proper  to   hazard  an 
engagement  :   Some  warm  fkinniihes,  however,  happened 
between  the  foragers  of  the  two  armies.     After  the  reduc 
tion  of  Bethune,  the  allies  befieged  at  one  time  the  towns 
of  Aire  and  St.  Venant,  which  were  taken  without  much 
difficulty.     Then  the  armies  broke  up,  and   inarched  into 
winter  quarters. 

The  campaign  on  the  Rhine  was  productive  of  no  mili 
tary  event;  nor  was  any  thing  of  eonfequence  tranfa&ed 
in  Piedmont.  The  duke  of  Savoy  being  indifpofed  and 
out  of  humour,  the  command  of  the  forces  ftill  continued 
vefted  in  Count  Thaun,  who  endeavoured  to  pafs  the 
Alps,  and  penetrate  into  Dauphine  ;  but  the  duke  of  Ber 
wick  had  caft  up  entrenchments  in  the  mountains,  and  tak 
en  fuch  precautions  to  guard  them,  as  baffled  all  the  at 
tempts  of  the  Imperial  general.  Spain  was  much  more 
fruitfil  of  military  incidents.  The  horfe  and  dragoons  in  King 
the  army  cf  King  Charles,  headed  by  General  Stanhope,  c!?arle'<** 
attacked  the  whole  cavalry  of  the  enemy  at  Alrnenan:.  tor''b. a 
Stanhope  charged  in  perfon,  and  with  his  own  hand  flew 
General  Ameflaga,  who  commanded  the  guards  of  Philip. 
The  Sp-miih  horfe  were  entirely  routed,  together  with  nine 
battalions  that  efcaped  by  fivour  of  the  darkncfs ;  ".nd  the 
main  body  of  the  army  retired  with  precipitation  to  Lerida. 
General  St.iremberg  purfued  them  to  Saragoila,  where  he 
found  them  drawn  up  in  order  of  battle  ;  and  an  engage 
ment  enfuing  on  the  gth  day  of  Auguft,  the  enemy  were 
totally  defeated;  5000  of  their  men  were  killed,  7000  tak 
en,  together  with  all  their  artillery,  and  a  great  number  of 
colours  and  i'tand  trds.  King  Charles  entered  Saragofla  in 
triumph,  while  Philip,  with  the  wreck  of  his  army,  retreat 
ed  to  Madrid.  Having  fent  his  queen  and  fon  to  Victoria,  he 
retired  to  Valladolid,  in  order  to  collect  his  fcattered  troops 
fo  as  to  form  another  army.  The  good  fortune  of  Charles 
was  of  (hort  duration.  Stanhope  propofed  that  he  ihould 
immediately  fecure  Pampeluna,  the  only  pafs  by  which  the 
French  King  could  fend  troops  to  Spain  ;  but  this  falutary 
fcheme  was  rejected.  King  Charles  proceeded  to  Madrid, 
which  was  deferted  by  all  the  grandees;  and  he  had  the  mor 
tification  to  fee  that  the  Caftiiians  were  univerfally  attached 
to  his  competitor. 

While  his  farces  continued  cantoned  in  the   neighbour 
hood  of  Toledo,  the  king  of  France,  at  the  requcft  of  P.ii 


r:S  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  lip,  fent  the  duke  de  Vendome  to  take  the  command  of 
the  Spaniih  army,  which  was  at  the  lame  time  reinforced 
by  detachments  of  French  troops.  Vendome's  reputation 
was  fo  high,  and  his  perfon  ib  beloved  by  the  foldisry,  that 
his  pi'tfence  WHS  alrnofl  equivalent  to  an  army.  A  great 
number  of  volunteers  immediately  aflembled  to  fignalize 
themfelves  under  the  eye  of  this  renowned  general.  The 
Caftilisuas  were  infpired  with  frefh  courage,  and  made  fur- 
prifmg  efforts  in  favour  of  their  fovereign  ;  fo  that  in  lefs 
than  three  months  after  his  defeat  at  Saragofla,  he  was 
in  a  condition  to  go  in  queft  of  his  rival.  Charles,  on 
the  other  hand,  was  totally  neglected  by  the  court1.,  of 
Vienna  and  Great  Britain,  which  took  no  fteps  to  fup- 
ply  his  wants,  or  enable  him  to  profecute  the  advantages 
Allies  de-  he  had  gained.  In  the  beginning  of  November,  his  army 
featedat  marched  back  to  Saragoiia,  and  was  cantoned  in  the 
ciofa*"  neighbourhood  of  Cifuentes,  where  Staremberg  eftablifhed 
his  head-quarters.  General  Stanhope,  with  the  Britiih 
forces,  was  quartered  in  the  little  town  of  Brihuega,  where, 
on  the  twenty-feventh  day  of  the  month,  he  found  himfelf 
fuddenl.y  furrounded  by  the  whole  Spanifh  army.  As  the 
place  was  net  tenable,  and  he  had  very  little  ammunition, 
he  was  obliged,  after  a  fhort  but  vigorous  refiftance,  to 
capitulate,  and  furrendcr  himfelf  and  all  his  forces  pri- 
foners  of  war,  to  the  amount  of  20OO  men,  including 
three  lieutenant-generals,  one  major-general,  one  briga 
dier,  with  all  the  colonels  and  officers  cf  the  refpeclive 
regiments.  He  was  greatly  cenfured  for  having  allowed 
himfelf  to  be  furprifed  ;  for,  if  he  had  placed  a  guard 
upon  the  neighbouring  hills,  according  to  the  advice  of 
General  Carpenter,  he  might  have  received  notice  of  the 
enemy's  approach  time  enough  to  retire  to  Cifuentes. 
Thither  he  had  detached  his  aid-du-camp,  with  an  ac 
count  of  his  fituation,  on  the  appearance  of  the  Spanifh 
army  ;  and  Str.remberg  immediately  aflembled  his  forces. 
About  eleven  in  the  forenoon  they  began  to  march  tow 
ards  Brihuega  j  but  the  roads  were  fo  bad,  that  night 
overtook  them  before  they  reached  the  heights  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  that  place.  Starembero;  is  laid  to  have 
loitered  away  his  time  unnecefTarily,  from  motives  of  envy 
to  the  Englifti  general,  who  had  furrendered  before  his 
arrival.  '1  he  troops  lay  ?.Jl  night  on  their  arms  near 
Villa-viciofa,  and  on  the  2Qth  were  attacked  by  the  e,i-- 
mv,  who  d.H'.hkd  their  number.  Starcmberg's  left  v 
was  utterly  defeated,  all  the  infantry  that  compofed  it  hav 
ing  been  either  cut  in  pieces  or  taken  ;  hut  the  victors, 
inftead  ci  fv^lo'.vi;:^;  the  blow,  began  to  plunder  the  bag 
gage;  ar.d  Staremberg,  with  his  right  \vi;-:r,  iV^ht  their 


ANN     E.  75i 

left  with  furprifu-.s:   valour   and   pcrfcverence   till    night,  c  H  A  P. 
Then  they  reared  in  diforder,  leaving  him  matter  of  the         v- 
field  of  battle,  and  of  all  their  artillery.     Six   thoufand  of 
the  enemy  were   killed  on    the    fpot ;  but   the   allies  had 
fufFered   fo  feverely  that  the  general  could  not  maintain 
his  ground.     He  ordered  the  cannon  to  he   nailed  up,  and 
marched   to  Saragoila,  from    whence  he    retired  to  Cata 
lonia.     Thither  he  was  purfued  by  the  duke  de  Vendome, 
who  reduced    Balaguer,    in  which   he  had  left  a  garrifon, 
and  compelled  him  to  take  flicker  under  the  walls  of  Bar- 
celsna.     At  this  period,    the  duke    de   Noailles   inverted 
Gironne,  which  he  reduced,   notwithstanding  the  feverity 
of  the  weather;  fo  that   Philip,  from  a  fugitive,   became 
in   three  months   abfolute   rr,a{tcr  of  the   whole    Spanifh 
monarchy,  except   the   province  of  Catalonia,    and    even 
that  lay  open  to  his  incurfions.     Nothing   of  confequencc 
was  achieved  on  the  fide  of  Portugal,  from  whence  the  earl 
of  Galway  returned  to  England  by  the  queen's  perrniffion. 
The  operations  of  the  Britim    fleet,  during   this   fummer, 
were  fo  inconfiderable  ?.s  fcarce    to   deferve   notice.     Sir 
John  N orris  commanded  in  the  Mediterranean,   and  with 
a  vie1,/  to  fupport  the    Carniferc,  who  were  in  arms  in  the 
Cevennes,  failed  to  port  Cette,   within  a  league  of  Mar- 
feiiles,   and    at   the   diftance  of  15    from    the    infurgents. 
The  place  furrendered,  without  oppofition,  to  about  700 
men,  that  landed  under    the   command  of  Major-General 
Saifian,  a  native  of  Languedoc.     He  likewife  made  him- 
fdf  n-.after  of  the  town  and  caftle   of  Ayde ;    but  the  duke 
de  Noailks    advancing  with  a  body  cf  forces  to  join  the 
t!u!:e  de  Roquelaire,  who  commanded  in    thofe  parts,    the 
Englifh  abandoned  their  conqueils,  and  re-embarked  with 
precipitation.      After    the   battle  of  Pultowa,  the  czar  of 
Mufcovy  reduced  all  Livonia  ;  but  he  and  king  Auguftus 
agreed  to    a   neutrality  for    Pomerania.      The    king    of 
Sweden  continued   at  Bender,  and   the   grand  fignor  in- 
terefted  hirr.felf  fo  much  in  behalf  of  that  prince,  as  to   de 
clare  war  againit  the  emperor  of  Ruflia.     Hoftilities  were 
carried  on  between   the?    Swediih  and  Danifh   fleets  with 
various   fuccefs.     The  malcontents  in  Hungary    fuftained 
repeated  lofies  during  the  fummer;  but  they  were  encou 
raged  to  nr.'.intain    the   v/ar    by  the    rupture  between  the 
Ottoman   Force  and   Ruffia.     They    were  flattered  with 
hopes  of  auxiliaries  from  the  Turks,  and  expected    engi 
neers  and  money  from  the  French  monarch. 

In  England,  the  effects  of  thofe  intrigues  which  had 
been  formed  againfr  the  Whig  miniftcrs  began  to  appear. 
The  trial  of  Sacheverel  had  excited  a  popular  fr.irit  ot 
averfion  to  thofe  who  favoured  the  DifTenters.  From  all 


5i»  HISTORY   OF  ENGLAND. 

TOOK  parts    of  the    kingdom  addrefies  were   preferred    to   the 
11  •        queen,  cenfuring   all    refiftance  as  a   rebellious  doctrine, 

'"•""V"1*^  founded  upon  anti-monarchical  and  rebublican  principles. 
J710-  At  the  fame  time,  countcr-addreffes  were  procured  by  the 
Whigs,  extolling  the  Revolution,  and  magnifying  the  con- 
duel  of  the  prefent  parliament.  The  queen  began  to  ex- 
prci's  her  attachment  to  the  Tories,  by  mortifying  the 
duke  of  Marlborough.  Upon  the  death  of  the  earl  of 
EiTcx,  fhe  wrete  to  the  general,  defiring  that  the  regiment 
which  had  been  commanded  by  that  nobleiran  fhould  be 
given  to  Mr.  Hill,  brother  to  Mrs.  Malham,  who  had 
lupplanted  the  duchefs  of  Marlborough  in  the  queen's 
friendfnip,  and  was  in  effect  the  fource  of  this  political 
revolution.  The  duke  reprefended  to  her  majefty,  in  per- 
ibn,  the  prejudice  that  would  redound  to  the  fervice  from 
the  promotion  of  fuch  a  young  officer  over  the  heads  of  a 
great  many  brave  men,  who  had  exhibited  repeated  proofs 
of  valour  and  capacity.  He  expoftulated  with  his  fove- 
reign  on  this  extraordinary  mark  of  partial  regard  to  the 
brother  of  Mrs.  Maftiam,  which  he  could  not  help  confi- 
dering  as  a  declaration  againit  himfelf  and  his  family,  who 
had  fo  much  caufe  to  complain  of  that  lady's  malice  and 
ingratitude.  To  this  remonftrance  the  queen  made  no 
other  reply,  but  that  he  would  'do  well  to  confult  his 
friends.  The  earl  of  Godolphin  enforced  his  friend's  ar 
guments,  though  without  effect;  and  the  duke  retired  in 
difguft  to  Windfor.  The  queen  appeared  at  council, 
without  taking  the  leaft  notice  of  his  abfence,  which  did 
not  fail  to  alarm  the  whole  Whig  faction.  Several  no 
blemen  ventured  to  fpeak  to  her  majefty  on  the  fubject, 
and  explain  the  bad  Confequences  of  difobliging  a  man 
who  had  done  fuch  eminent  fervices  to  the  nation.  She 
told  them  his  fervices  were  ftill  frefh  in  her  memory  ; 
and  that  file  retained  all  her  former  kindnefs  for  his  per- 
fon.  Hearing,  however,  that  a  popular  clamour  was  raif- 
ed,  and  that  the  houfe  of  commons  intended  to  pafs  fome 
votes  that  would  be  difagreeable  to  her  and  her  new  coun- 
fellors,  fhe  ordered  the  earl  of  Godolphin  to  write  to  the 
duke,  to  difpofe  of  the  regiment  as  he  fhould  think  proper, 
and  return  to  town  immediately.  Before  he  received  this 
intimation,  he  had  fent  a  letter  to  the  queen,  defiring  fhe 
would  permit  him  to  retire  from  bufmefs.  In  anfwerto 
this  petition,  fhe  allured  him  his  fufpicions  were  ground- 
Kt;,  and  infilled  upon  his  coming  to  council.  The  du 
chefs  demanded  an  audience  of  her  majefty,  on  pretence  of 
vindicating  her  own  character  from  fome  afperfions.  She 
hoped  to  work  upon  the  queen's  tendernefs,  and  retrieve 
the  influence  fhe  had  loft.  She  protefteJ,  argued,  wc-p", 


ANNE.  519 

and  fupplicated  ;  but  the  queen  was  too  well  pleafed  with  CHAP, 
her  own  deliverance  from  the  tyranny  of  the  othei's  friend-  (  V- 
{hip,  to  incur  fuch  flavery  for  the  future.  All  the  hu-  *X~Y"X~; 
miliation  of  the  duchefs  ferved  only  to  render  hcrfelf  the 
more  contemptible.  The  queen  heard  her,  without  ex 
hibiting  the  leaft  fign  of  emotion ;  and  all  (he  would 
vouchfafe  v/as  a  repetition  of  thefe  words,  "  You  defired 
"  no  anfvver,  and  you  (hall  have  none:"  Alluding  to  an 
expreffion  in  a  letter  fhe  had  received  from  the  duchefs. 
As  an  additional  mortification  to  the  miniftry,  the  office 
of  lord-chamberlain  was  transferred  from  the  duke  of 
Kent  to  the  duke  of  Shrewfbury,  who  had  lately  voted 
with  the  Tories,  and  maintained  an  intimacy  of  corref- 
pondence  with  Mr.  Harley.  The  intereft  of  the  duke  of 
Marlborough  was  not  even  fufficient  to  prevent  the  dif- 
miffion  of  his  own  fon-in-law,  the  earl  of  Sunderland,  from 
the  poft  of  fecretary  of  ftate,  in  which  he  was  fucceeded  by 
Lord  Dartmouth. 

The  queen  was  generally  npplauded  for  thus  afTerting 
her  juft  prerogative,  and  fetting  herfdf  free  from  an  ar 
bitrary  cabal,  by  which  fhe  had  been  fo  long  kept  in  de 
pendence.  The  duke  of  Beaufort  went  to  court  on  this 
occafion,  and  told  her  majefty,  he  was  extremely  glad  that 
he  could  now  falute  her  queen  in  reality-  The  whole 
Whig  party  were  juftly  alarmed  at  thefe  alterations.  The 
directors  of  the  bank  reprefented  to  her  majefty  the  pre 
judice  that  would  undoubtedly  accrue  to  public  credit  from 
a  change  of  the  miniftry.  The  emperor  and  the  ftates- 
general  interpofed  in  this  domeftic  revolution.  Their  mi- 
nifters  at  London  prefanted  memorials,  explaining  in  what 
manner  foreign  affairs  would  be  influenced  by  an  alteratioa 
in  the  Britifh  miniftry.  The  queen  allured  them,  that, 
whatever  changes  might  be  made,  the  duke  of  Marlborough 
fhould  be  continued  in  his  employments.  In  the  munth 
of  Auguft,  the  earl  of  Godolphin  was  divefted  of  his  of 
fice,  and  the  treafury  put  in  cornmifTion,  fubjedted  to  the 
direction  of  liarley,  appointed  chancellor  of  the  exchequer 
and  under-treafurer.  The  enrl  of  Rochefter  was  declared 
prefidsnt  of  the  council,  in  the  room  of  Lord  Somers :  The 
flaff  of  lord-fteward  being  taken  from  the  duke  of  Devon- 
fhire,  was  given  to  the  duke  of  Buckingham ;  and  Mr.  Boyle 
was  removed  from  the  lecrctary's  office,  to  make  way  for  Mr. 
Henry  St.  John.  The  lord-chancellor  having  refigned  the 
great  feal,  it  was  firft  put  in  commiiTion,  and  afterwards  giv 
en  to  Sir  Simon  Fiarcourt.  The  earl  of  W&a'rton  furreader- 
ed  his  commiflion  of  lord-lieutenant  of  Ireland,  which  the 
queen  conferred  on  the  duke  of  Orrr.ond.  The  earl  of  Or- 
ford  withdrew  fcimfelf  from  the  board  of  admiralty;  and  Mr. 


520  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND 

BOOK   George  Grenville   was   appointed  fecretary  of  war,  in  the 
IJ-        room  of  Mr.  Robert  Walpole.  The  command  of  rh.j  forces 

^"V^  in  Portugal  was  beftowed  upon  the  earl  of  Portmo-e  ;  the 
I7IO-  duke  of  Hamiiton  was  appointed  lord-lieutenant  of  the  coun 
ty  palatine  of  Lancafler.  In  a  word,  there  was  not  one  Whig 
left  in  any  office  of  fcate,  except  the  duke  of  Marlborough, 
who  would  have  renounced  his  command,  had  not  he  been 
earneftly  diffuaded  by  his  particular  friends  from  taking 
fuch  a  ftep  as  might  have  been  prejudical  to  the  intereft  of 
the  nation.  That  the  triumph  of  the  Tories  might  be 
complete,  the  queen  diffolved  the  Whig  pr.rliament,  after 
fuch  precautions  were  taken  as  could  not  fail  to  influence 
the  new  election  in  favour  of  the  other  party. 

To  this  end  nothing  fo  effectually  contributed  as  did  the 
trial  of  Sacheverel,  who  was  ufed  as  an  inllrument  and 
tool  to  wind  and  turn  the  paffions  of  the  vulgar.  Having 
been  prefcnted  to  a  benefice  in  North  Wales,  he  went  in 
proceilion  to  that  country,  with  all  the  pomp  and  magni 
ficence  of  a  fovereign  prince.  He  was  fumptuoufly  en 
tertained  by  the  univerfity  of  Oxford,  and  different  noble 
men,  who,  while  they  worshipped  him  as  the  idol  of  their 
faction,  could  not  help  defpiiing  the  object  of  their  adora 
tion.  He  was  received  in  fcveral  towns  by  the  magistrates 
of  the  corporation  in  their  formalities,  and  often  attended 
by  a  body  of  a  thoufand  horfe.  At  Bridgenorth  he  was 
met  by  Mr.  Crefwell,  at  the  head  of  four  thoufand  horfe, 
and  the  like  number  of  perfons  on  foot,  wearing  white 
knots  edged  with  gold,  and  three  leaves  of  gilt  laurel  in 
their  hats.  The  hedges  were  for  two  miles  drefled  with 
garlands  of  flowers,  and  lined  with  people  ;  and  the  ftee- 
ples  covered  with  ilreamers,  flags,  and  colours.  Nothing 
was  heard  but  the  cry  of  "  The  church  and  Dr.  Sache- 
"  verel."  The  clergy  were  adluated  by  a  fpirit  of  enthu- 
fiafm,  which  feemed  to  fpiead  like  a  contagion  through  all 
ranks  and  degrees  of  people,  and  had  fuch  an  effect  upon 
the  elections  for  the  new  parliament,  that  very  few  were 
returned  as  members  but  fuch  as  had  diftinguifhe'd  them- 
felves  by  their  zeal  againfr.  the  Whig  administration. 
Now  the  queen  had  the  ple;.fure  to  fee  all  the  offices  of 
ftate,  the  lieutenancy  of  London,  the  management  cf 
corporations,  and  the  direction  of  both  houfes  of  parliament 
in  the  hands  of  the  Tories.  When  thefe  met  on  the  25th 
day  of  November,  Mr.  Bromley  was  chof-m  fpeakcr  with 
out  oppofition.  The  queen,  in  her  fpeech,  recommended 
the  profecution  of-  the  war  with  vigour,  efpecially  in 
Spain.  She  declared  herfelf  refolved  to  fupport  the  church 
'  of  England  ;  to  preferve  the  Britifh  confti cation  according 
to  the  Union  >  to  maintain  the  indulgence  by  law  allowed 


ANNE.  -521 

to  fcrupulous  conferences ;  and  to  employ  none  but  fuch  CHAP. 
as  were  heartily  attached  to  the  Proteftant  fucceflion  in  the  v- 
houfe  of  Hanover.  The  lords,  in  their  addrefs,  promifed  ^*y***' 
to  concur  in  all  reafonable  me;.fures  towards  procuring  an  I7IC- 
honourable  peace.  The  commons  were  more  warm  and 
hearty  in  their  aiTurances,  exhorting  her  majefty  to  dif- 
countenance  all  fuch  principles  and  meafures  as  had  lately 
threatened  her  royal  crown  and  dignity  ;  meafures,  which, 
whenever  they  might  prevail,  would  prove  fatal  to  the 
whole  conftitution,  both  in  church  and  ftate.  After  this 
declaration  they  proceeded  to  coniider  the  eftimates,  and 
chearfully  granted  the  fupplies  for  the  enfuing  year,  part 
of  which  was  raifed  by  two  lotteries.  In  the  houfe  of 
peers,  the  earl  of  Scarborough  moved,  that  the  thanks  of 
the  houfe  mould  be  returned  to  the  dulce  of  Marlborough  ; 
but  the  duke  of  Argyie  made  fome  objections  to  the  mo 
tion,  and  the  general's  friends,  dreading  the  confluence 
of  putting  the  queftion,  poftponed  the  confidcration  of  this 
propofal  until  the  duke  mould  return  from  the  cont.tK'nt. 
The  earl  of  Peterborough  was  appointed  amb-lTador  ex 
traordinary  to  the  Imperial  court ;  the  earl  of  Rivers  was 
fent  in  the  fame  quality  to  Hanover  ;  Mr.  Richard  Hill 
was  nominated  envoy  extraordinary  to  the  United  Pro 
vinces,  as  well  as  to  the  council  of  ftate  appointed  for  the 
government  of  the  Spanifh  Netherlands,  in  the  room  of 
Lieutenant-General  Cadogan.  Meredith,  Macartney,  and 
Honeywood  were  deprived  of  their  regiments,  becaufe 
in  their  cups  they  had  drunk  confufion  to  the  enemies  of 
the  duke  of  Marlborough. 

This  nobleman  arrived  in  England  towards  the  latter 
end  of  December.  He  conferred  about  half  an  hour  in 
private  with  the  queen,  and  next  morning  afiifted  at  a 
committee  of  the  privy-council.  Her  majefty  gave  him 
to  underftand,  that  he  needed  not  to  expect  the  thanks  of 
the  parliament  as  formerly ;  and  told  him  me  hoped  he 
would  live  well  with  her  rrinifters.  He  exprelTed  no  re- 
fentment  at  the  alterations  which  had  been  made  ;  but  re- 
folved  to  acquiefce  in  the  queen's  pleafure,  and  retain  the 
command  of  the  army  on  her  own  terms.  On  the  2d  day 
of  January,  the  queen  fent  amelTage  to  both  houfes,  inti 
mating  that  there  had  been  an  action  in  Spain  to  thedifad- 
vantage  of  King  Charles  :  That  the  damage  having  fallen, 
particularly  on  the  Engliih  forces,  (he  had  given  direc 
tions  for  fending  and  procuring  troops  to  repair  the  lofs, 
and  hoped  the  parliament  would  approve  her  conduct. 
Both  houfes  feized  this  opportunity  of  venting  their  fpleen 
againft  the  old  miniftry.  The  hiftory  of  England  is  dif- 
graced  by  the  violent  conduct:  of  two  turbulent  factions, 

VOL.  "I.  3  U 


522  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND 

BOOK   which,  in  their  turn  engrofled  the   adminiftration  and  le- 
H-        giflative  power.     The  parliamentary  (train  was  quite  al- 
*-*"y<»->   tered.     One  can  hardly  conceive  how  refolutions  fo  widely 
J710-       difFcrent  could  be   taken   on   the   fame   fubject,  with  any 
fhadow  of  reafon  and  decorum.     Marlborough.  who  but 
a   few  months  before   had  been  fo  highly  extolled  and  ca- 
refled  by  the  reprefentatives  of  the  people,  was  now  be 
come  the  object   of  parliamentary    hatred    and   cenfure, 
though  no  fenfible  alteration  had  happened   in  his  conduct 
M   u,°f       or  uacce^s-     That  hero,  who  had  retrieved  the  glory  of  the 
rou"h          Britifh  arms,  won  fo  many  battles,  fubdued  fuch  a  num- 
ftamef ally    ber  of  towns  and  diftricts,  humbled  the  pride  and  checked 
infulted.       tne  ambition  of  France  fecured  the  liberty  of  Europe;  and, 
as  it  were,  chained  victory  to  his  chariot  wheels ;  was  in 
a  few  weeks  dwindled  into  an  object  of  contempt  and  de- 
rifion.     He   was   ridiculed   in  public   libels,  and   reviled 
in  private  converfation.     Inftances  were  every  where  re 
peated  of  his  fraud,  avarice,  and   extortion;  his  infolence, 
cruelty,  ambition,  and  mifconduct:  Even  his  courage  was 
called  in  queftion ;  and  this   confummate  general   was  re- 
prefented   as  the  loweft  of  mankind.     So  unftable  is  the 
popularity  of  every  character  that  fluctuates   between  two 
oppofite  tides  of  faction. 

The  lords,  in  their  anfwer  to  the  queen's  meflage,  de 
clared,  that  as  the  misfortune  in  Spain  might  have  been 
occafjoned  by  fome  preceding  mifmanagement,  they  would 
ufe  their  utmoft  endeavours  to  difcover  it,  fo  as  to  prevent 
the  like  for  the  future.  They  fet  on  foot  an  enquiry  con 
cerning  the  affairs  of  Spain  ;  and  the  earl  of  Peterborough 
being  examined  before  the  committee,  imputed  all  the 
mifcarriages  in  the  courfe  of  that  war,  to  the  earl  of  Gal- 
way  and  General  Stanhope.  Notwithstanding  the  de 
fence  of  Galway,  which  was  clear  and  convincing,  the 
houfe  refolved,  That  the  earl  of  Peterborough  had  given  a 
faithful  and  honourable  account  of  the  councils  of  war  in 
Valencia  :  That  the  earl  of  Galway,  lord  Tyrawley,  and 
General  Stanhope,  in  advifing  an  offenfive  war,  had  been 
the  unhappy  occafion  of  the  battle  at  Almanza,  the  fource 
of  our  misfortunes  in  Spain,  and  one  great  caule  of  thedif- 
appointment  from  the  expedition  to  Toulon,  concerted 
with  her  majefty.  They  voted,  That  the  profecution  of 
an  offenfive  war  in  Spain  was  approved  and  directed  by 
the  minifters,  who  were,  therefore,  juftly  blamable,  as 
having  contributed  to  all  our  misfortunes  in  Spain,  and  to 
the  difappointment  of  the  expedition  againft  Toulon: 
That  the  earl  of  Peterborough,  during  his  command  in 
Spain,  had  performed  many  great  and  eminent  fervices  ; 
and,  if  his  opinion  had  been  followed,  it  might  have  pre- 


ANNE.'  523 

vented  the   misfortunes    that   enfued.     Then  the  dukeofCHAP- 

Buckingham  moved.  That  the  thanks  of  the  houfe  {hould        v- 

be  given  to  the  earl,  for  his  remarkable  and  eminent  fer- 

vices  :   And   thefe  he  actually  received  from  the  mouth  of 

the  Lord-keeper  Harcourt,  who  took  this   opportunity  to 

drop  fome  oblique  reflections  upon  the  mercenary  difpofi- 

tion  of  the  duke  of  Marlborough.     The  houfe  proceeding 

in  the  enquiry,  paffed  another  vote,   importing,  That  the 

late  miniftry  had  been  negligent  in   managing  the  Spanifh 

war,  to  the  great   prejudice  of  the  nation.     Finding  that 

the  Portuguefe  troops   were    pofted   on    the   right   of  the 

Englilh  at  the  battle  of  Almanza,  they  refolved,  that  the 

earl  of  Galvvay,  in  yielding  this   point,  had  acted  contrary 

to  the   honour  of  Great  Britain.     Thefe  refolutions   they 

included  in   addrefs  to  the    queen,  who  had  been  prefent 

during  the    debates,  which    were   extremely  violent ;  and 

to   every  feparate    vote    was   attached   a  fevere     proteft. 

Thefe  were  not  the  proceedings  of  candour  and   national 

juftice,  but  the  ebullitions  of  party  zeal  and  rancorous  ani- 

mofitv. 

While  the  lords  were  employed  in  this  enquiry,  the 
commons  examined  certain  abufes  which  had  crept  into 
the  management  of  the  navy ;  and  fome  cenftires  were 
patted  upon  certain  perfons  concerned  in  contracts  for 
victualling  the  feamen.  The  inhabitants  of  St.  Olave's 
and  other  parifhes  prefented  a  petition,  complaining  that  a 
great  number  of  Palatines  inhabiting  one  houfe  mi^ht  pro 
duce  among  them  a  contagious  diftemper  ;  and  in  time 
become  a  charge  to  the  public,  as  they  v/ere  deflitute  of 
all  vifible  means  of  fubfiftence.  This  petition  had  been 
procured  by  the  Tories,  that  the  houfe  of  commons  might 
have  another  handle  for  attacking  the  late  miniftry.  A 
committee  was  appointed  to  enquire  upon  what  invitation 
or  encouragement  thofe  Palatines  had  come  to  England. 
The  papers  relating  to  this  affair  being  laid  before  them 
by  the  queen's  order,  and  perufed,  the  houfe  refolved, 
That  the  inviting  and  bringing  over  the  poor  Palatines  of 
all  religions,  at  the  public  expence,  was  an  extravasant 
and  unreafonable  charge  to  the  kingdom,  and  a  fcandalous 
mifapplication  of  the  public  money,  tending  to  the  increafe 
and  oppreiTion  of  the  poor,  and  of  dangerous  confequence 
to  the  conftitution  in  church  and  ftate;  and,  That  whoever 
advifed  their  being  brought  over  was  an  enemy  to  the  queen 
and  kingdom.  Animated  by  the  heat  of  this  enquiry,  they 
palled  the  bill  to  repeal  the  act  for  a  general  naturalization 
of  all  Proteftants;  but  this  was  rejected  in  the  houfe  of 
lords.  Another  bill  was  enacted  into  a  law,  importing, 
That  no  perfon  {hould  be  deemed  qualified  for  reprefent- 


524  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  ing  a  county  in  parliament,  unlcfs  he  pofiefledan  eibte  of 

ii\  hundred    pounds   a-year  ;  and    reftricling  the   qualifi— 

^*~Y~*J   cation  of  burgefs  to  half  that  fum.     The  dengnof  this  bill 

I7JC'       \va<  to  exclude  trading  people  from  the  houfe  of  commons, 

and  to  lodge  the  1  giil.itive  power  with   the   land-holders. 

A  thiid  adt  pafled,  permitting  the   importation   of  French 

wine  in  IK  utral  bottoms:   A  bill  againft  which  the  Whigs 

loudly  exclaimed,    as  a    national  evil,    and    a   fcr.ndalous 

coiiiplim vnt  to  the  enemy. 

Harlcy  A  vi^cllt  P-H'ty  in  the  houfe  of  commons  began  to  look 

wounded  upon  Hailey  as  a  lukewarm  Tory,  bccaufc  he  would  not 
byauafLf-  enter  precipitately  into  all  their  factious  meafures :  They 
even  b^ean  to  fufpect  hi!;  principles.  But  this  credit  was 
re-eftablifhed  by  a  very  fingular  accident.  Guifcard,  the 
French  partitan,  of  whom  mention  hath  already  been 
made,  thought  himfelf  very  ill  rewarded  for  his  fcrviccs, 
•with  a  precarious  penfion  of  four  hundred  pounds,  which 
he  enjoyed  from  the  queen's  bounty.  He  had  been  re 
nounce  l»y  St.  John,  the  former  companion  of  his  plea 
fures:  He  had  in  vain  endeavoured  to  obtain  audience  cf 
the  queen,  with  a  view  to  demand  more  confiderable  ap 
pointments.  Harley  was  his  enemy,  and  all  accefs  to  her 
majtfty  \vas  denied.  Enraged  at  thefe  difappointments, 
j:U-d  to  make  hi^  peace  with  the  court  of  France, 
and  offered  his  f.ivui-,  in  a  letter  to  one  Moreau,  a 
banker,  in  P.iris.  This  packet,  which  he  endeavourt-d  to 
tranfmit  by  the  way  of  Portugal,  was  intercepted,  and  a 
warrant  iilued  out  to  apprehend  him  for  high-treafon. 
When  the  menfnger  difarmed  him  in  St.  James's  park, 
he  exhibited  marks  of  f  uilty  confufion  and  dcfpair,  and 
cd  that  he  would  kill  him  dire&ly.  Being  conveyed 
to  the  cockpir,  in  :i  fort  of  frenzy,  he  perceived  a  pen-knife 
lying  upon  a  t;:blc,  arid  took  it  up  without  bein£  perceiv 
ed  by  the  attcmunts.  A  con  n  ittee  of  council  was  im 
mediately  fummoned,  :;nd  Guifcard  brought  before  them 
to  be  examined.  Finding  that  his  correspondence  with 
Moteau  was  difcovcred,  he  defired  to  fpenk  in  private 
with  fecretary  St.  John,  whom,  in  all  probability,  he  had 
refolved  to  afiaflin^e.  His  reque-ft  being  refufed,  he  faid, 
u  That's  hard  \  not  one  word  !"  St.  John  being  out  of 
his  reach,  he  (K  pped  up  to  Mr.  Harley,  and  exclaiming 
u  Have  at  thee,  then  !"  (tabbed  him  in  the  bread  with 
the  pen-knife  which  ht-  h^d  concealed.  The  inflrument 
broke  upon  tlv  bone,  without  penetratina:  into  the  cavity: 
Neverthdeis,  he  repeated  the  blow  with  fuch  force,  that 
the-  char.C'-llor  of  the  exchcquc/  fell  to  the  ground.  Se- 
C;Cta;y  S:.  John,  f  r ing  him  fall,  cried  out,  "  The 
41  villain  has  killed  Mr.  Harley!"  and  drew  his  fword, 


ANNE.  525 

Several  other  members  followed  his  example,  and  wounded  CHAP, 
(ruifeard  in  1  vcr.'.l  j-hcos.     Yet  he  made  a  defperate  de-        v' 
,        til    he  Was    overpowered  by    the  meflengers  and   V-X~Y"S-' 
\ts,  and  conv.-y.-d  from   the  council-chamber,  which 
he    had    filled   with    terror,  tumult,  and    confufion.     His 
wounds,  though  iian':erou«,  were  not  mortal :  But  he  died 
of  a  gangrene,  occafioned  by  the  hruifes   he  had  fuftained. 
This  attempt    upon    the    life  of  Harley,  byapcifm  who 
J  to  eltablilh  A  traiterous  correfponderice  with  France 
:         :'.:       :  ms  of  thofe    who  began   to  doubt 
th.-.t  miner's,   integrity.     The  two   houfes  of  parliament, 
in  adJrck  tothe  queen  declared  thjir  belief,  t!r.t  Mr.  Har- 
ley's  fidelity  to  h;r  m-j  fry,    and  zeal  for   her  fcrvice,  had 
drawn  upon  him  the  hatred  of  all   the  abettors  of  popery 
an-J  faction.  ^  They  befou^ht  her  majefty  to  take  all   pofli-  Burner, 
hi-'  cr.ro  t.f  her  facivd  r  :hat  purpofe  to  give  O^iney. 

:ig  Fapifh  to  be  removed  from  the  cities  fr*"1*""™' 
pf  London  and  Wethninfter.     A   proclamation   was  pub-  B 
limed,  ordering  the  laws  to  be  ftricily  put    in  ex-.cution  Hiu. 

'•.pii^.      When  Harley  appeared   in  the   houle  of  PofMuari- 

-        i  •  I  11  .     boro 

commons  after  his  recovery,  he  was  congratulated  upon  it  Mi:. 

by  the  fpealcer,  in  a  florid  and  fulfjme  pr  sch.  ConduJt  «>f 

An  act  was  parted,  decreeing,  That  an   attempt  ut>on  the  tht>  9ufnefi 
...       ..          .    '  ,-  ,,        1^11,       f  i  -i^i         f    ot  inarlbo- 

life  ot  a  pnvy-counlcUor  mould  be  ntomy  without   benefit  rt>. 
of  clergy,     '('he  earl  of  Rachrfter  dying,  Harley  became 'I 

niinift-rr,  was  created  baron  of  Wi^ir.ore,  and  railed      'es' 
to  thi  rank  of  earl,  by  the  noMe  and  ancient  titles  of  Ox- 
tord  and  Mortimer :   To  crown  his  profpcrity,  he  w.^ 

'i'd-treafurcr,  and  veftcd  with  the  fupreme  admi- 
niftrationof  aft'ui,  . 

commons  empowered   certain  pcrfons   to  examine 
all  the-  grants  made    by  King  William^  and  report  the  va- 

.  them,  as  well  as  the  confederations  upon  which 
were  made.     Upon   their  report    a  bill  was    formed, 

'.    that   houfe;  but  the  lords    rejected  i'    at    t:ie  firft 
.      Their  next  ftcp  was  to  examine  the  public   ac- 

:,  with  a  view  to  fix    an  imputation  on   the  earl  of 
Godoiphin.      They    voted,    That    above    five-and-thirty 
millions  of  the  money  granted  by  parliament  unaccounted 
for.     This  fum,  h     .         .  included  fome  accounts  ii 
reigns  of  King  Charles  and  King  William.     OIK-  half  of 
whole   was  charged  to   Mr.   Bridges,  the    paymafter, 
who  had  actually  accounted    for  all    the  money  he  had  ; 
ceived,  except  about  three  million?,  tl-  fe  accounts 

had  not  pailVd  through  the  auditor's  office.  Th.  com 
mons  afterwards  proceeded  to  enquire  into  the  debts  of 
the  r.«vy,  that  exceeded  five  millions,  which,  with  rrany 
other  debts,  were  thrown  into  one  ftock,  amounting  ti> 


526  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  nine  millions  four  hundred  and  feventy-one  thoufand  three 
J  hundred  and  twenty-five  pounds.     A  fund  was  formed  for 

^""Y"^  paying  an  intcreft  or  annuity  of  fix  per  cent,  until  the 
171°.  principal  fhould  be  difcharged;  and  with  this  was  granted 
a  monopoly  of  a  projected  trade  to  the  South-fea,  veftecl 
in  the  proprietors  of  navy-bills,  debentures,  and  other 
public  fecurities,  which  were  incorporated  for  this  pur- 
pofe.  Such  was  the  origin  of  the  South-fea  company, 
founded  upon  a  chimerical  fuppofition,  that  the  Engliih. 
would  be  permitted  to  trade  upon  the  coaft  of  Peru  in  the 
Weft-Indies.  Perhaps,  the  new  miniftry  hoped  to  obtain 
this  permiffion,  as  an  equivalent  for  their  abandoning  the 
intereft  of  King  Charles,  with  refpect  to  his  pretenfions 
upon  Spain.  By  this  time  the  emperor  Jofeph  had  died 
of  the  fmall  pox  without  male  ifliie;  fo  that  his  brother's 
immediate  aim  was  to  fucceed  him  on  the  Imperial  throne. 
This  event  was  on  the  20th  day  of  April,  communicated 
by  a  mefiage  from  the  queen  to  both  houfes.  She  told 
them,  that  the  ftates-general  had  concurred  with  her  in  a 
refolution  to  fupport  the  houfe  of  Auftria  ;  that  they  had 
already  taken  fuch  meafures  as  would  fecurc  the  election 
of  Charles  as  head  of  the  empire. 

The  houfe  of  commons,  in  order  to  dcmonftrate  their 
attachment  to  the  church,  in  confequence  of  an  addrefs 
from  the  lower  houfe  of  convocation,  and  a  quickening 
mefiage  from  the  queen,  pafied  a  bill  for  building  fifty 
new  churches  in  the  fuburbs  of  London  and  Weftminfter, 
and  appropriated  for  this  purpofe  the  duty  upon  coals, 
which  had  been  granted  for  the  building  of  St.  Paul's  now 
finifhed.  This  impofition  was  continued  until  it  fhould 
raife  the  fum  of  three  hundred  and  fifty  thoufand  pounds. 
At  the  clofe  of  the  feflion,  the  commons  prefented  a  re- 
monftrance  or  reprcfentation  to  the  queen,  in  which  they 
told  her,  that  they  had  not  only  raifed  the  neceflary  fup- 
plies,  but  alfo  difcharged  the  heavy  debts  of  which  the  na 
tion  had  fo  long  and  juftly  complained.  They  faid,  that 
in  tracing  the  caufes  of  this  debt,  they  had  difcovered 
fraud  embezzlement,  and  mifapplication  or  of  the  public 
money :  That  they  who  of  late  years  had  the  management 
of  the  treafury  were  guilty  of  notorious  breach  of  truft  and 
injuftice  to  the  nation,  in  allowing  above  thirty  millions 
to  retain  unaccounted  for ;  a  purpofed  omiflion  that  look 
ed  like  a  defign  to  conceal  embezzlements.  They  begged 
her  majefty  vrould  give,  immediate  directions  for  compel 
ling  the  feveral  impreft  accountants  fpeedily  to  pafs  their 
accounts.  They  exprefled  their  hope,  that  fuch  of  the 
accountants  as  had  neglected  their  duty  in  profecuting 
their  accounts  ouht  no  loner  to  be  entrufted  with  the 


ANNE.  527 

public  money.  They  affirmed,  that  from  all  thefe  evil  C  H  A  P. 
practices  and  worfe  defigns  of  fome  perfons,  who  had,  by  v< 
falfe  profeilions  of  love  to  their  country,  insinuated  them-  V-^V**' 
felves  into  her  royal  favour,  irreparable  mifchief  would 
have  accrued  to  the  public,  had  not  her  majeily,  in  her 
great  wifdom,  feafonably  difcovered  the  fatal  tendency  of 
fuch  meafures,  and  removed  from  the  adminiftration  thofe 
who  had  fo  ill  anfwered  her  majefty's  favourable  opinfon, 
and  in  fo  many  inftances  grofsly  abufed  the  truft  repofed  in 
them.  They  obferved,  that  her  people  could  with  greater 
patience  have  fuffered  the  manifold  injuries  done  to  them- 
ielves,  by  the  frauds  and  depredations  of  fuch  evil  mini- 
fters,  had  not  the  fame  men  proceeded  to  treat  her  facred 
perfon  with  undutifulnefs  and  difregard.  This  reprefent- 
ation  being  circulated  through  the  kingdom,  produced  the 
defired  effect  of  inflaming  the  minds  of  the  people  againft 
the  late  miniftry.  Such  expedients  were  become  necefla- 
ry  for  the  execution  of  Oxford's  project,  which  was  to  put 
a  fpeedy  end  to  a  war  that  had  already  fubjedled  the  peo 
ple  to  grievous  oppreffion,  and  even  accumulated  heavy 
burthens  to  be  tranfmitted  to  their  pofterity.  The  nation 
was  infpired  by  extravagant  ideas  of  glory  and  conqueft, 
even  to  a  rage  of  war-making ;  fo  that  the  new  minifters, 
in  order  to  difpel  thofe  dangerous  chimeras,  were  obliged 
to  take  meafures  for  exciting  their  indignation  and  con 
tempt  againft  thofe  perfons  whom  they  had  formerly  ido 
lized  as  their  heroes  and  patriots.  On  the  1 2th  day  of 
June,  the  queen  having  given  the  royal  aflent  to  feveral 
public  and  private  bills,  made  an  affectionate  fpeech  to 
both  houfes.  She  thanked  the  commons,  in  the  warmeft 
expreffions,  for  having  complied  with  all  her  defires;  for 
having  baffled  the  expectations  of  her  enemies  in  finding 
fupplies  for  the  fervice  of  the  enfuing  year;  in  having 
granted  greater  fums  than  were  ever  given  to  any  prince  in 
one  feffion  ;  and  in  having  fettled  funds  for  the  payment  of 
the  public  debts,  fo  that  the  credit  of  the  nation  was  reftor- 
ed.  She  exprefTed  her  earned  concern  for  the  fucceffion, 
of  the  houfe  of  Hanover ;  and  her  fixed  refolution  to  fup- 
port  and  encourage  the  church  of  England  as  by  law  efta- 
blifhed.  Then  the  parliament  was  prorogued. 

Of  the  convocation  which  was  aflembled  with  the  new 
parliament,  the  lower  houfe  chofe  Dr.  Atterbury  their 
prolocutor.  He  was  an  enterprifing  ecclefiaftic,  of  exten- 
five  learning,  acute  talents,  violently  attached  to  Tory 
principles,  and  intimately  connected  with  the  prime  mi- 
nifter,  Oxford  ;  fo  that  he  directed  all  the  proceedings  in 
the  lower  houfe  of  convocation,  in  concert  with  that  mi- 
nifter.  The  queen,  in  a  letter  to  the  archbifliop,  figni- 


528  .        HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND, 

D  o  o  K  fied  her  hope,  that  the  confultations  of  the  clergy  might 
be  of  ufe  to  reprcfs  the  attempts  of  loofe  and  profane  per- 
'-"V^  fons.'  She  fent  a  licenfe  under  the  broad  feal,  empowering 
17I°*  them  to  fit  and  do  bufinefs  in  as  ample  a  manner  as  ever 
had  been  granted  fmce  the  Reformation.  They  were  or 
dered  to  lay  before  the  queen  an  account  of  the  exceffive 
growth  of  infidelity  and  herefy,  as  well  as  of  other  abufes, 
that  necefTary  meafures  might  be  taken  for  a  reformation. 
The  bifhops  were  purpofely  flighted  and  overlooked,  be- 
caufe  they  had  lived  in  harmony  with  the  late  minifters. 
A  committee  being  appointed  to  draw  up  a  reprefentation 
of  the  prefent  ftate  of  the  church  and  religion.  Atterbury 
undertook  the  talk,  and  compofed  a  remonftrance  that 
contained  the  nioft  keen  and  fevere  ftri&ures  upon  the  ad- 
miniftration,  as  it  had  been  cxercifed  fince  the  time  of  the 
Revolution.  Another  was  penned  by  the  bifhops  in  more 
moderate  terms ;  and  feveral  regulations  were  made,  but 
in  none  of  thefe  did  the  two  houfbs  agree.  They  concur 
red,  however,  in  cenfurint;  fome  tenets  favouring  Aria- 
nifm,  broached  and  fuppoited  by  Mr.  Whifton,  mathe 
matical  profefibr  in  Cambridge.  He  had  been  expelled 
the  univerfity,  and  wrote  a  vindication  of  himfelf,  dedi 
cated  to  the  convocation.  The  archbifhop  doubted  whe 
ther  this  affembly  could  proceed  againft  a  man  for  hertfy : 
The  judges  were  confulted,  and.  the  majority  of  them 
gave  in  their  opinion,  that  the  convocation  had  a  jurifdic- 
tion.  Four  of  them  profefFed  the  contrary  fentimeilt, 
which  they  maintained  from  the  ftatutes  made  at  the  Re 
formation.  The  queen,  in  a  letter  to  the  bifhops,  faid, 
that  as  there  was  now  no  doubt  of  their  jurifdi&ion,  fhc 
expected  they  would  proceed  in  the  matter  before  them. 
Frefh  fcruples  arifing,  they  determined  to  examine  the 
book,  without  proceeding  againft  the  author,  and  this  was 
cenfured  accordingly.  An  extract  of  the  fentence  was 
fent  to  the  queen  ;  but  (he  did  not  lignify  her  pleafure  on 
this  fubjecl:,  and  the  affair  remained  in  fufpenfe.  Whifton 
publifhed  a  wot-k  in  four  volumes,  juftifying  his  do&rine, 
and  maintaining  that  the  apoftolical  constitutions  were  not 
only  canonical,  but  alfo  preferable  in  point  of  authority  to 
the  epiftles  and  the  gofpel 

The  new  miniftry  had  not  yet  determined  to  fuperftde 
the  duke  of  Marlborough  in  the  command  of  the  army, 
This  was  a  ftep  which  could  not  be  taken  without  giving 
umbrage  to  the  Dutch  and  other  allies.  He,  therefore,  fet 
out  for  Holland  in  the  month  of  February,  after  the  queen 
had  afTured  him,  that  he  might  depend  upon  the  punctual 
payment  of  the  forces.  Having  conferred  with  the  depu 
ties  of  the  ftates  about  the  operations  of  the  campaign,  hey 


ANNE.  529 

about  the  middle  of  April,  afiembled  the  army  at  Orchies,  CHAP. 
between  Lifle  and  Douay  ;  while  marefchal  de  Villars  IV- 
drew  together  the  Fver.ch  troops  in  the  neighbourhood  of  ^^a\^^f 
Cambray  and  Arras.  Louis  had  by  this  time  depopulated  J711t 
as  well  as  impoveriihed  his  kingdom  ;  yet  his  fubjecls  flill 
Hocked  to  his  ftandard  with  lurprifing  fpirit  and  attach 
ment.  Under  the  prefiure  of  extreme  mifery  they  uttered 
not  one  complaint  of  their  fovereign  ;  but  imputed  all 
their  calamities  to  the  pride  and  obftinacy  of  the  allies. 
Exclusive  of  all  the  other  impofitions  that  were  laid  upon 
that  people,  they  contented  to  pay  the  tenth  penny  of  their 
whole  fubftance  ;  but  all  their  efforts  of  loyalty  and  affec 
tion  to  their  prince  would  have  bern  ineffectual,  had  not 
the  merchants  of  the  kingdom,  by  the  permiflion  of  Phi 
lip,  undertaken  repeated  voyages  to  the  South-fea,  from 
whence  they  brought  home  immenfe  treafures  ;  while  the 
allies  took  no  fteps  for  intercepting  thefe  fupplies,  though 
nothing  could  have  been  more  eafy  for  the  Englifh  than 
to  deprive  the  enemy  of  this  great  refource,  and  convert  it 
to  their  own  advantage.  Had  a  fquadron  of  (hips  been 
annually  employed  for  this  purpofe,  the  fubje<5r.s  of  France 
and  Spain  muft  have  been  literally  ftarved,  and  Louis 
obliged  to  fubmit  to  fuch  terms  as  the  confederates  might 
have  thought  proper  to  impofe.  Villars  had  found  means 
to  affemble  a  very  numerous  army,  with  which  he  en 
camped  behind  the  river  Sanfet,  in  fuch  an  advantageous 
poft  as  could  not  be  attacked  with  any  profpe6l  of  fuc- 
cefs.  Alean  while,  the  duke  of  Marlborough  parted  the 
Scarpe,  and  formed  his  camp  between  Douay  and  Bou- 
chain,  where  he  was  joined  by  Prince  Eugene  on  the 
23d  day  of  May.  This  general,  however,  did  not  lono- 
remain  in  the  Netherlands.  Understanding  that  detach 
ments  had  been  made  from  the  army  of  Villars  to  the 
Rhine,  and  that  the  elector  of  Bavaria  intended  to  p.cT:  in 
the  empire,  the  prince,  by  order  from  the  court  of  Vien* 
na,  marched  towards  the  Upper  Rhine  with  the  Imperial 
and  Palatine  troops,  to  fee-are  Germany.  The  duke  .of 
Marlborough  repaying  the  Scarpe,  encamped  in  the  plains 
of  Lens,  from  whence  he  advanced  towards  Aire,  as  if  he 
had  intended  to  attack  the  French  lines  in  that  quarter. 
Thefe  lines,  beginning  at  Bouchain  on  the  Schelde,  were 
continued  along  the  Sanfet  and  the  Scarpe  to  Arras,  and 
thence  along  the  Upper  Scarpe  to  Canche.  They  were 
defended  by  redoubts  and  other  works,  in  fuch  a  manner, 
that  Villars  judged  they  were  impregnable,  and  called 
them  the  Ne'phis  ultra  of  Marlborough. 

This    Nobleman    advancing   within  two  l°as>ues  of  the  i^e  duke 
French   lines,  ordered  a   irreat  number   of  fafcines  to  be  of  Maribe- 

VOL.  I.  3  X 


530  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK,  made,  declaino;  he  would  attack  the  next  morning;  fo  that 
Villars  drew  all  his  forces  on  that  fide,  in  full  expectation 
of  an  engagement.  The  duke  on  the  fuppofition  that  the 
1 ,  *•  paflage  of  the  Sanfet  by  Arleux  would  be  left  unguarded, 
priiesthe  nac'  °"dered  the  Generals  Cadotran  and  Hompefch  to  af- 
Frendi  femble  twenty  battalions  and  fevcnteen  fquadrons  from 
JMUS.  Doiiay  and  the  neighbouring  garrifons  to  march  to  Arleux, 

where  they  fhoukl  endeavour  to  pafs  the  Sanfet.  Briga 
dier  Suttnn  was  detached  with  the  artillery  and  pontoons, 
t'o  lay  bridges  over  the  canal  near  Goulezen,  and  over  the 
Scarp  at  Vitry,  while  the  duke,  with  the  whole  confederate 
army,  began  his  inarch  for  the  fame  place  about  nine  in  the 
evening.  He  proceeded  with  fuch  expedition,  that  by  five 
in  the  morning  he  pafTcd  the  river  at  Vitry.  There  he 
received  intelligence,  that  Horrpefch  had  taken  pofleffion 
of  the  pafTes  on  the  Sanfet  and  Schelde  without  oppofition, 
the  enemy  having  withdrawn  their  dttachmemts  from  that 
fide,  juft  as  he  had  ioHmgined.  He  himfdf,  with  his  van 
guard  of  fifty  fquadrons,  haftened  his  inarch  towards  Ar- 
Jeux,  and  before  ei«ht  of  the  clock  arrived  at  Baca-Bachuel, 
where  in  two  hours  he  was  joined  by  the  heads  of  the  co 
lumns  into  which  he  had  divided  his  infantry.  Villars  be 
ing  certified  of  his  intention,  about  two  in  the  morning, 
decamped  with  his  whole  army,  and  putting  himfelf  at  the 
head  of  the  king's  houfhold  troops,  marched  all  night  with 
fuch  expedition,  that  about  eleven  in  the  forenoon  he  was 
in  fight  of  the  duke  of  Marlborough,  who  had  by  this  time 
joined  Count  Hompefch.  The  P  rench  general  immediately 
retreated  to  the  main  body  of  his  army,  which  had  advanc 
ed  to  the  high-road  between  Arras  and  Cambray,  while  the 
allies  encamped  upon  the  Schelde,  between  Oify  and  Eft- 
run,  after  a  march  of  ten  Leagues  without  halting,  fcarce 
to  be  parraUcled  in  hiflory.  By  this  plan,  fo  happily  exe 
cuted,  the  duke  of  Marlborough  fairly  outwitted  Villars, 
and,  without  the  lofs  of  one  man,  entered  the  lines  which 
he  had  pronounced  impregnable.  This  flroke  of  the  En- 
glim  general  was  extolled  as  a  mafterpiece  of  military  fkill, 
while  Villars  was  expofcd  to  the  ridicule  even  of  his  own 
officer?.  The  field  deputies  of  the  ftates-general  propofed 
that  he  fhould  give  battle  to  the  enemy,  who  paiTed  the 
Schelde  at  Crevecceur,  in  order  to  cover  Bouchain  ;  but 
the  duke  would  not  hazard  an  engagement,  confidering 
how  much  the  army  was  fatigued  by  the  long  march  ;  and 
that  any  misfortune,  while  they  continued  in  the  French 
lines,  might  be  fatal.  His  intention  was  to  befiege  Bou 
chain;  an  enterprife  that  was  deemed  impracticable,  inaf- 
much  as  the  place  was  fituated  in  a  morafs,  lirongly  forti 
fied,  and  defended  by  a  numerous  garrifon,  in  the  neigh- 


ANNE.  531 

brourhoocl  of  an  army  fuperior  in  number  to  that  of  the  al-  C  H  A  P. 
lies.  Notwithflanding  thefe  advantages,  and  the  diliua- 
fions  of  his  own  friends,  he  refolved  to  undertake  the  ftege;  ^"^T*^ 
and,  in  the  mean  time,  difpatched  Brigadier  Sutton  to  Eng-  1711- 
land,  with  an  account  of  his  having  patted  the  French  lines, 
which  was  not  at  all  agreeable  to  his  enemies.  They  had 
prognofticated  that  nothing  would  be  done  during  this 
campaign,  ;incl  began  to  infmuate  that  the  duke  cou]j  ftrikc 
no  ftroke  of  importance  without  the  afliftance  of  the  Prince 
Eugene.  They  now  endeavoured  to  leflen  the  glory  of 
his  luccefs  ;  and  even  taxed  him  with  having  removed  his 
camp  from  a  convenient  fituation  to  a  place  where  the 
troops  were  in  danger  of  ftarving.  Nothing  could  be 
more  provoking  than  this  fcandalous  malevolence  to  a 
great  man  who  had  done  fo  much  honour  to  his  country, 
and  was  then  actu-iliy  cxpofing  his  life  in  her  fervice. 

On  the  loth  d-r,y  of  Auguft,  Bnuchain  was  inverted,  and  Bouchain 
the  duke  of  Marlborou sh  exert-  d  himfelf  to  the  utmoft  ex-  befieged 

f  ,  .        .    .,  .  >i   .  •  i_        i'rr      an!>  taken. 

tent  ot  RIS  visiiier.ce  and  capacity,  well  knowing  the  ctilii- 
culries  of  the  undertaking,  and  how  much  his  reputation 
would  depend  upon  hi<;  fuccefs.  Vilhrs  had  taken  every 
precaution  that  his  {kill  and  experience  could  fugged,  to 
bafHe  the  endeavours  of  the  Englifh  general.  He  had  re- 
inforct-d  the  garrfon  to  the  number  of  fix  thoufand  chofen 
men,  commanded  by  the  officers  of  known  courage  and 
ability.  He  made  fome  efforts  to  raife  the  fiege  ;  but  they 
were  rendered  ineffectual  by  the  confummate  prudence  and 
activity  of  the  duke  of  Marlborough.  Then  he  laid  a 
fcheme  for  furprifmg  Doiiay,  which  likewife  mifcarried. 
If  we  confider  that  the  Englifh  general,  in  the  execution 
of  his  plan,  was  obliged  to  form  lines,  erect  regular  forts, 
raife  batteries,  throw  bridges  over  the  river,  make  a  caufe- 
way  through  a  deep  morafs,  provide  for  the  fecurity  of  con 
voys  againft  a  numerous  army  on  one  fid^,  and  the  garri- 
fons  of  Conde  and  Valenciennes  on_the  other,  we  muft  al 
low  this  was  the  boldeft  enterprife  of  the  whole  war  ;  that 
it  required  all  the  fortitude,  fkill,  and  refolution  of  a  great 
general,  and  all  the  valour  and  intrepedity  of  the  confede 
rate  troops,  who  had  fcarce  ever  exhibited  fuch  amazing 
proofs  of  courage  upon  any  other  occafion,  as  they  now 
difplayed  at  the  fiege  of  Bouchain.  In  twenty  days  after 
the  trenches  were  opened,  the  garrifon  were  obliged  to 
furrender  themfelves  prifoners  of  war;  and  this  conqueft 
was  the  laft  military  exploit  performed  by  the  duke  of 
Marlborough.  The  breaches  of  Bouchain  were  no  fooner 
repaired  than  the  oppofite  armies  began  tofeparate,  and  the 
allied  forces  were  quartered  in  the  frontier  towns,  that  they 
might  be  at  hand  to  take  the  field  early  in  the  fpring. 


532  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK.  They  were  now  in  pofleiTion  of  the  Maefe,  alrnofl  as  far  as 
the  Sambre;  of  the  Schrlclefrom  Tourney  ;  and  of  the  Lys 
as  far  as  it  is  navigable.  They  had  reduced  Spanifii  Gucl- 
derland,  Limburg,  Brabrnt,  Flanders,  and  the  greateft  part 
of  Hainault  :  They  were  imfters  of  the  Scarpe,  and,  by 
t\ip  conqueft  of  Bouchain,  they  had  opened  to  themfelves 
a  way  into  the  very  bowels  of  France.  All  thefe  acquifi- 
tions  v/ere  owing  to  the  valour  and  conduct  of  the  duke 
of  Maryborough,  who  now  returned  to  the  Plague,  and  ar- 
riveciin  England  about  the  middle  of  November. 

The  queen  had  conferred  the  the  command  of  her  forces 
in  Spain  upon  the  duke  of  Argyle,  who  was  recalled  from 
the  lervice  in  Flanders  for  that  purpofe.  He  had  long 
been  at  variance  with  the  duke  of  Marlborough;  a  circum- 
ftance  which  recommended  him  the  more  ftrongly  to  the 
miniftry.  He  landed  at  Barcelona  on  the  2gth  of  May, 
and  found  the  Britifh  troops  in  the  utmoft  diftrefs  for  want 
of  fubfiflence.  The  treafurer  had  promifed  to  fupply  him 
liberally:  The  commons  had  granted  one  million  five  hun 
dred  thoufand  pounds  for  that  fervice.  All  their  hopes  of 
fuccefs  were  fixed  on  the  campaign  in  that  kingdom;  and 
indeed  the  army  commanded  by  the  duke  de  Vendome  was 
in  fuch  a  wretched  condition,  that  if  Staremberg  had  been 
properly  fupported  by  the  allies,  he  might  have  obtained 
fignal  advantages.  The  duke  of  Argyle,  having  waited  in 
vain  for  the  promifed  remittances,  was  obliged  to  borrow 
money  on  his  own  credit,  before  the  Britifh  troops  could 
take  the  field.  At  length  Staremberg  advanced  towards 
the  enemy,  who  attacked  him  at  the  pafs  of  Prato  del  Rey, 
where  they  were  repulfed  with  considerable  damage.  Af 
ter  this  action,  the  duke  of  Argyle  was  feized  with  a  vio 
lent  fever,  and  conveyed  back  to  Barcelona.  Vendome 
inverted  the  caftle  of  Cardona,  which  was  vigouroufly  de 
fended  till  the  end  of  December,  when  a  detachment  being 
fent  to  the  relief  of  the  place,  defeated  the  befiegers,  killed 
two  thoufand  on  the  fpot,  and  took  all  their  artillery,  am 
munition,  and  baggage.  Staremberg  was  unable  to  follow 
the  blow  :  The  duke  of  Argyle  wrote  preffing  letters  to 
the  minifty,  and  loudly  complained  that  he  was  altogether 
unfupported  ;  but  all  his  remonftrances  were  ineffectual  : 
No  remittances  arrived;  and  he  returned  to  England,  with 
out  having  been  able  to  attempt  any  thing  of  importance. 
In  September  King  Charles,  leaving  his  queen  at  Barcelo 
na,  fet  foil  for  Italy,  and  at  Milan  had  an  interview  with 
the  duke  of  Savoy  where  all  difputes  were  com  promifed. 
That  Prince  had  forced  his  way  into  Savoy,  and  penetrat 
ed  as  far  as  the  Rhine :  But  he  fuddenly  halted  in  the  mid 
dle  cf  his  career ;  and  after  a  fhort  campaign,  repaflcd 


ANNE.  533 

the  mountain*;.     Prince  Eugene,  at  the  head  of  t'ie  Ger-  CHAP. 
man  forces,  protected  the   ele<ftors  at  Frankfort  from   the        v- 
defigns  of  the  enemy,  and  Charles  was  unanimoufly  chofen    <— "V^ 
emperor;  the  electors  of  Coiogn  and  Bavaria  having  been       1?u- 
excluded  from  voting,   becaufe  they  lay  under   the  ban  of 
the  empire.     The  war  between  the   Ottoman   Porte    and 
the  Mufcovites  was  of  fhort  duration.     The  czar  advan 
ced  fo  far  into  Moldavia,  that  he  was  cut  off  from  all  fup- 
plies,  and  altogether  in  the   power  of  his   enemy.     In  this 
emergency,    he    found  means  to  corrupt  the  grand  vizir  in 
private,  while  he  in  public  propofed  articles  of  peace  that 
were   accepted.     The  king  of  Sweden,   who  was  in  the 
Turkifh  army,  charged  the  vizir  with  treachery,  and  that 
minifter  was  actually  dif;;n>ced.     The  grand  fignor  threat 
ened  to  renew  the  war  ;  but  he  was   appeafed  by  the  czar's 
furrendering  Afoph. 

The  Engiifh  miniftry  had  conceived  great  expectations  Expedition 
from  an  expedition  againft  Quebec  and  Placentia,  in  North  a£2inft  Ca 
America,  planned  by  Colonel  Nicholfon,  who  had  taken 
poiTefiion  of  Nova  Scotia,  and  garrifoned  Port  Royal,  to 
which  he  gave  the  name  Annapolis.  He  had  brought  four 
Indian  chiefs  to  England,  and  reprefented  the  advantages 
that  wolud  redound  to  the  nation,  in  point  of  commerce, 
fhould  the  French  be  expelled  from  North  America.  The 
minifters  relifhed  the  propofal.  A  body  of  five  thoufand 
men  was  embarked  in  tranfports,  under  the  command  of 
Brigadier  Hill,  brother  to  Mrs.  Mafham  ;  and  they  failed 
from  Plymouth  in  in  the  beginning  of  Aiay,  with  a  ftrono- 
fquadron  of  fhips  commanded  by  Sir  Hovenden  Walker. 
At  Boilon  in  new  England,  they  were  joined  by  two  re<*i_ 
ments  of  provincials  ;  and  about  four  thoufand  men,  con- 
fifting  of  American  planters,  Palatines,  and  Indians,  ren- 
dezvoufed  at  Albany,  in  order  to  march  by  land  into  Ca 
nada,  while  the  fleet  failed  up  the  river  of  that  name.  On 
the  2ift  day  of  Augufr,  they  were  expofed  to  a  voilent 
ftorm,  and  driven  among  rocks,  where  eight  tranfports  pe- 
rifhed,  with  about  eight  hundred  men.  The  admiral  im 
mediately  failed  back  to  Spanifh  Pviver-bay,  where  it  was 
determined,  in  a  council  of  war,  that  as  the  fleet  and  forces 
were  victualled  for  ten  weeks  only,  and  they  could  not  de 
pend  upon  a  iupply  of  provifions  from  New-England,  they 
fhould  return  home,  without  making  any  further  attempt. 
Such  was  the  iflue  of  this  p:iltry  expedition,  entrufted  to 
the  direction  of  an  oflicer  without  talents  and  experience. 

In  the  Irifn  parliament  held  duriij<>;  the  Summer,  the 
duke  of  Ormond  and  the  majority  of  tbe  peers  fupported 
the  Tory  intereft,  while  the  commons  exprefled  the  warm- 
eft  attachment  to  revolution  principles.  Thz  two  houfes 


534  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  made  ftrenuous  reprefentations,  aud  pafled  fevere  refolu- 
•  tions  againft  each  other.  After  the  feffion,  Sir  Conftan- 
""Y"*^  tine  Phipps,  the  chancellor,  and  General  Ingoldfby,  were 
MI"  appointed  juftices  in  the  ab  fence  of  the  duke  of  Ormond, 
who  returned  to  England  in  the  month  of  November.  In 
Scotland,  the  Jacobites  made  no  fcruple  of  profefling  their 
principles  and  attachments  to  the  Pretender.  The  duchd~s 
of  Gordon  prefented  the  faculty  of  advocates  with  a  filver 
medal,  representing  the  Chevalier  de  St.  George ;  and,  on 
the  reverfe,the  Bntim  iflands,  with  the  motto^"  Redditte." 
After  fome  debate,  it  was  voted,  by  a  majority  of  fixty- 
three  voices  againft  twelve,  that  the  duchefs  fnould  be 
thanked  for  this  token  of  her  regard.  This  talk  was  per 
formed  by  Dundas  of  Arnift  mn,  who  thanked  her  grace  for 
having  prtfented  them  with  a  medal  of  their  fovereign  lord 
the  king;  hoping,  and  being  confident,  that  her  grace 
xvould  very  foon  have  an  opportunity  to  compliment  the  fa 
culty  with  a  fecond  medal,  ftruck  upon  the  reftoration  of 
the  king  and  royal  family,  upon  the  finifning  rebellion, 
ufu'ping  tyranny,  and  whiggery.  An  account  of  this  tranf- 
action  being  laid  before  the  queen,  the  lord  advocate  was 
ordered  to  enquire  into  the  particulars.  Then  the  faculty 
were  fo  intimidated,  that  they  difowned  Dundas,  and  Ho  ne 
his  accomplice.  They  pretended  that  the  affair  of  the  me 
dal  had  been  tranfu£bd  by  a  party  at  an  occafioual  meeting, 
and  not  by  general  confent ;  and,  by  a  folemn  ac~l,  they  de 
clared  their  attachment  to  the  queen  and  the  Proteftant 
iuccelTion.  The  court  was  fatisfied  with  this  atonement: 
But  the  refident  from  Hanover  having  prefented  a  memo 
rial  to  the  queen,  defiring  that  Dundas  and  his  affociates 
might  be  profecuted,  the  government  removed  Sir  David 
Dalrymple  from  his  office  of  lord  advocate,  on  pretence  of 
his  having  been  remifs  in  profecuting  thofe  delinquents  ; 
and  MO  further  enquiry  was  made  into  the  affair. 
Negotiation  For  fome  time,  a  negociation  for  peace  had  been  carried 
wuh  France  on  between  the  court  of  France  and  the  new  minifters, 
who  had  a  double  aim  in  this  meafure  ;  namely  to  mortify 
the  Whi"-s  and  the  Dutch,  whom  they  detefted,  and  to  free 
their  country  from  a  ruinous  war,  which  had  all  the  ap 
pearance  of  becoming  habitual  to  the  confutation.  They 
forefaw  the  rifle  they  would  run  by  entering  into  fuch  mea- 
fures,  mould  ever  the  oppofite  faction  regain  the  afcenden- 
cv  :  They  knew  the  Whigs  would  employ  all  their  art  and 
influence,  which  was  very  powerful,  in  obftru&ing  the 
peace,  and  in  raifing  a  popular  clamour  againft  the  treaty. 
But  their  motives  for  treating  were  fuch  as  prompted  them 
to  undervalue  all  thofe  difficulties  and  dangers.  They 
hup;:,!  to  obt.iin  fuch  advantages  in  point  of  commercs  fof 


ANNE.  535 

the  fubje&s  of  Great  Britain,  as  would  filence  all  detraction.  CHAP. 
They  did  not  doubt  of  being  able  to  maintain  the  fuperio-  v- 
rity  which  they  had  acquired  in  Parliament;  and  perhaps 
fome  of  them  cheriflxed  views  in  favour  of  thr  Pretender, 
wbofe  fuccefiion  to  the  crown  would  have  effectually  efta- 
bliihed  thoir  dominion  over  the  oppoiite  party.  The  earl 
of  Jerfey,who  acted  in  concert  with  Oxford,  fent  a  piivate 
menage  to  the  court  of  Francs,  importing  the  queen's  ear 
ned  defire  of  peace,  reprefenting  the  impoflibilitv  of  a  pri 
vate  negociation,  as  the  miniftry  was  obliged  to  act  with 
the  utTioft  circumfpection,  and  defiring  that  Louis  would 
propofe  to  the  Dutch  a  renewal  of  the  conferences,  in 
which  cafe  the  Englifh  plenipotentiaries  fhould  have  fuch 
inflrUvTtions,  that  it  would  be  impoilible  for  the  flates-ge- 
neral  to  prevent  the  conclufion  of  the  treaty.  This  inti 
mation  was  delivered  by  one  Gualtier,  an  obfcure  pricft, 
who  acted  as  chaplain  to  Count  Gallas,  the  Imperial  am- 
bafTador,  and  been  employed  as  a  fpy  by  the  French  mi- 
niftry,  fince  the  commencement  of  hoftilities.  His  con 
nexion  with  Lord  Jcrfey  was  by  means  of  that  nobleman's 
lady,  who  profefled  the  Roman  Catholic  religion.  His 
mefTage  was  extremely  agreeable  to  the  court  of  Verfailles. 
He  returned  to  London,  with  a  letter  of  compliment  from 
the  marquis  de  Dorcy  to  the  earl  of  Jerfey,  in  which  that 
minifter  allured  him  of  his  mafter's  fincere  inclination  for 
peace,  though  he  was  averfe  to  a  renewal  of  the  conferen 
ces  with  the  ftates-general.  Gualtier  wrote  a  letter  ta 
Verfailles,  defiring,  in  the  name  of  the  Englifh.  miniftry, 
that  his  moft  Chriftian  majefty  would  communicate  to 
them  his  propofals  for  a  general  peace,  which  they  would 
communicate  to  the  ftates-general,  that  they  might  negoci- 
ate  in  concert  with  their  allies.  A  general  anfwer  being 
made  to  this  intimation,  Gualtier  made  a  fecond  journey 
to  Verfailles,  and  brought  over  a  memorial,  which  was 
immediately  tranfmitted  to  Holland.  In  the  mean  time, 
the  Penfionary  endeavoured  to  renew  the  conferences  in 
Holland.  Petkum  wrote  to  the  French  rniniitry,  that  if 
his  majefty  would  refume  the  negociation,  in  concert  with 
the  queen  of  Great  Britain,  he  fhould  certainly  have  reafon 
tobefatisfied  with  the  conduit  of  the  Dutch  deputies.  This 
propofal  Louis  declined,  at  length  at  the  defire  of  the  Eng- 
lifn  minifters. 

The  ftates-general  having  perufed  the  memorial,  afTureJ 
Queen  Anne  that  they  were  ready  to  join  with  her  in  contri 
buting  to  the  conclufion  of  a  durable  peace;  but  they  exprc-f- 
fed  a  defirethat  the  French  king  would  communicate  a  more 
particular  plan  for  fecuring  the  intereft  of  the  allied  powers, 
and  for  fsttling  the  repofe  Europe.  Gualtier  was  once  more 


HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK,    fent  to  Verfailles,  accompanied  by  Mr.  Prior,  who  had  re- 
Tided  in  France,   as  fecretary  to  the  embaflies  of  the  earls 
of  Portland  and  Jerfey.     This   gentleman  acquired   form: 
reputaion  by  his  poetical  talents  ;  was  a  man  of  uncommon 
ability,  infinuating  addrcfs,   and  perfe6tly  devoted    to  the 
Tory  intereft.     He  was  empowered  to  communicate  the 
preliminary  demands  of  the  Englifh  ;  to  receive  the  anfwcr 
of  the  French  king  ;    and  demand  whether  or   not   King 
Philip  had  tranfmitted  a  power  of  treating   to   his  grand 
father.       He    arrived    incognito    at  Fontainebleau,    and 
prefented  the  queen's  memorial,    in  which    {he    demanded 
a  barrier   for  the  Dutch  in  the  Netherlands,    and  another 
on  the  Rhine  for  the  empire  ;   a  fecurity   for   the   Dutch 
commerce,  and   a   general   fatisfaclion   for    all   her  allies. 
She  required  that  the  flrong   places  taken  from  the  duke 
of  Savoy  fhould  be  reftored  ;    and   that  he   fhould  poffefs 
fucli  towns  and  diftricts  in  Italy  as  had  been  ceded  to  him 
in  treaties  between  him  and  his  allies  :    That  Louis  fhould 
acknowledge    Queen  Anne  and  the  Proteftant  fucceffion; 
demolifh  the  fortifications   of  Dunkirk  ;    and   agree   to  a 
new  treaty  of  commerce  :  That  Gibraltar   and  Port-Ma- 
hon  fhould  be  yielded  to  the    crown    of  England  :   That 
the  negro  trade  in  America,  at  that  time  carried  on  by  the 
French,  fnould  be  ceded   to    the    Englifh,   together    with 
fome  towns  on  that  continent,  where  the  flaves,    might  be 
refreshed.      She  expected  fecurity  that  her  fubjects  trading 
to    Spain    fhould    enjoy    all    advantages  granted  by   that 
crown  to  the  moft  favoured  nation :  That  fhe  fhould   be 
put  in  poflcffion  of  Newfoundland  and  Hudfon's    Bay,   ei 
ther  by  way  of  refutution  or  feffion  ;  and  that  both  nations 
fhould  continue  to  enjoy  whatever  territories  they  might  be 
pofTefledof  in  North  America  at  the  ratification  of  the  trea 
ties.     She  likewife  infifted  upon  a  fecurity,  that  the  crowns 
of  France  and  Spain    fhould  never  be  united  on  the  fame 
head.     Her  majefty  no  longer  infilled  upon  Philip's  being 
expelled  from  the  throne  of  Spain  by  the  anr.s  of  his  own. 
grandfather.       She     now    perceived,  that    the   exorbitant 
power  of  the  houfe  of  Auftria  would  be  as   dangerous  to 
the  liberty  of  Europe,  as  ever  that  of  the  family  of  Bourbon 
had  been  in  the  zenith  of  its  glory.     She  might  have   re 
membered  the  excefHve  power,  the  infolence,  the  ambition 
of  Charles  V.  and  Philip  II.  who   had    enflaved  fo    many 
countries,  and  embroiled  all  Europe.     She  was  fmcerely 
defirous  of  peace,  from  motives  of  humanity  and    compaf- 
fion  to  her  fubjec~ls  and  fellew  creatures  :   She  was  eagerly 
bent  upon  procuring   fuch    advantages  to    her   people,    as 
would  enable  them  to  difcharge  the  heavy  load  of  debt  un 
der  which  they  laboured,  and   recompence  them   in   fome 


A    N  .N     E.  537 

meafure  for  the  blood  and  treafure  they  had  fo  lavifnly  ex-  C  H  A  p. 
pended  in  the  profecution  of  the  war.  Thefe  were  the 
fentijnents  of  a  Chriftian  Princefs  ;  of  an  amiable  and  pi- 
ous  fovereign,  who  bore  a  iliare  in  the  grievances  of  her 
fubjectS,  and  looked  upon  them  with  maternal  affe£tion. 
She  thought  flie  had  the  better  title  to  infift  upon  thofe 
advantages,  as  they  had  been  already  granted  to  her  fub- 
je6ts  in  a  private  treaty  with  King  Charles. 

As  Prior's  powers  were  limited  in  fuch  a  manner  that 
he  could  not  negociate.  Mr.  Menager,  deputy  from  the 
city  of  Rouen  to  the  Board  of  Trade,  accompanied  the 
Englim  minifter  to  London,  with  full  powers  to  fettle  the 
preliminaries  of  the  treaty.  On  his  arrival  in  London  the 
queen  immediately  commiffioned  the  duke  of  Shrewfbury, 
the  carls  of  Jerfey,  Dartmouth,  Oxford,  and  Mr.  St.  John, 
to  treat  with  him ;  and  the  conferences  were  immediately 
begun.  After  long  and  various  difputes,  they  agreed  up 
on  certain  preliminary  articles,  which,  on  the  8th  day  of 
October  were  figned  by  the  French  minifter,  and  by  the 
two  fecretaries  of  ftates,  in  confequence  of  a  written  or 
der  from  her  majefty.  Then  Menager  was  privately  in 
troduced  to  the  queen  at  Windfor.  She  told  him  file  was 
averfe  to  war  :  That  fhe  would  exert  all  her  power  to 
conclude  a  fpeedy  peace  :  That  flie  fhould  be  2;lad  to  live 
upon  good  terms  with  the  king  of  France,  to  whom  (lie 
was  fo  nearly  allied  in  blood  :  She  exprefled  her  hope 
that  there  would  be  a  clofer  union  after  the  peace  between 
them  and  between  their  fubje<5ts,  cemented  by  a  perfect 
correfpondence  and  friendship.  The  earl  of  StrafFord,  who 
had  been  lately  recalled  from  the  Hague,  where  he  refided 
as  ambaflador,  was  now  fent  back  to  Holland,  with  orders 
to  communicate  to  the  Penfionary  the  propofals  of  peace 
which  France  had  made;  to  fignify  the  queen's  approba 
tion  of  them,  and  propofe  a  place  where  the  plenipoten 
tiaries  fhould  aflemble.  The  Englifh  minifters  now  en 
gaged  in  an  intimate  correfpondence  with  the  court  of  Ver- 
failies;  and  Marefchal  Tallard  being  releafed  from  his 
confinement  at  Nottingham,  was  allowed  to  return  to  his 
own  country  on  his  parole.  After  th?  departure  of  Mena 
ger  the  preliminaries  were  communicated  to  Count  Gallas, 
the  emperor's  minifter,  who,  in  order  to  inflame  the  minds 
of  the  people,  caufed  them  to  be  tranflated,  and  inferted 
in  one  of  the.daily  papers.  This  flep  was  fo  much  refent- 
ed  by  the  queen,  that  fhe  fent  a  meffage,  defmng  he  would 
come  no  more  to  court;  but  that  he  might  leave  the  king 
dom  as  foon  as  he  fhould  think  proper.  He  took  the  hint, 
and  retired  accordingly;  but  the  queen  gave  the  emperor 

VOL.  I.  3  Y 


5^8  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  to  understand,  that  any  other  minifter  he  fliould  appoint 
woujd  be  admitted  by  her  without  hesitation. 

The  ftates  of  Holland,  alarmed  at  the  preliminaries, 
fent  over  Buys,  as  envoy  extraordinary,  to  intercede  with 
the  queen,  that  fhe  would  alter  her  refolutions ;  but  {he 
continued  fteady  to  her  purpofe;  and  the  earl  of  Strafford 
demanded  the  immediate  concurrence  of  the  ftates,  declar 
ing,  in  the  queen's  name,  that  flie  would  look  upon  any  de 
lay  on  their  part,  as  a  refufal  to  comply  with  her  propofiti- 
ons.  Intimidated  by  this  declaration,  they  agreed  to  open 
the  general  conferences  at  Utrecht  on  the  firft  day  of  Ja 
nuary.  They  granted  pafiports  to  the  French  minifters  ; 
while  the  queen  appointed  Robinfon  bifhop  of  Briftol,  and 
the  earl  of  Sraftord,  her  plenipotentiaries  at  the  congrefs. 
Chailcs,  the  new  emperor,  being  at  Milan  when  he  receiv 
ed  a  copy  of  the  preliminaries,  wrote  circular  letters  to  the 
Lors  and  the  princes  of  the  empire,  exhorting  them  to 
perfift  in  their  engagements  to  the  grand  alliance.  He 
likcwife  defired  the  {rates-general  to  join  councils  with  him 
in  pcrfuauing  the  queen  of  England  to  reject  the  propofals 
of  France,  and  profccute  the  w^r;  or  at  leaft  to  negcciate 
on  the  foundation  of  the  firft  preliminaries,  which  had  been 
figned  by  the  Marquis  de  Torcy.  He  wrote  a  letter  to  the 
fame  purpofe  to  the  queen  of  Great  Britain,  who  received 
it  with  the  moft  mortifying  indifference.  No  wonder  that 
he  fhould  zealoufly  contend  for  the  continuance  of  a  war, 
the  expcnce  of  which  {he  and  the  Dutch  had  hitherto  al- 
moft  wholly  defrayed.  The  new  preliminaries  were  fevere- 
Jy  attacked  by  the  Whigs,  who  ridiculed  and  reviled  the 
miniftry  in  word  and  writing.  Pamphlets,  libels,  and  lam 
poons  were  to-day  publi{hed  by  one  faction,  and  to-morrow 
unfwered  by  the  other.  They  contained  all  the  infmuations 
cf  malice  and  contempt,  all  the  bitternefs  of  reproach,  and 
r.ll  the  rancour  of  recrimination.  In  the  midfc  of  this  con 
vention,  the  queen  difpatched  the  earl  of  Rivers  to  Hano 
ver,  with  an  affurance  to  the  ele&cr,  that  his  fucceffion  to 
the  crown  {hould  be  effectually  afcertained  in  the  treaty. 
The  earl  brought  back  an  anlvver  in  writing;  but,  at  the 
fame  time, his  electoral  highnefs  ordered  the  Baron  de  Both- 
mar,  his  envoy  in  England,  to  prefent  a  memorial  to  the 
queen,  representing  the  pernicious  confequences  of  Philip's 
remaining  in  poffeffion  of  Spain  and  the  Weft  Indies.  This 
remomtrance  the  baron  publifhed,  by  way  of  appeal  to  the 
people,  and  the  Whigs  extolled  it  with  the  higheft  enco 
miums  ;  but  the  queen  and  her  minifters  refented  this  ftep, 
as  an  officious  and  inflammatory  interposition. 

The  propofals  of  peace  made  by  the  French  king  were 
difagreeable  even  tofome  individuals  of  the  Tory  party,  and 


A     N     N     E.  539 

certain  peer?,  who  had  hitherto  adhered  to  that  intercfl,  a-  c  H  A  l\ 
greed  with  the  Whigs  to  make  a  rerr.onftrance  againft  the 
preliminary  articles.  The  court  being  apprifed  of  their  in- 
tention,  prorogued  the  parliament  till  the  7th  day  of  De- 
cember,  in  expectation  of  the  Scottifh  peers,  who  would 
cart  the  balance  in  favour  of  the  minifhy.  In  her  fpeech, 
at  the  opening  of  the  feliion,  (he  told  them,  thr.t  notwith- 
iranding  the  arts  ofthofe  v/ho  delighted  in  war,  the  place 
and  time  were  appointed  for  a  congrefs  ;  and  that  the  ftates- 
general  hud  exprefTed  their  entire  confidence  in  her  conduct. 
She  declared  her  chief  concern  fhould  be  to  fjcure  the  fuc- 
ceffion  of  the  crown  in  the  houfe  of  Hanover  ;  to  procure 
all  the  advantages  to  the  nation  which  a  tender  and  afFecH- 
onate  fovereign  could  procure  for  a  dutiful  and  loyal  peo 
ple  ;  and  to  obtain  fitisfaclion  for  all  her  allies.  She  obf^rv- 
ec1,  that  the  moft  effectual  way  to  procure  an  advantageous 
peace,  would  be  to  malce  preparations  for  carrying  en  the 
war  with  vigour.  She  recommended  unanimity,  and  pray 
ed  God  would  direct  their  confutations.  In  the  houfe  of 
lords,  the  earl  of  Nottingham,  who  h:;d  nowailociated  him- 
felf  with  the  Whigs,  inveighed  againft  the  preliminaries  as 
c:iptious  and  infuificient,  and  offered  a  claufe  to  be  infert- 
ed  in  the  addrcfs  of  thanks,  reprefcnting  to  her  mr.jefiy, 
that,  in  the  opinion  of  the  houfe,  no  peace  could  be  fafe  or 
honourable  to  Great  Britain  or  Europe,  if  Spain  and  the 
Weft  Indies  fhould  be  allotted  to  any  branch  of  the  houfe 
of  Bourbon.  A  violent  debate  enfued,  in  the  courfe  of 
which,  the  earl  of  Anglefey  re-pa  fen  ted  the  necefiity  of  CE- 
fing  the  nation  of  the  burthens  incurred  by  an  expenfive 
war.  He  aiHrmed  that  a  good  peace  might  have  been  pro 
cured  immediately  after  the  battle  of  Ramillies,  ii  it  had 
not  been  prevented  by  foms  perfons  who  prolonged  the  war 
for  their  own  private  intereih  This  insinuation  was  level 
led  at  the  duke  of  Marlborough,  who  made  a  long  fpeech 
in  his  own  vindication,  He  bowed  to  the  place  where  the 
queen  fat  incognito;  and  appealed  toher,  whether,  while  he 
had  the  honour  to  ferve  her  majefty  as  general  and  plenipo 
tentiary,  he  had  not  conftantly  informed  her  and  her  coun 
cil  of  ail  the  propofals  of  peace  which  had  been  made  ;  and 
had  not  defired  inftruclions  for  his  conduit  on  that  fubjec't  ? 
He  declared,  upon  his  confcience,  and  in  prefence  of  the 
Supreme  Being,  before  whom  he  expected  foon  to  appear, 
that  he  was  ever  deiirous  of  a  fafe,  honourable,  and  Jailing 
pe«ce  ;  and  that  he  was  always  very  far  from  entertaining 
any  def,gn  of  prolonging  the  war  for  his  own  private  advan 
tage,  as  his  enemies  had  moil  faifely  indnuated.  At  lair  the 
Queftion  being  put,  Whether  the  earl  of  Nottingham's  ad 
vice  fhould  be  part  of  the  addrefs  ?  It  was  carried  in  the 


549  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

B  oo  K   affirmative  by  a  (mail  majority.     The  addrcfs  was   accord- 
</,   ingly   prefented;  and    the  queen,  in  her   anfwer,  (aid,    me 
^Yp      fhould  be  very  forry  anyone  could  think  (he  would  not  do 
her  utmoft  to  recover  Spain  and  the  Weft  Indies  from  the 
,     hbufe  of  Bourbon.     Againft   this  advice,  however,    feveral 
peers  protefted,  becaufe  there    was  no  precedent  for  infert- 
ing  a  claufe  of  advice  in  an  addrefs  of  thanks  ;  and   becaufe 
they  looked  upon  it  as  ?.«i  uivafion  of  the  royal  prerogative. 
In  the  addrefs  of  the  commons  there  was   no  fuch  article  ; 
and,  therefore,  the  anfwer  they  received  was  warm  and  cor 
dial. 

'I  he  cuke  of  Hamilton  claiming  a  feat  in  the  houfe  of 
peers,  as  duke  of  Brandon,  a  title  he  had  lately  received, 
was  oppofed  by  the  anti-courtiers,  who  pretended  to  fore- 
fee  great  danger  to  the  conPiitution  from  admitting  into  the 
houfe  a  greater  number  of  Scottifh  peers  than  the  aft  of 
Union  allowed.  Counfel  was  heard  upon  the  validity  of 
his  patent.  They  obferved  that  no  objection  could  be  made 
to  the  queen's  prerogative  in  conferring  honours  ;  and  that 
all  the  lubjects  of  the  united  kingdom  were  equally  capable 
of  receiving  honour.  The  houfe  of  lords  had  already  decid 
ed  the  matter,  in  admitting  the  duke  of  Queenfberry  upon 
his  being  created  duke  of  Dover.  The  debate  was  mana 
ged  with  great  ability  on  both  fides:  The  Scottifh  peers 
united  in  defence  of  the  duke's  claim  ;  and  the  court  exerted 
its  whole  ftrength  to  fupport  the  patent.  Neverthelefs,  the 
dueftien  being  put,  Whether  Scottifh  peers,  created  peers 
of  Great  Britain  fince  the  Union,  had  a  right  to  fit  in  that 
houfe?  It  was  carried  in  the  negative  by  a  majority  of  five 
voices ;  though  not  without  a  proteft  figned  by  the  lords  in 
the  oppofition.  The  Sccttifh  peers  were  fo  incenfed  at 
this  decifion,  that  they  drew  up  a  reprefentation  to  the  queen, 
complaining  of  it  as  an  infringement  of  the  Union,  and  a 
mark  of  difgrace  put  upon  the  whole  peerage  of  Scotland. 

The  bill  againft  occafional  conformity  was  revived  by  the 
earl  of  Nottingham,  in  more  moderate  terms  than  thofe  that 
had  been  formerly  rejected  ;  and  it  pafTcd  both  houfes  by  the 
connivance  of  the  Whigs,  upon  the  earl's  promife,  that  if 
they  would  confent  to  this  meafure,  he  would  bring  over 
many  friends  to  join  them  in  matters  of  greater  confequence. 
On  the  22d  day  of  December,  the  queen  being  indifpofed, 
granted  a  commifTion  to  the  lord-keeper,  and  feme  ether 
peers,  to  give  the  royal  afient  to  this  bill,  and  another  for 
the  land  tax.  The  duke  of  Devonfhire  obtained  leave  to 
bring  in  a  bill  for  giving  precedence  of  all  peers  to  the  elec 
toral  prince  of  Har.cvcr,  as  duke  of  Cambridge.  Anr.c- 
drcfs  was  prefented  to  the  queer;,  dchring  flic  woi^d  r;ive 
inllruciicns  to  her  plenipotentiaries,  to  confult  with  the;  n;i- 


ANNE.  54I 

nifters  of  the  allies   in    Holland  before  the  opening  of  the  c  H  A  P. 
congrefs;  that  they   might  concert  the   neceflary  rneafures        v' 
for  proceeding  with  unanimity,  the  better  to  obtain  the  great   ^•"~Y"**-' 
ends  propofed  by  her  majefty.  37IK 

The  commiffioners  for  examining  the  public  accounts  Du!re  of 
having  discovered,  that  the  duke  of  Marlborough  had  re-  Maribo- 
ceived  air  annual  prefent  of  five  or  fix  thoufand  pounds  from  ro.ush  d'f- 

thc  contractors  for  bread  to  the  army,  the  queen  declared  in  n?!<l;.d  troin 
•i  n       t          ,      r  i-r    < r   ,  •       /-  all  his  em- 

COUnCli,  tiMt  Ihe  thought  fit  to  difinns  him  from  all  his  em-  pbymeats. 

ployments,  that  the  matter  might  be  impartially  examined. 
This  declaration  was  imparted  to  him  in  a  letter  under  her 
own  hand,  in  which  (he  took  occafion  to  complain  of  the 
treatment  (he  had  received.  She  probably  alluded  to  the 
infolence  of  his  duchefs;  the  fubjeition  in  which  fhe  had 
been  kept  by  the  late  miniftry ;  and  the  pains,  lately  taken 
by  Whi^s  to  depricate  her  conduct,  arid  thwart  her  meafures 
v/ith  refpecl  to  the  peace.  The  duke  wrote  an  aafwer  to 
her  majefty,  vindicating  himfelf  from  the  charge  which  had 
been  brought  againft  his  character ;  and  his  two  daughters, 
the  countefs  of  Sunderland  and  the  Lady  Railton,  refigned 
their  places  of  ladies  of  the  bed-chamber.  The  miniftry, 
,n  order  to  afcertain  a  majority  in  the  houfe  of  lords,  per- 
fuaded  the  cjueen  to  take  a  meafure  which  nothing  but  ne- 
ceffity  could  juflify.  She  created  twelve  peers  at  once  *  ; 
and  on  the  2.d  of  January,  they  were  introduced  into  the  up- 
per-houfe  without  oppofitiorr  The  lord-keeper  delivered 
to  the  houfe  a  mefilige  from  the  queen,  defiring  they  would 
adjourn  to  the  14111  d.jy  of  the  month,  The  anti-courtiers 
alledged,  th  '.:  the  queen  could  not  fend  a  meflage  to  any  one 
houfe  to  adjourn,  but  ought  to  have  directed  it  to  both  houfes. 
This  objection  produced  a  debate,  which  was  terminated 
in  favour  of  the  court  by  the  weight  of  the  twelve  new 
peers. 

At  this  period  Prince  Eugene  arrived  in  England,    with  Prince 
a  letter  to  the   queen  from  the  emperor,  and  inftrucdons  to  £ugenear- 

rives  in 
England. 

*  Lor,;  CompfDn  and  Lord  Bruce,  fons  of  tlie  earls  of  Northampton  and  Aylcf- 
bury,  were  railed  up  by  writ  to  the  1;  ie  :•.•  tc-a  w^re  tiicf-j  ; 

Lord  Duplin,  of  tlic  kingdom  of  "Scot!  ,  .d  Baron  Hay  of  Beawardin, 
in. the  county  of  Hereford  ;  Lurd  Vifcount  V/indfor,  of  Ireland,  made  Baron 
joy,  in  the  lile  of  Wight  ;  Henry  I'-get,  ioi  of  Lor  1  IV.gtt,  created  Ba- 
r.in  Burton  in  the  county  of  Stafford  ;  S;r  'i'hoirui  ?v'anill,  Bar^o  Manfd,  of 
Iviargairi,  in  the  county  of  Glamorgan  ;  Sir  Tli'jrna'i  Willougljby,  Baron  Mid- 
cilitoii,  or  Mij.iieton,  in  the  county  of  Warwick  ;  Sir  Thomas  Trevor,  Baron 
Trevor,  of  B  ii  the  county  of  B;it3r.i  ;  G'  .  ..lie,  Baron 

Luni.iovvn,  of  Biddetbrd,  i.-i   the  county  cf   Dsvon  j   ;.-  iinael    Mu^liam,   B:iron 
••:;,  of  Gats,    id    the  county    ofEffex  •  :    rc!-;y,    co 

unty  of    Worccit:-  ;   a:  ,.  ,  llaiv.n    ".t- 

tburit,  of  Bathsli'dea,  in  the  county  of  Bedford.— ~  ; 

•.;-.:lioa  was  put  about adjoarntng  -f    Wartou 

*'  a'!c;J  o.i-- of  tliy::!,  Wii'j;he;-thsy  vj::i  by  thu:r 


HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  propofe  a  new  fcheme  for  profecuting  the  war.  His  errand 
was  far  from  being  agreeable  to  the  miniftry  ;  and  they  fuf- 
pecked  that  his  real  ami  was  to  manage  intrigues  among  the 
difcontented  party,  who  oppofed  the  peace.  Nevcrthelefs, 
he  was  treated  with  that  refpecl  which  was  due  to  his 
quality  and  eminent  talents,  The  minifters,  the  nobility, 
and  officers  of  diftin6tion  vinted  him  at  his  arrival.  He 
was  admitted  to  an  audience  of  the  queen,  who  received 
him  with  great  complacency.  Having  perufed  the  letter 
\vhich  he  delivered,  fne  exprefied  her  concern  that  her 
health  did  not  permit  her  to  fpeak  with  his  highnefs  as  of 
ten  as  fha  could  wifli  ;  but  that  fne  had  ordered  the  trea- 
furer  and  Secretary  St.  John,  to  receive  his  propofals, 
and  confer  with  him  as  frequently  as  he  fhould  think  pro 
per.  He  exprefTed  extraordinary  refpecl:  for  the  duke  of 
Marlborough,  notwithftanding  his  difgrace.  The  lord- 
treafurer,  while  he  entertained  him  at  dinner,  declared 
that  he  looked  upon  that  day  as  the  happieft  in  the  whole 
courfeofhis  life,  fince  he  had  the  honour  to  fee  in  his 
houfe  the  greateft  captain  of  the  age.  The  prince  is  fa  id 
to  have  replied,  u  If  I  am,  it  is  owing  to  your  lordfhip." 
Alluding  to  the  difgrace  of  Vlarlborough,  whom  the  earl's 
intrigues  had  deprived  of  all  military  command.  When 
Bifhop  Eurnet  converfed  with  him  about  the  fcandalous 
libels  that  were  every  day  publifhed  againft  the  duke,  and 
in  particular  mentioned  one  paragraph,  in  which  the  au 
thor  allowed  he  had  been  once  fortunate,  the  prince  obfervcd 
it  v/as  the  greateft  commendation  that  could  be  beftowed 
upon  him,  as  it  implied  that  all  other  fuccefics  were  ow 
ing  to  his  courage  and  conduct:.  While  the  nobility  of 
both  parties  vied  with  each  other  in  demonftrations  of  re 
fpecl:  for  this  noble  ftran^er;  while  he  was  adored  by  the 
Whigs,  and  admired  by  the  people,  who  gazed  at  him 
in  crowds  when  he  appeared  in  public;  even  in  the  midft 
of  all  thefe  carefies,  party  riots  were  excited  to  infult  his 
perfon,  and  fome  fcandalous  reflexions  upon  his  mother 
were  inferted  in  one  of  the  public  papers.  The  queen 
treated  him  with  diftinguifhed  marks  of  regard  ;  and,  on 
her  birth  day  prefented  him  with  a  fword  worth  five  thou- 
fand  pounds.  Neverthelefs,  (he  looked  upon  him  as  a  pa 
tron  and  friend  of  that  turbulent  faction  to  which  fhe  ow 
ed  fo  much  difquiet.  She  knew  he  had  been  prefled  to 
come  over  by  the  Whig-noblerner.,  who  hoped  his  prefence 
would  inflame  the  people  to  fome  defpcrate  attempt  upon 
the  new  miniftry:  She  was  not  ignorant  that  he  held  pri 
vate  conferences  with  the  duke  of  Marlborough,  the  earl 
of  Suntbrmnd,  the  Lords  Somers,  Hall: fax,  and  all  the 
chiefs  of  that  partv  :  and  that  he  entered  into  a  clefs  ccn- 


ANNE. 


543 


ne<ftion  with  the    Baron  de    Bothmar,  the  Hanoverian  en-  CHAP. 
voy  who  had  been  very  active  in  fomenting  the  difturban-       V. 
ces  of  the  people. 

Pier  majefty,  who  had  been  for  fome  time  afflicted  with 
the  gout,  fent  a  mefTage  to  both  houfes,  on  the  lyth  day 
of  January,  ftgnifying  that  the  plenipotentiaries  were  ar 
rived  at  Utrecht;  and  that  fhe  was  employed  in  making 
preparations  for  an  early  campaign :  She  hoped,  therefore, 
that  die  commons  would  proceed  in  giving  the  neceflary 
difpatch  to  the  fupplies. 

The  lord-treafurer,  in  order  to  demonftrate  his  attach 
ment  to  the  Proteftant  fucceiiion,  brought  in  a  bill  which 
had  been  propofed  by  the  duke  of  Devonfhire,  giving  pre 
cedence  to  the  whole  electoral  family,  as  children  and  ne 
phews  of  the  crown  ;  and  when  it  was  pa/Ted  into  an  acl, 
he  fent  it  over  to  Hanover  by  Mr.  Thomas  Harley.  The 
fixteen  peers  for  Scotland  were  prevailed  upon,  by  pro- 
mife  of  fatisfaftion,  to  refume  their  feats  in  the  upper 
houfe,  from  which  they  abfented  themfelves  fmce  the  deci- 
fion  againit  the  patent  of  the  duke  of  Hamilton:  But 
whatever  pecuniary  recompenfe  they  might  have  obtained 
from  the  court,  on  which  they  were  meanly  dependent, 
they  received  no  fatisfaction  from  the  parliament.  The 
commons  finding  Mr.  Walpole,  very  troublefome  in  their 
houfe,  by  his  talents,  activity,  and  zealous  attachment  to 
the  Whig  intereft,  found  means  to  difcover  fome  clandef- 
tine  practices  in  which  he  was  concerned  as  fecretary  at 
war,  with  regard  to  the  forage-contra£t  in  Scotland.  The 
contractors,  rather  than  admit  into  their  partnerfhip  a  per- 
fon  whom  he  had  recommended  for  that  purpofe,  chofe  to 
prefent  his  friend  with  five  hundred  pounds.  Their  bill 
was  addrefied  to  Mr.  Walpole,  who  endorfed  it,  and  his 
friend  touched  the  money  *.  This  tranfaftion  was  inter- 


*  The  crramiffioners    appointed   for    taking,  fitting,  and  examining    thi 


•f  five  hundred  guineas^  and  in  taking  a  note  for  five  hundred  more,  on  ac 
count  of  two  contracts  for  forage  of  her  majeily's  troops,  quartered  in  North 
Britain,  made  by  him  when  fecretar  y  at  war,  purfuant  to  a  power  granted  to 
him  by  the  late  lord-treafurer,  is  guilty  of  a  high  breach  of  truft  and  notorious 
corruption.  2  That  the  faid  Robert  Walpole,  Efq.  be,  for  the  faid  o.'Fjnce, 
committed  prifoner  to  the  Tower  of  London,  during  the  pleafuve  of  this  houfc, 
and  that  Mr.  Speaker  do  iffus  his  warrant  accordingly.  3  That  the  faid  Ro 
bert  Walpole,  ifq.  be,  for  the  laid  offence,  alfo  expelled  the  houf.-,  and 
that  the  report  of  the  commiffioners  of  public  accounts  be  taken  into  further 
confederation  that  day  fe'nnight.  It  appeared  from  the  depofit:or.s  of  witnefies 
that  the  public  had  been  defrauded  tonfiderably  by  thefe  contrails — a  very  lc- 
vere  fpeech  was  made  in  the  houfe,  and  next  day  published,  refletling  upon 
Mr.  Walpole,  as  guilty  of  the  word  kind  of  corruption  ;  and  Sir  Petcr'King 
declared  in  the  houfe,  that  b«  defer v«iJiangiD|  as  v.eU  a»  hs  defaced  ini- 
^ii(«nrncnt  aad  exuljiun. 


544  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK   pretcd  into  a  bribe.     Mr.  •  Walpole   was    voted    guilty  of 
corruption,  imprifoned    in   the    Tower,  and   expelled  the 
V-"VS-'   houfe.     Being  afterwards  re-chofrn  by    the  fame    borough 
a7IT        of  Lynn-Regis,  which  he  had    before   renrefented,  a  peti 
tion  was  lodged  againft  him,  and  the  commons   voted  him 
incapable  of  being  elected  a  member  to  ferve  in  the  prefent 
parliament. 

Trial  and  Their  next  attack  was  upon  the  duke  of  Marlborough, 
thTduke  of  w^°  was  ^0un^  to  have  received  a  yearly  fum  from  fir 
Mar] bo-  Solomon  Medina,  a  Jew,  concerned  in  the  contrail:  for 
rough.  furnifhing  the  army  with  bread ;  to  have  been  gratified  by 
the  queen  with  ten  thoufand  pounds  a-year  to  defray  the 
expence  of  intelligence;  and  to  have  pocketed  a  deduction 
of  two  and  a  half  per  cent,  from  the  pay  of  the  foreign 
troops  maintained  by  England.  It  was  alledgcd,  in  his 
j  unification,  that  the  prefent  from  the  Jew  was  a  cuftom- 
ary  perquifite,  which  had  always  been  enjoyed  by  the  ge 
neral  of  the  Dutch  army:  That  the  deduction  of  two  and 
a  half  per  cent,  was  granted  to  him  by  an  exprefs  war 
rant  from  her  majefty:  Thi.t  all  the  articles  of  the  charge 
joined  together  did  not  exceed  thirty  thoufand  pounds,  a 
fum  much  inferior  to  that  which  had  been  allowed  to  King 
William  for  contingencies :  That  the  money  was  expend 
ed  in  procuring  intelligence,  which  was  fo  exact  that  the 
duke  was  never  furpriied  :  That  none  of  his  parties  were 
ever  intercepted  or  cut  off;  and  all  his  defigns  were  by 
thefe  means  io  well  concerted,  that  he  never  once  mifcar- 
ried.  Notwithstanding  thefe  reprefentations  the  majority 
voted  that  his  practices  had  been  unwarrantable  and  ille 
gal  ;  and  that  the  deduction  was  to  be  accounted  for  as 
public  money.  Thefe  refolutions  were  communicated  to 
the  queen,  who  ordered  the  attorney-general  to  profecute 
the  duke  for  the  money  he  had  deducted  by  virtue  of  her 
own  warrant.  Such  practices  were  certainly  mean  and 
mercenary,  and  greatly  tarniflied  the  glory  which  the 
duke  had  acquired  by  his  military  talents,  and  other  film 
ing  qualities. 

Difputes  The  commons  now   directed  the  ftream  of  their  refent- 

wjt'.i  the      ment  againft  the    Dutch,  who   had  certainly  exerted    all 

Dutch.  i.    .        °i  .111  •    -n  i 

their  endeavours  to  overwhelm  the  new  mimltry,  and  re 
tard  the  negotiations  for  peace.  They  maintained  an  in 
timate  correfpondcnce  with  the  Whigs  of  England.  They 
.clifFufed  the  moft  invidious  reports  againft  Oxford  and  Se 
cretary  St.  John.  Buys,  their  envoy  at  London,  acted 
the  part  of  an  incendiary,  in  iuggefting  violent  meafu res 
to  the  malcontents,  nnd  caballing  againft  the  govern 
ment.  The  minifters,  by  way 'of  repriful,  influenced  the 
houfe  of  commons  to  pafs  fome  acrimonious  refolutions 


A     N     N     E.  545 

the  ftates-general.     They  alled°;ed  that   the  ftates  C  H  A  »*. 

O  J  O 

had  been  deficient  in  their  proportion  of  troops,  both  in  v- 
Spain  and  in  the  Netherlands,  during  the  whole  courfe  of  ^**y~**' 
the  war;  and  that  the  queen  had  paid  above  three  millions  J7Ii- 
of  crowns  in  fubfidies,  above  what  ihe  was  obliged  to  ad 
vance  by  her  engagements.  They  attacked  the  barrier 
treaty,  which  had  been  concluded  with  the  ftates  by  lord 
Townfhend,  after  the  conferences  at  Gertruydenberg. 
By  this  agreement,  England  guaranteed  a  barrier  in  the 
Netherlands  to  the  Dutch  ;  and  the  flates  bound  them- 
felves  to  maintain,  with  their  whol?  force,  the  queen's 
title,  and  the  Proteftant  fucceffion.  The  Tories  affirmed, 
that  England  was  difgraced  by  engaging  any  other  ftate  to 
defend  a  fucceffion  which  the  nation  might  fee  caufe  to  al 
ter  :  That,  by  this  treaty,  the  ftates  were  authorifed  to 
i nterpofe  in  Britifli  councils :  That  being  poffefled  of  all 
thofe  ftrong  towns,  they  might  exclude  the  Englifh  from 
trading  to  them,  and  interfere  with  the  manufactures  of 
Great  Britain.  The  houfa  of  commons  voted,  That  in 
the  barrier  treaty,  there  were  fcveral  articles  deftructive 
to  the  trade  and  intereft  of  Great  Britain  ;  and  therefore 
highly  difhonourable  to  her  majefty:  That  the  lord  Vif- 
count  Townfliend  was  not  authorifed  to  conclude  fcveral 
articles  in  that  treaty :  That  he  and  all  thofe  who  had  ad- 
vifed  its  being  ratified  were  enemies  to  the  queen  and 
kingdom.  All  their  votes  were  digefted  into  a  long  re- 
prefentation  prefented  to  the  queen,  in  which  they  aver 
red,  that  England,  during  the  war,  had  been  overcharged 
nineteen  millions  ;  a  circumftance  that  implied  mifman- 
agement  or  fraud  in  the  old  miniftry.  The  ftates,  alarmed 
at  thefe  refolutions,  wrote  a  refpeclful  letter  to  the  queen, 
reprefenting  the  necefiity  of  a  barrier,  for  the  mutual  fe- 
curity  of  England  and  the  United  Provinces.  They  af 
terwards  drew  up  a  large  memorial  in  vindication  of  their 
proceedings  during  the  war;  and  it  was  publiihed  in  one 
of  the  Englifh  papers.  The  commons  immediately  voted 
it  a  falfe,  fcandalous,  and  malicious  libel,  reflecting  upon 
the  refolutions  of  the  houfe  ;  and  the  printer  and  publifh- 
cr  were  taken  into  cuflody,  as  guilty  of  a  breach  of  pri 
vilege. 

They  now  repealed  the  naturalizrubn  a£h    They  pafled  Bumet 
a  bill,  granting  a  toleration   to   the    Epifcopal   clergy   in  B°yer- 
Scotland,  without  paying  the  leaft  regard  to  a  represent-  ^ncs^' 
ation  from  the   general   afTembly  to  the  queen,  declaring  p^ffet. 
that  the  acl:  for  fecuring  the  Prefbyterian  government  was  7,orcy' 
an  efien  tialand  fundamental  condition  of  the  treaty  of  Union.  ^j^d  ^  t,ie 
The  houfe,  notwithftanding  this  remonftrance    proceeded  D.  ofMarl- 
with  the  bill  and  inferted  a   cbufe,  prohibiting  civil  magi-  borough. 

VOL.  I.  -i  Z 


546  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  ftrates  from  executing  the  fentences  of  the  kirk-judicatories 
The  Epifcopal,  as  well  as  the  Prefbyterian  clergy,  were 
*~*"Y*vJ  required  to  take  the  oath  of  abjuration,  that  they  might 
Mil7  HHt  be  upon  an  equal  footing  in  cafe  of  difobedience  ;  for  the 
Voltaire.  '  commons  well  knew  that  this  condition  would  be  rejected 
by  both,  from  very  different  motives.  In  order  to  exaf- 
perate  the  Prefbyterians  with  further  provocations,  an 
other  a£t  was  paffed  for  difcontinuing  the  courts  of  judi 
cature  during  the  Chriftmas  holidays,  which  had  never 
been  kept  by  perfons  of  that  pcrfuafion.  When  this  bill 
was  read  for  the  third  time,  fir  David  Dalrymple  faid, 
"  Since  the  houfe  is  refolved  to  make  no  alteration  in  the 
"  body  of  this  bill,  I  acquicfce  ;  and  only  defire  it  may 
"  be  entituled,  A  bill  for  eftablifhing  Jacobitifm  and  im- 
"  morality."  The  chagrin  of  the  Scottifh  Prefbyterians 
was  completed  by  a  third  bill,  reftoring  the  right  of  pa 
tronage,  which  had  been  taken  away  when  the  difcipline 
of  the  kirk  was  laft  efrabiifhed. 

Prince  Eugene  having  prefented  a  memorial  to  the 
queen  touching  the  conduct  of  the  emperor  during  the  war> 
and  containing  a  propofal  with  relation  to  the  affairs  of 
Spain,  the  queen  communicated  the  fcheme  to  the  houfe 
of  commons,  who  treated  it  with  the  moft  contemptuous 
neglect.  The  Prince,  finding  all  his  efforts  ineffectual, 
retired  to  the  continent,  as  much  difpleafed  with  the  mi- 
niflry,  as  he  had  reafon  to  be  fatisfied  with  the  people  of 
171*.  England.  The  commons  having  fettled  the  funds  for  the 
fupplies  of  the  year,  amounting  to  fix  millions;  the  trea- 
furer  formed  the  plan  of  a  bill,  appointing  commilEoners 
to  examine  the  value  and  confideration  of  all  the  grants 
made  fince  the  Revolution.  Plis  defign  was  to  make  a 
general  refumption  ;  but,  as  the  intereft  of  fo  many  no 
blemen  was  concerned,  the  bill  met  with  a  very  warm 
oppofition;  notwithstanding  which,  it  would  have  certain 
ly  palled,  had  not  the  duke  of  Buckingham  and  the  earl 
of  Straftbrd  abfented  themfelves  from  the  houfe  during  the 
debate. 

Conferen-         In  the  month  of  January,  the  conferences  for  peace  be- 
ces  for         gan  at  Utrecht.     The  earl  of  Jerfey,  would  have  been  ap- 
psace  open-  pOjnte(j  tne  plenipotentiary  for  England,  but  he  dying  af- 
Utrecht.       ter  tne  correfpondence  with  the  court  of  France  was  efta- 
blifhed,  the   queen  conferred  that   charge  upon  Robinfon, 
bifhop  of  Brifiol,  lord  privy-feal,  and  the  earl  of  Strafford. 
The  chief  of  the  Dutch    deputies  named   for  the  congrefs, 
\vere  Buys  and  Vanderduffen :  The  French   king  granted 
his  powers    to  the    Marefchal  D'Uxelles,  the    abbot  (af 
terwards  cardinal)  de  Polignac,  and   Mcnager,  who   had 
been  in  England.     The  minifters  of  the  emperor  and  Sa- 


ANNE.  547 

roy,  likewife  affifted  at  the  conferences,  to  which  the  cm-  CHAP- 
pire  and  the  other  allies  likewife  lent  their  plenipotentia-  v- 
ries,  though  not  without  rcludtance.  As  all  thefe  powers, 
except  France,  entertained  fentiments  v.ry  different  from 
thofe  of  her  Britannic  majefty,  the  conferences  feeincd  cal 
culated  rather  to  retard  than  accelerate  a  pacification. 
The  queen  of  England  had  forefeen  and  provided  againft 
thefe  difficulties.  Her  great  end  was  to  tree  her  fubjedls 
from  the  miferies  attending  an  unprofitable  war,  and  to 
reftore  peace  to  Europe ;  and  this  aim  file  was  rcfolved  to 
accomplish.,  in  fpite  of  all  oppofition.  She  had  alfo  deter 
mined  to  procure  reafonable  terms  of  accommodation  for 
her  allies,  without,  however,  continuing  to  lavifh  the  blood 
and  treafure  of  her  people  in  fupporting  their  extravagant 
demands.  The  emperor  obftinately  infifted  upon  his 
claim  to  the  whole  Spanifh  monarchy,  refufing  to  give  up 
the  leaft  title  of  his  pretenfions;  and  the  Dutch  adhered  to 
the  old  preliminaries  which  Louis  had  formerly  rejected. 
The  queen  faw  that  the  liberties  of  Europe  would  be  ex- 
pofed  to  much  greater  danger,  from  an  actual  union  of  the 
Imperial  and  Spanifh  crowns  in  one  head  of  the  houfe  of 
Auftria,  than  from  a  bare  poffibility  of  Spain's  being  unit 
ed  with  France  in  one  branch  of  the  houfe  of  Bourbon. 
She  knew  by  experience  the  difficulty  of  dethroning  Philip, 
rotted  as  he  was  in  the  affeclions  of  a  brave  and  loyal  peo 
ple;  and  that  a  profecution  of  this  deugn  would  fervenopur- 
pofe  but  to  protract  the  war,  and  augment  the  grievances  of 
the  Britifh  nation.  She  was  well  acquainted  with  the  dif- 
trefies  of  the  French,  which  {he  confidered  as  pledges  of 
their  monarch's  fincerity.  She  fought  not  the  total  ruin 
of  that  people,  already  reduced  to  the  brink  of  defpair. 
The  dictates  of  true  policy  diffuaded  her  from  contribut 
ing  to  further  conquefts  in  that  kingdom,  which  would  have 
proved  the  fource  of  contention  among  the  allies,  deprcf- 
fed  the  houfe  of  Bourbon  below  that  ftandard  of  import 
ance  which  the  balance  of  Europe  required  it  fhould  main 
tain,  and  aggrandize  the  ftates-general  at  the  expence  of 
Great  Britain.  As  {he  had  borne  the  chief  burthen  of  the 
war,  {he  had  a  right  to  take  the  lead  ;  and  dictate  a  plan  of 
pacification  ;  at  leaft,  {he  had  a  right  to  confult  the  wel 
fare  of  her  own  kingdom,  in  delivering,  by  a  feparate 
peace,  her  fubjecls  from  thofe  enormous  loads  which  they 
could  no  longer  fuftain  ;  and  {he  was  well  enough  aware 
of  her  own  confequence,  to  think  {he  could  obtain  advan 
tageous  conditions. 

Such  were  the  fentiments  of  the  queen  ;  and  her  mini- 
fters  feem  to  have  ailed  on  the  fame  principle?,  though, 
perhaps,  party  motives  may  have  helped  to  influence  their 


548  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  conduct.  The  allies  concurred  in  oppofmg  with  all  their 
might  any  treaty  which  could  not  gratify  their  different 

^*""Y"X^  views  of  avarice,  intereil,  and  ambition.  They  practifed 
a  thoufand  little  artifices  to  intimidate  the  queen,  to  excite 
a  jealoufy  of  Louis,  to  blacken  the  characters  of  her  mini- 
fters,  to  raife  and  keep  up  a  dangerous  ferment  among  her 
people,  by  which  her  life  and  government  were  endanger 
ed.  She  could  not  fail  to  refent  thefe  efforts,  which 
greatly  perplexed  her  meafures,  and  obftrudtcd  her  dfign. 
Her  minifters  were  fenfible  of  the  dangerous  predicament 
in  which  they  ftood.  The  queen's  health  v/as  much  im 
paired;  and  the  fucceflbr  countenanced  the  oppofite  fac 
tion.  In  cafe  of  their  fovereign's  death,  they  had  no 
thing  to  expe£t  but  profecution  and  ruin  for  obeying  her 
commands  :  They  faw  no  hope  of  fafety,  except  in  re 
nouncing  their  principles,  and  fubmitting  to  their  adver- 
faries,  or  elfe  in  taking  fuch  meafures  as  would  haften  the 
pacification,  that  the  troubles  of  the  kingdom  might  be  ap- 
pcafed,  and  the  people  be  fatisfied  with  their  conduct  be 
fore  death  fnould  deprive  them  of  their  fovereign's  pro 
tection.  With  this  view,  they  advifed  her  to  fet  on  foot 
a  private  negociation  with  Louis;  to  ftipulate  certain  ad 
vantages  for  her  own  fubjeiSts  in  a  concerted  plan  of 
peace;  to  enter  into  fuch  mutual  confidence  with  that  mo 
narch,  as  would  anticipate  all  clandeftine  tranfactions  to 
her  prejudice,  and  in  Ibme  meafure  enable  her  to  pre- 
fcribe  terms  for  her  allies.  The  plan  was  judicioufly 
formed;  but  executed  with  too  much  precipitation.  The 
ftipulated  advantages  were  not  fuch  as  fhe  had  a  right  to 
demand  and  infift  upon ;  and  without  all  doubt,  better 
might  have  been  obtained,  had  not  the  obftinacy  of  the 
allies  abroad,  and  the  violent  conduct  of  the  Whig  fac 
tion  at  home,  obliged  the  minifters  to  relax  in  fome  mate 
rial  points,  and  haften  the  conclusion  of  the  treaty. 

The  articles  being  privately  regulated  between  the  two 
courts  of  London  and  Verfailles,  the  Englifh  plenipoten 
tiaries  at  Utrecht  were  furnifhed  with  general  powers  and 
inftru£Uons,  being  ignorant  of  the  agreement,  which  the 
queen  had  made  with  the  French  monarch,  touching  the 
kingdom  of  Spain,  which  was  indeed  the  bafis  of  the 
treaty.  This  fecret  plan  of  negociation,  however,  had 
well  nigh  been  deftroyed  by  fome  unforefeen  events  that 
were  doubly  afflicting  to  Louis.  The  Dauphin  had  died 
of  the  fmall-pox  in  the  courfe  of  the  preceding  year;  and 
his  title  had  been  conferred  upon  his  fon,  the  duke  cf  Bur 
gundy,  who  now  expired  on  the  laft  dny  of  February,  fix 
days  after  the  death  cf  his  wife,  Mary  Adelaide  of  Sa 
voy.  The  parents  were  foon  followed  to  the  grave  by 


ANNE.  549 

their  eldeil  offsprings,  the  duke  of  Bretagne,  in  the  fixth  CHAP. 
year  of  his  age  ;  fo  that  the  duke  of  Burgundy's  children,  v- 
none  remained  alive  but  the  duke  of  Anjou,  the  late 
French  king,  who  was  at  that  time  a  fickly  infant.  Such 
a  feries  of  calamities  could  not  fail  of  being  extremely 
fhocking  to  Louis  in  his  old  age;  but  they  were  ftill  more 
alarming  to  the  queen  of  England,  who  faw  that  nothing 
but  the  precarious  life  of  an  unhealthy  child  divided  the 
two  monarchies  of  France,  and  Spain,  th^  union  of 
which  fhe  refolved  by  all  poflible  means  to  prevent.  She, 
therefore,  fent  the  Abbe  Gualtier  to  Paris,  with  a  me 
morial,  reprefenting  the  danger  to  which  the  liberty  of 
Europe  would  be  expofed,  fhould  Philip  afcend  the  throne 
of  France  ;  and  demanding,  that  his  title  fhov.ld  he  tranf- 
ferred  to  his  brother,  the  duke  of  Berry,  in  confequence 
of  his  pure,  fimple,  and  voluntary  renunciation. 

Mean  while,  the  French  plenipotentiaries  at  Utrecht 
were  prevailed  upon  to  deliver  their  propofals  in  writing, 
under  the  name  of  fpecific  offers,  which  the  allies  received 
with  indignation.  They  were  treated  in  England  with 
univerfal  fcorn.  Lord  Hallifax,  in  the  houfe  of  peers, 
termed  them  trifling,  arrogant,  and  injurious  to  her  ma- 
jefty  and  her  allies:  An  addrefs  was  prcfented  to  the  queen, 
in  which  they  expreffed  their  refentment  againft  the  info- 
lence  of  France,  and  promifed  to  aflift  her  with  all  their 
power  in  profecuting  the  war,  until  a  fafe  and  honourable 
peace  fhould  be  obtained.  The  plenipotentiaries  of  the 
allies  were  not  lefs  extravagant  in  their  fpecific  demands 
than  the  French  had  been  arrogant  in  their  offers.  In  a 
word,  the  minifters  feemed  to  have  been  afTembled  at 
Utrecht,  rather  to  ftart  new  difficulties,  and  widen  the 
breach,  than  to  heal  animofities,  and  concert  a  plan  of 
pacification.  They  amufed  one  another  with  fruitlefs 
conferences,  while  the  queen  of  Great  Britain,  endea 
voured  to  engage  the  ftates-general  in  her  meafures,  that 
they  might  treat  with  France  upon  moderate  terms,  and 
give  law  to  the  reft  of  the  allies.  She  departed  from  fome 
of  her  own  pretenfions,  in  order  to  gratify  them  with  the 
poffeffion  of  fome  towns  in  Flanders.  Sheconfented  to  their 
being  admitted  into  a  participation  of  fome  advantages  in 
commerce,  and  ordered  the  Englifh  minifters  at  the  con- 
grefs  to  tell  them,  that  (lie  would  take  her  meafures  ac 
cording  to  the  return  they  fnould  make  on  this  occaHon. 
Finding  them  ftill  obftinately  attached  to  their  fir  ft  chime 
rical  preliminaries,  me  gave  them  to  undcrflanJ,  that  all 
her  offers  for  adj  lifting  the  differences  were  founded  upon 
the  cxprefs  condition,  That  they  fhould  come  into  her 
meafures,  and  co-operate  with  her  openly  and  fincerely: 
But  they  had  made  iuch  bad  returns  to  all  her  condefccn- 


550  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  fion  towards  them,  that  ihe  looked  upon  herfelf  as  releafed 
'  from  all  engagements.  The  minift-rs  of  the  allies  had  in- 
lifted  upon  a  written  anfwer  to  their  fpecific  demands  ;  and 
this  the  French  plenipotentiaries  declined,  until  they  fhould 
receive  frefh  inftrudtions  from  their  mafter.  Such  was 
the  pretence  for  fufpending  the  conferences:  But  the 
real  bar  to  a  final  agreement  between  England  and 
France,  was  the  delay  of  Philip's  renunciation,  which 
at  length,  however,  arrived ;  and  produced  a  ceflation  of 
arms. 

In  the  mean  time,  the  duke  of  Ormond,  who  was  now 
inverted  with  the  fupreme  command  of  the  Britifh  forces, 
received  a  particular  order,  that  he  fhould  not  hazard  an 
engagement.  Louis  had  already  undertaken  for  the  com 
pliance  of  his  grandfon.  Reflecting  his  own  great  age, 
he  was  fhocked  at  the  profpect  of  leaving  his  kingdom  in 
volved  in  a  pernicious  war,  during  a  minority;  and  de 
termined  to  procure  a  peace  at  all  events.  The  queen, 
knowing  his  motives,  could  not  help  believing  his  pro- 
teftations,  and  refolved  to  avoid  a  battle,  the  iflue  of 
which  might  have  confiderably  altered  the  fituation  of  af 
fairs,  and  confequently  retarded  the  coriclufion  of  the  trea 
ty.  Preparations  had  been  made  for  an  early  campaign. 
In  the  beginning  of  March,  the  earl  of  Albemarle,  having 
affembled  a  body  of  36  battalions,  marched  towards  Arras, 
which  he  reduced  to  a  heap  of  afoes  by  a  moft  terrible 
cannonading  and  bombardment.  In  May,  the  duke  of 
Ormond  conferred  with  the  deputies  of  the  ftates-general, 
at  the  Hague,  and  affured  them,  that  he  had  orders  to  a<5l 
vigorously  in  the  profecution  of  the  war.  He  joined 
Prince  Eugene  at  Tournay ;  and  on  the  26th  day  of  May, 
the  allied  army,  palling  the  Schelde,  encamped  at  Hafpre 
and  Solemnes.  The  Imperial  general  propofed  that  they 
fhould  attack  the  French  army  under  Villars:  But  by 
this  time  the  duke  was  reftrained  from  hazarding  fiegc 
or  battle;  a  circumftance  well  known  to  the  French 
commander,  who  therefore  abated  of  his  ufual  vigilance. 
It  could  not  be  long  concealed  from  Prince  Eugene  and 
the  deputies,  who  forthwith  difpatched  an  exprefs  to  their 
principals  on  this  fubjecl:,  and  afterwards  prefented  a  long 
memorial  to  the  duke,  reprefenting  the  injury  which  the 
grand  alliance  would  fuftain  from  his  obedience  of  fuch  an 
order.  Pie  leemed  to  be  extremely  uneafy  at  his  fitu 
ation  ;  aud,  in  a  letter  to  Secretary  St.  John,  cxpreffcd 
a  defire  that  the  queen  would  permit  him  to  return  to 
England. 

Prince  Eugene,  notwithstanding  the  queen's  order, 
which  Ormond  had  not  yet  formally  declared,  inverted  the 
town  of  Quefr.oy,  and  the  duke  f^rniiTicd  towards  this  en- 


ANNE. 

terprize  feven  battalions  and  nine  fquadrons  of  the  foreign  c  H  A  P. 
troops  maintained  by  Great  Britain.  The  Dutch  deputies  at       V. 
Uti,  cht  expoftulating  with  the  bifhop  of  Briftol  upon  the  ^^f^ 
duke's  refuling  to  a6t  againft  the  enemy,  that  prelate  told      J712- 
them,  that  he  had  lately  received  an  exprefs,  with  a  letter 
from  her  majefty,  in  which  fhe  complained,  that   as   the 
ftates-general    had    not   properly  anfwered   her  advances, 
they  ought  not  to  be   furprifed   if  fhe   thought   herfelf  at 
liberty  to  enter   into  feparatc  meafures,  in  order  to  obtain 
a  peace  for  her   own  conveniency.     When   they  remon-  Alliance 
ftrated  againft  fuch  conduct,  as  contradictory  to  all  the  al-  p^i,  re£_ 
liancesfublifting  between  the  queen  and  the  ftates-general,  rwunced. 
the  bifhop  declared  his  inftru6tions  further  imported,  that, 
confidering  the  conduct  of  the  ftates  towards  her  majefty, 
fhe  thought  herfelf  difengaged   from  all    alliances   and  en 
gagements  with  their  High-MightinefTes.     The  ftates  and 
the  minifters  of  the   allies   were    inftantly  in  commotion. 
Private  meafures  were  concerted  with  the  elector  of  Han 
over,  the  landgrave  of  HefTe-CafTel,  and  fome  other  prin 
ces   of  the   empire,  concerning  the   troops    belonging  to 
thofe  powers  in  the  pay  of  Great  Britain.  The  ftates-general 
wrote  a  long  letter  to  the  queen,  and  ordered   their  envoy 
at  London  to  deliver  it  into  her  own  hand.     Count   Zin- 
zendorf,  the  emperor's  plenipotentiary,  difpatched  expref- 
fes  to  his  mafter,  to  Prince  Eugene,  and  to  the  Imperial 
ambaffador    at   London.     The    queen   held  a  council   at 
Kenfmgton  upon  the  fubject  of  the  letter  ;  and  a  frefh  or 
der  was  fent  to    the  duke  of  Ormond,  directing    him  to 
concur  with  the  general  of  the  allies  in  a  liege. 

On  the  28th  day  of  May  Lord  Hallifax,  in  the  houfe  of 
Peers,  defcanted  upon  the  ill  confequences  of  the  duke's 
refufing  to  co-operate  with  Prince  Eugene  ;  and  moved 
for  an  addrefs,  defiring  her  majefty  would  order  the  gene 
ral  to  act  offenfively,  in  concert  with  her  allies.  The 
treafurer  obferved  it  was  prudent  to  avoid  a  battle  on  the 
eve  of  a  peace,  efpecially  confidering  they  had  to  do  wi  th 
an  enemy  fo  apt  to  break  his  word.  The  earl  of  Whar- 
ton  replied,  this  was  a  ftrong  reafon  for  keeping  no  mea 
fures  with  fuch  an  enemy.  When  Oxford  declared,  that 
the  duke  of  Ormond  had  received  orders  to  join  the  allies 
in  a  fiege,  the  duke  of  Marlborough  affirmed  it  was  im- 
poffible  to  carry  on  a  fiege,  without  either  hazarding  a 
battle,  in  cafe  the  enemy  fbould  attempt  to  relieve  the 
place,  or  fhamefully  abandoning  the  enterprize.  The 
duke  of  Argyle  having  declared  his  opinion,  that  fmce  the 
time  of  Julius  Csefar  there  had  not  been  a  greater  cap 
tain  than  Prince  Eugene  of  Savoy,  obferved,  that,  con- 
fiderins  the  differentlnterefts  of  the  houib  of  Auftria,  and 


552  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK,  of  Great  Britain,  it  might  not  confift  with  prudence  to 
truft  him  with  the  management  of  the  war,  bccaufe  a  bat- 
tie  won  or  loft  might  entirely  break  oft  a  negotiation  of 
I7t2-  peace,  which  in  all  probability  was  near  being  concluded. 
He  added,  that  two  years  before  the  confederates  might 
have  Arras  and  Cambray,  inftead  of  amufing  themfelves 
with  the  infignificant  conquefts  of  Aire,  Bethune,  and  St. 
Venant.  The  duke  of  Devonshire  faid  he  was,  by  prox 
imity  of  blood,  more  concerned  than  any  other  in  the  re 
putation  of  the  duke  of  Ormond;  and,  therefore,  could 
not  help  exprefiing  his  furprife,  that  any  one  would  dare 
to  make  a  nobleman  of  the  firil  rank,  and  of  ib  diftin- 
guifhed  a  character,  the  inftrument  of  fuch  proceedings. 
Jiarl  Paulet  anfwered,  that  nobody  could  doubt  the  duke 
of  Ormond's  courage  ;  but  he  was  not  like  a  certain  ge 
neral,  who  led  troops  to  the  Slaughter,  to  caufe  a  great 
number  of  officers  to  be  knocked  on  the  head,  that  he 
might  fill  his  pockets  by  difpofing  of  their  commiflkms. 
Duke  of  The  duke  of  Maryborough,  was  fo  deeply  affected  by  this 
Maribo-  reflection,  that  though  he  fuppreffed  his  refentment  in  the 
rough  chai-  houfe  ne  t  k  t|ie  £.£  opportunity  to  fend  Lord  Mohun 

leng.js  harl  rr  •  • 

Pauiet.  to  the  earl  with  a  meliage,  importing,  that  he  mould  be 
glad  to  come  to  an  explanation  with  his  lordfhip,  about 
fome  exprefitons  he  had  ufed  in  that  day's  debate  ;  and 
defiring  his  company  to  take  the  air  in  the  country.  The 
earl  understood  his  meaning  ;  but  could  not  conceal 
his  emotion  from  the  obfervation  of  his  lady,  by  whofe 
means  the  affair  was  communicated  to  the  earl  of 
Dartmouth,  fecretary  of  ftate.  Two  centinels  were 
immediately  placed  at  his  lordfhip's  gate  :  The  queen, 
by  the  canal  of  Lord  Dartmouth,  defired  the  duke  of 
Marlborough  would  proceed  no  farther  in  the  quarrel ; 
and  he  aflured  her  he  would  punctually  obey  her  majefty's 
commands.  The  earl  of  Oxford  allured  the  houfe,  that  a 
fcparate  peace  was  never  intended :  That  fuch  a  peace 
would  be  fo  bafe,  fo  knavifn,  and  fo  villainous,  that  every 
one  who  ferved  the  queen  knew  they  muft  anfwer  it  with 
their  heads  to  the  nation  ;  but  that  would  appear  to  be  a 
fafe  and  glorious  peace,  much  more  to  the  honour  and  in- 
tereft  of  the-  nation,  than  the  firft  preliminaries  infifted 
upon  by  the  allies.  The  queftion  being  put  for  adjourn 
ing  it  was  after  a  long  debate,  carried  in  the  affirmative; 
but  twenty  lords  entered  a  p  rot  eft.  The  earl  of  Straffbrd, 
who  had  returned  from  Holland,  propofcd,  that  they  fhould 
examine  the  negotiations  of  the  Hague  and  Gertruyden- 
berg,  before  they  confidered  that  of  Utrecht.  He  ob- 
lerved,  that,  in  the  former  negociations,  the  French  mi- 
nifters  had  conferred  only  with  the  penfionary,  who  com 
municated  no  more  of  it  to  the  minifters  of  the  allies  than 


ANNE. 


553 


"what  was  judged   proper  to  let  them  know;  fo  that  the  c  H  A  P. 
Dutch  were  abfolute    mafters   of  the  (beret.     He  afierted,         v- 
that  the  {rates-general  had    confented  to  give  Naples  and  *-*"Y^ 
Sicily  to  King  Philip  ;  a  circumftance  which  proved    that       l~'iz- 
the  recovery  of  the   whole  Spanifh   monarchy  was  looked 
upon  as  impracticable.      He   concluded  with  a  motion  for 
an  addrefs  to  her  rnajedy,  defiring  that  the  papers  rdatinp- 
to  the   negociations   of   the   Hague   and    Gcrtruydenberg 
fhould  be   laid  before  the  houfe.     This  was  carried  with 
out  a  diviflon. 

In  the  houfe  of  commons,  Mr.  Pulteney  moved  for  an 
addrefs,  acquainting  her  majefty,  that  her  faithful  commons 
were  juftly  alarmed  at  the  intelligence  received  from 
abroad,  that  her  general  in  Flanders  had  declined  acting 
offenfively  againft  France,  in  concurrence  with  her  allies ; 
and  befeeching  her  majefty,  that  he  might  receive  fpeedy 
inftruclions  to  profecute  the  war  with  the  utmoft  vigour. 
This  motion  was  reje<5led  by  a  great  major:ty.  A  cer 
tain  member  having  insinuated,  that  the  prefent  negocia- 
tion  had  been  carried  on  in  a  clandertine  and  treacherous 
manner,  Mr.  Secretary  St.  John  faid,  he  hoped  it  would 
not  be  accounted  treachery  to  a6l  for  the  good  and  advan 
tage  of  Great  Britain:  That  he  gloried  in  the  finall  fhare 
he  had  in  the  tranfaftion ;  and  whatever  cenfure  he  might 
undergo  for  it,  the  bare  fat  is  faction  of  acting  in  that  view 
would  be  a  fuiHcient  recompence  and  comfort  to  him  dur 
ing  the  whole  courfe  of  his  life.  The  houfe  refolved, 
That  the  commons  had  an  entire  confidence  in  her  ma- 
jefty's  promife,  to  communicate  to  her  parliament  the  terms 
of  the  peace  before  it  fhould  be  concluded;  and,  that  they 
would  fupport  her  againft  all  fuch  perfons,  either  at  home 
or  abroad,  as  fhould  endeavour  to  ohftruct  the  pacification. 
The  queen  thanked  them  heartily  for  this  refolution,  as 
being  dutiful  to  her,  honeft  to  their  country,  and  very 
feafonable  at  a  time  when  fo  many  artifices  were  ufed 
to  obflruft  a  good  peace,  or  to  force  one  difadvanta- 
geous  to  Britain.  They  likewife  prefcnted  an  addrefs, 
defiring  they  might  have  an  account  of  the  negociations 
and  tranfaclions  at  the  Hague  and  Gortruydenberg,  and 
know  who  were  then  employed  as  her  majefty's  ple 
nipotentiaries. 

The  miniftry,  forefeeing  that  Philip  would  not  wil 
lingly  refign  his  hopes  of  fucceeding  to  the  crown  of 
France,  propofed  an  alternative,  that,  in  cafe  of  his  pre 
ferring  his  expecl:ation  of  the  crown  of  France  to  the  pre 
fent  pofieflion  of  Spain,  this  kingdom,  with  the  Indie?, 
fhould  be  forthwith  ceded  to  the  duke  of  Savoy  :  That 
Philip,  in  thi  mean  time,  fnould  pofkfs  the  duks's  here 

VOL.  I.  4  A 


554  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND 

BOOK   ditary  dominions,  and  the  kingdom  of  Sicily,  together  with 
'        Montferrat  and  Mantua ;  all    which   territories   fhould  be 

V-*~Y"S"'  annexed  to  France  at  Philip's  fucceffion  to  that  crown, 
except  Sicily,  which  fhould  revert  to  the  houfe  of  Amrria. 
Louis  feemed  to  relifti  this  expedient,  which,  however, 
was  rejected  by  Philip,  who  chofe  to  make  the  renuncia 
tion,  rather  than  quit  the  throne  upon  which  he  was  efta- 
blifh;d.  The  queen  demanded,  that  the  renunciation 
fhould  be  ratified  in  the  moft  folemn  manner  by  the  Hates 
of  France ;  but  fhe  afterwards  waved  this  demand,  in 
confederation  of  its  being  regiftered  in  the  different  par 
liaments.  Such 'forms  are  but  {lender  fecurities  againft 
the  power,  ambition,  and  intereft  of  princes.  The  mar 
quis  de  Torcy  frankly  owned,  that  Philip's  renunciation 
was  of  itfelf  void,  as  being  contrary  to  the  fundamental 
laws  and  conftitution  of  the  French  monarchy  ;  but  it  was 
found  neceflkry  for  the  fatisfaftion  of  the  Englifh  people. 
Every  material  article  being  now  adjufted  between  the 
two  courts,  particularly  thofe  relating  to  the  king  of  Spain, 
the  commerce  of  Great  Britain,  and  the  delivery  of  Dun 
kirk,  a  fufpenfion  of  arms  prevailed  in  the  Netherlands, 
and  the  duke  of  Ormond  adled  in  concert  with  marefchal 
de  Villars. 

On  the  6th  day  of  June,  the  queen  going  to  the  houfe 
of  peers,  communicated  the  plan  of  peace  to  her  parlia 
ment,  according  to  the  promife  fhe  had  made.  After  hav 
ing  premifed,  that  the  making  peace  and  war  was  the  un 
doubted  prerogative  of  the  crown,  and  hinted  at  the  diffi 
culties  which  had  arifen  both  from  the  nature  of  the  affair, 
and  numbcrlefs  obftru&ions  contrived  by  the  enemies  of 
peace,  (he  proceeded  to  enumerate  the  chief  articles  to 
which  both  crowns  had  agreed,  without,  however,  con 
cluding  the  treaty.  She  told  them  fhe  had  fecured  the 
Proteftant  fucceilion,  which  France  had  acknowledged  in 
the  ftrongeft  terms  ;  and  that  the  pretender  would  be  re 
moved  from  the  French  dominions  :  That  the  duke  of 
Anjou  fhould  renounce  for  himfelf  and  his  defcendants  all 
elaim  to  the  crown  of  France  ;  fo  that  the  two  monarchies 
would  be  forever  divided.  She  obferved,  that  the  nature 
of  this  propofal  was  fuch  as  would  execute  itfelf :  That  it 
would  be  the  intereft  of  Spain  to  fupport  the  renunciation  ; 
and  in  France,  the  pei  fons  entitled  to  the  fuccefHon  of  that 
crown  upon  the  death  of  the  dauphin,  were  powerful 
enough  to  vindicate  their  own  right :  She  gave  them  to 
underftsnd,  that  a  treaty  of  commerce  between  England 
and  France  had  been  begun,  though  not  yet  adjufted;  but 
provifion  was  made,  that  England  fhould  enjoy  the  fame 
privileges  that  France  granted  to  the  moft  favoured  na- 


A     N     N     E.  555 

tion  :  That  the  French  kino;  had  agreed  to  make  an  abfj-  CHAP. 
Jute  ceflion  of  the  iflaud  ot"  St.  Chriftopher's,  which  had 
hitherto  been  divided  between  the  two  nations  :  That  he  ^-^Y"^ 
had  alfo  confented  to  reftore  the  whole  bay  and  ftraits  of 
Hudfon  ;  to  deliver  the  iiland  of  Newfoundland,  with  Pla- 
centia  ;  to  cede  Annapolis,  with  the  reft  of  Acadia  or 
Nova  Scotia  ;  to  demolifh  the  fortifications  of  Dunkirk; 
to  leave  England  in  pofleflion  of  Gibralter,  Port  Mahon, 
and  the  whole  ifland  of  Minorca  ;  to  let  the  trade  of 
Spain  in  the  Weft  Indies  be  fettled  as  it  was  in  the  reign 
of  his  late  Catholic  majefty  :  She  fignified  that  fhe  had 
obtained  for  her  fubje&s  the  affento,  or  contract  for  fur- 
niCbiog  the  Spanifti  Weft  Indies  with  negroes,  for  the 
term  of  thirty  years,  in  the  fame  manner  as  it  had  been 
enjoyed  by  the  French.  With  refpe6l  to  the  allies,  fne 
declared,  that  France  offered  to  make  the  Rhine  the  bar 
rier  of  the  empire:  To  yield  Brifac,  Fort  Kehl,  and  Lan 
dau,  and  raze  all  the  fortreiies  both  on  the  other  fide  of 
the  Rhine,  and  in  the  iflands  of  that  river:  That  the  Pro- 
teftant  intereft  in  Germany  would  be  rcfettled  on  the 
footing  of  the  treaty  of  Weftphalia  :  That  the  Spanifh. 
Netherlands,  the  kingdoms  of  Naples  and  Sardinia,  the 
duchy  of  Milan,  and  the  places  belonging  to  Spain  on  the 
coaft  of  Tufcany  might  be  yielded  to  his  Imperial  majefty; 
but  the  difpofition  of  Sicily  was  not  yet  determined  :  That 
the  demands  of  the  ftatcs-general,  with  relation  to  com 
merce,  and  the  barrier  in  the  Low  Countries,  would  be 
granted  with  a  few  exceptions,  which  might  be  corr.pcr:- 
iated  by  other  expedients  :  That  no  great  progrefs  had 
been  yet  made  upon  the  pretenfions  of  Portugal  ;  but  that 
thofe  of  Pruflla  would  be  admitted  by  France  without 
much  difficulty  :  That  the  difference  between  the  barrier 
demanded  by  the  duke  of  Savoy  in  the  year  one  thoufand 
feven  hundred  and  nine,  and  that  which  France  noxv  of 
fered,  was  very  inconfiderabls  :  That  the  elector  Palatine 
fuould  maintain  his  prefent  rank  among  the  electors  ;  and 
that  France  would  acknowledge  the  elecloral  dignity  in 
the  houfe  of  Hanover.  Such  were  the  conditions  which 
the  queen  hoped  would  make  fome  amends  to  her  fubj ects 
for  the  great  and  unequal  burthen  they  had  borne  during 
the  whole  courfe  of  the  war.  She  concluded  with  faying, 
(he  made  no  doubt  but  they  were  fully  perfuaded, 
that  nothing  would  be  neglected  on  her  part,  in  the; 
progrefs  of  this  negociation,  to  bring  the  peace  to  an 
happy  and  fpeedy  iiTue  ;  and  (he  expreffed  her  dependence 
upon  the  entire  confidence  and  chcarful  concurrence  of 
her  parliament. 


556  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND 

BOOK  An  addrefs  of  thanks  and  approbation  was  immediately 
IJ<  voted,  drawn  up,  and  prefentcd  to  tha  queen  by  the  corn- 

^~Y**~*  mons  in  a  body.  When  the  houfe  of  lords  took  the 
J712-  ipeech  into  consideration,  the  duke  of  Marlborough  af- 
ferted,  that  the  meafures  purfued  for  a  year  paft  were  di 
rectly  contrary  to  her  majefty's  engagements  with  the 
allies  :  That  they  fullied  the  triumphs  and  glories  of  her 
reign;  and  would  render  the  Englifh  name  odious  to  all 
nations.  The  earl  of  Strafford  faid,  that  fome  of  the  al 
lies  would  not  have  fhown  fuch  backwardnefs  to  a  peace, 
had  they  not  been  perfuaded  and  encouraged  to  carry  on 
the  war  by  a  member  of  that  illuftrious  aflembly,  who- 
maintained  a  fecret  correfpondence  with  them,  and  fed 
them  with  hopes  that  they  would  be  fupported  by  a  ftrong 
party  in  England.  In  anfwer  to  this  infinuation  againft 
Marlborough,  Lord  Cowper  obferved,  that  it  could  never 
be  fuggefted  as  a  crime  in  the  meaneft  fubjecl:,  much  lefs 
in  any  member  of  that  auguft  affembly,  to  hold  corref 
pondence  with  the  allies  of  the  nation  ;  fuch  allies,  efpe- 
cially,  whofe  intereft  her  majefty  had  declared  to  be  infe- 
parable  from  her  own,  in  her  fpeech  at  the  opening  of  the 
feffion;  whereas  it  would  be  a  hard  matter  to  juftify  and 
reconcile  either  with  our  laws,  or  with  the  laws  of  honour 
and  juftice,  the  conduct  of  fome  pcribns,  in  treating  cl;:n- 
deftinely  with  the  common  enemy,  without  the  participa 
tion  of  the  allies.  This  was  a  frivelous  argument.  A 
correfpondence  with  any  perfons  whatfoever  becomes  cri 
minal,  when  it  tends  to  foment  the  divifions  of  one's 
country,  and  arm  the  people  againft  their  fovereign.  If 
England  had  it  not  in  her  power,  without  infringing  the 
laws  of  juftice  and  honour,  to  withdraw  herfelf  from  a 
confederacy  which  fhe  could  no  longer  fupport,  and  treat 
for  peace  on  her  own  bottom,  then  was  ihc  not  an  afro- 
cute  but  a  Have  to  the  alliance.  The  earl  of  Godolphin 
affirmed,  that  the  trade  to  Spain  was  fuch  a  trifle  as  de- 
ferved  no  confideration ;  and  that  it  would  continually  di- 
minifh,  until  it  fhould  be  entirely  engrofTed.by  the  French 
merchants.  Notwithftandin<>;  thefe  remcnftrances  againft 

o  o 

the  plan  of  peace,  the  majority  agreed  to  an  addrefs,  in 
which  they  thanked  the  queen  for  her  extraordinary  con- 
defcenfion  in  communicating  thofe  conditions  to  her  par 
liament  ;  and  exprefled  an  entire  fatisfaftion  with  her 
conduct.  A  motion  was  made  for  a  claufe  in  the  addrefs, 
defiring  her  majefty  would  take  fuch  meafures,  in  concert 
with  her  allies,  as  might  induce  them  to  join  with  her  in 
a  mutual  guarantee.  A  debate  enfued  :  The  qucftion 
was  put}  and  the  claufe  rejected.  Several  noblemen  en- 


ANNE. 


557 


tered  a  proteft,  which  was  expunged    from    the  journals  of  C  H  A  I', 
the  houfe  by  the  decifion  of  the  majority.  v 

In  the  houfe  of  commons,  a  complaint  was  exhibited 
againft  Bifhop  Fleet wood,  who,  in  a  preface  to  four  fer- 
nons  which  he  had  publifhed,  took  occafion  to  ex  to!  the 
Lift  miniftry,  at  the  expence  of  the  prefent  adminiftration. 
This  piece  was  voted  malicious  and  faclious,  tending  to 
create  difcord  and  fediticn  amongft  her  majesty's  iubpcls, 
and  condemned  to  be  burned  by  the  hands  of  the  common 
hangman.  They  prefented  an  acldrefs  to  the  queen,  affur- 
in<?  her  of  the  juft  ienfe  they  had  of  the  indignity  offered 
to  her,  by  printing  and  publishing  a  letter  from  the  ftates- 
general  to  her  rnajefty  ;  and  defiring  fhe  would  fo  far  re 
lent  fuch  infults,  as  to  give  no  aniwer  for  the  future  to 
any  letters  cr  memorials  that  fhould  be  thus  ufhered  into 
the  world,  as  inflammatory  appeals  to  the  public.  Mr. 
Hampden  moved  for  an  addrefs  to  her  m£.jefty,  that  fhe 
would  give  particular  inductions  to  her  plenipotentiaries, 
that  in  the  conclufion  of  the  treaty  of  peace,  the  feveral 
powers  in  alliance  with  her  majefly  might  be  guarantees 
for  the  Proteftant  fucce-lion  in  the  illuftrious  houfe  of 
Hanover.  The  queftion  being  put,  was  curried  in  the 
negative.  Then  the  houfj  refolved,  That  they  had  fuch 
confidence  in  the  repeated  declarations  her  majefty  had 
made  of  her  concern  for  alluring  to  th^fe  kingdoms  the 
Proteftant  fucceffion  ns  by  l:r.v  eftabliftied,  tli.it  they 
could  never  doubt  of  her  t.iicing  the  proper  meafures 
for  tiie  facurity  thereof  :  That  the  houfc  \vould  fupport 
her  againft  faction  at  home  and  her  enemies  abroad ; 
and  did  humbly  befsech  her,  that  -Ihe  would  be  pleafed  to 
difeourttenftrite  ail  thcfe  who  faould  endeavour  to  raife 
jealoufies  between  her  majefty  and  her  fubjcvSt?,  eipecially 
by  mifreprefemiiJg  her  good  intentions  for  the  v/elfare  cf 
her  people.  The  queen  was  extremely  plcafed  with  this 
refolution.  V/hen  it  was  prefented,  fae  told  them,  that 
they  had  fhown  thernfelves  honeit  afierters  of  the  monar 
chy,  zealous  defenders  of  the  conlHtution,  and  real  fric;i,Is 
to  the  Proteftant  fuccellion.  She  thought  fhe  had  very 
little  reafon  to  countenance  a  compliment  cf  fupererog?,- 
r::;;-.  to  a  prince  who  had  caballed  with  the  enemies  of 
adminift ration.  On  the  2ift  day  of  June  the  queen  clo- 
fed  the  felnon  with  a  fpeech,  expreiiing  ;:::r  i",-.v:rf:tcuon 
at  the  addrefles  and  fupplies  fhe  had  received  :  She  ob- 
ferved,  that  filould  the  treaty  be  broke  off,  their  b-,:,J^.;:s 
Vvrould  beat  leair  continued,  if  not  incrcafed  : 
would  lof;  the  prefjnc  opportunity  of  ia*proviftg  her  Own 
co/iimerce,  and  eftabiiiliing  a  real  baianc.  of-]  \  •:  ia 

r1Ti*']^\r'w»'       o n rt      -t-Vrat"      fr ri r*i i ^y Ki       ^  V^F*     /~\f      f"V*^     1 1 1  '    •'•      '••     '••    > 

A-  LL*  OOC    «       tUU      LUAU     tUOUi^ll      IC/mC     Oi      lilC     ii*Ai..,»     L_,  -  ..    ;u     U^ 


55§  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  gainers  by  a  continuance  of  the  war,  the  reft  would  fuffer 
in  the  common  calamity.  Notwithftanding  the  ferment  of 
the  people,  which  was  now  rifen  to  a  very  dangerous  pitch, 
addrefles,  approving  the  queen's  conduit,  were  presented 
by  the  city  of  London,  and  all  the  corporations  in  the  king 
dom  that  efpoufed  the  Tory  intereft.  At  this  juncture 
the  nation  was  fo  wholly  ppflefled  by  the  fpirit  of 
party,  that  no  appearance  of  neutrality  or  moderation 
remained. 

During  thefe  tranfa&ions  the  trenches  were  opened  be 
fore  Quefnoy,  and  the  fiege  carried  on  with  uncommon 
vigour,  under  cover  of  the  forces  commanded  by  the  duke 
of  Ormond.  This  nobleman,  however,  having  received  a 
copy  of  the  articles,  figned  by  the  marquis  de  Torcy,  and 
frefti  inftructions  from  the  queen,  fignified  to  Prince  Eu 
gene  and  the  Dutch  deputies,  that  the  French  king  had 
agreed  to  fcveral  articles  demanded  by  the  que^n,  as  die 
foundation  of  an  armiftice  ;  and  among  others,  to  put  the 
Englifh  troops  in  immediate  pofTefiion  of  Dunkirk  :  That 
he  could,  therefore,  no  longer  cover  the  fiege  of  Quefnoy, 
as  he  was  obliged  by  his  inftructions  to  march  with  the 
Britiih  troops,  and  thofe  in  the  queen's  pay,  and  declare  a 
fufpenfion  of  arms  as  foon  as  he  fhould  be  poflefled  of 
Dunkirk.  He  exprefled  his  hope,  that  they  would  readily 
acquiefce  in  thefe  inftiudtions,  feeing  their  concurrence 
would  acl:  as  the  moft  powerful  motive  to  induce  the  queen 
to  take  all  pofllble  care  of  their  interefts  at  the  congrefs  ; 
and  he  endeavoured  to  demonftrate,  that  Dunkirk,  as  a 
cautionary  town,  was  a  place  of  greater  confequencc  to 
the  allies  than  Quefnoy.  The  deputies  defired  he  would 
delay  his  march  live  days,  that  they  might  have  time  to 
confult  their  principles,  and  he  granted  three  days  with 
out  hefitation.  Prince  Eugene  obferved,  that  his  marching 
off  with  the  Britifh  troops,  and  the  foreigners  in  the 
queen's  pay,  would  leave  the  allies  at  the  mercy  of  the 
enemy  :  But  he  hoped  thefe  laft  would  not  obey  the  duke's 
order.  He  and  the  deputies  had  already  tampered  with 
their  commanding  officers,  who  abfolutcly  refufed  to  obey 
the  duke  of  Ormond,  alledging,  that  they  could  not  fepa- 
rate  from  the  confederacy  without  exprefs  directions  from 
their  matters  to  whom  they  had  difpatched  couriers.  An 
extraordinary  afiembly  of  the  ftates  was  immediately  fum- 
moned  to  meet  at  the  Hague.  The  miniftcrs  of  the  allies 
were  invited  to  the  conferences.  At  length,  the  princes  whofc 
troops  were  in  the  pay  of  Britain  afTured  them,  that  they 
\vould  maintain  them  under  the  command  of  Prince  Eugene 
for  one  month  at  their  own  expence,  and  afterwards  furhin 


ANNE. 


559 


half  the  charge,  provided  the  other  half  fhculd  be   defrayed  C  H  A  p. 
by  the  emperor  and  ftates-general.  v- 

The  bifhop  of  Briftol  imparted  to  the  other  plenipoten-  '"•"'Y^^ 
tiaries  at  Utrecht,  the  conceflinns  which    France    would      I?IZ- 
make  to  the  allies;  and  propofed  a  fufpenfion  of  arms   for 
two  months,   that  they   might  treat  in  a  friendly  manner, 
and  adjuft  the  demands  of  all  the  confederates.     To   this 
propofal  they  made  no  other  anfwer,  but  that  they   had  no 
inftru&ions  on  the    fubjedt.     Count   Zir.zcndorf,  the  firft 
Imperial  plenipotentiary,  prcfcnted  a  memorial  to  the  ftates- 
general,   explaining  the    danger   that  would  refult  to   the 
common    caufe   from  a  ceflation  of  arms  ;    and    exhorting 
them  to  perfevere   in  their  generous  and   vigorous   refolu- 
tions.      He  propofed  a  renewal  of  the  alliance  for  recover 
ing  the  Spanifh  monarchy  to  the  houfe  of   Auftria,   and  a 
certain  plan    for   profecuting  the   war    with  redoubled  ar 
dour.     Prince  Eugene,  in  order  to  dazzle  the  confederates 
with  fome  bold  enterprize,  detached    Major-general  Gro- France  »«- 
veftein,  with    fifteen    hundred  cavalry,    to  penetrate  into  varied  by 
the  heart  of  France.      This  officer,   about   the  middle  of  £ene")1 

.    .  f^.  rr    i       L      XT    •  i       Greveftetfl. 

June,  advanced  into  Champagne,  palled  the  Noire,  the 
Maefc,  the  Mofelle,  and  the  Saar,  and  retired  to  Traer- 
bach  with  a  rich  booty,  and  a  great  number  of  hoftages, 
after  bavins;  extorted  contributions  as  far  as  the  gates  of 

O  O 

Metz,  ravaged  the  country,  and  reduced  a  great  number 
of  villages  and  towns  to  afhes.  The  confternation  produ 
ced  by  this  irruption  reached  the  city  of  Paris  :  The  king 
of  France  did  not  think  himfelf  fafe  at  Verfatlles  with  his 
ordinary  guards :  All  the  troops  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
the  capital  were  aflembled  about  the  palace.  Villars  fcnt 
a  detachment  after  Groveftein,  a1:  foon  as  he  underftood 
his  deftination  :  But  the  other  had  gained  a  day's  march 
of  the  French  troops,  which  had  the  mortification  to  fol 
low  him  fo  clofe,  that  they  found  the  flames  frill  burning 
in  the  villages  he  had  deftroyed.  By  way  of  retaliation, 
Major-General  Pafteur,  a  French  partifan,  made  an  cxcur- 
fion  beyond  Bergen-op-zoom,  and  ravaged  the  ifland  of 
Tortole  belonging  to  Zealand. 

The  earl  of  Straffbrd  having  returned  to  Holland,  pro 
pofed  a  cefTation  of  arms  to  the  ftates-general,  by  whom  it 
was  rejected.  Then  he  proceeded  to  the  army  of  the  duke 
of  Ormond,  where  he  arrived  in  a  few  days  after  the  re 
duction  of  Quefnoy,  the  garrifon  of  which  were  made 
prifoners  of  war  on  the  4th  day  of  July.  The  officers  of 
the  foreign  troops  had  a  fecond  time  refufed  to  obey  a 
written  order  of  the  duke;  and  fuch  a  fpirit  of  animofity 
began  to  prevail  between  the  Engliih  and  allies,  that  it 
v/as  abfolutely  necefTary  to  effect  a  fpeedy  feparatfewi. 


560  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

B  O  O  K  Prince  Eugene  refolved  to  undertake  the  fiege  of  Lan- 
drecy.  A  defign  is  faid  to  have  been  formed  by  the  Ger- 

*~*~Y~*~*  man  generals  to  confine  the  duke,  on  pretence  of  the  ar- 
vll'z-  rear?  that  were  due  to  them;  and  to  difarm  the  Britifh 
troops,  left  thry  ihould  join  the  French  army.  In  the 
mean  time,  a  literary  correfpondence  was  maintained  be 
tween  the  .Kri.'ijii'h  general  and  the  marefchal  de  Villars. 
France  having  confented  to  deliver  up  Dunkirk,  a  body  of 
troops  was  tranfported  from  England,  under  the  command 
of  Brigadier  Hill,  who  took  pofTeflion  of  the  place  on  the 
yth  day  of  July,  the  French  garrifon  retiring  to  Winox- 
berg.  On  the  l6th  of  the  fame  month,  Prince  Eugene 
marched  from  his  camp  at  Hafpre,  and  was  followed  by 
all  the  auxiliaries  in  the  Britifh.  pay,  except  a  few  batta 
lions  of  the  troops  of  Holftein-Gottorp,  and  WalePs  regi 
ment  of  dragoons  belonging  to  the  ftate  of  Liege. 

O  -Z)          O  CT 

Landrecy  was  immediately  inverted,  while  the   duke  of 

Ormond,  with  the  Englifh  forces,  removed  from  Chateau- 

Cambrefis,  and  encamping    at  Avefne-le-Secq,  proclaimed 

Ceffition  of  by  found  of  trumpet  a  ceffation  of  arms    for   two  months. 

arms  bf-      On  the  fame  day,    the    like  armifticc  was    declared  in   the 

tween  l>n-    JTrench  army.     The  Dutch  were  fo  exafperated  at  the   fe- 

Uin  and  „  r'     i       T«        i-fl  11  11 

France.  ceiiion  or  toe  /UigJilh  troops;  that  the  governors  would 
not  alloy/  the  earl  of  Stratford  to  enter  Bouchaine,  nor  the 
Britifh  army  to  pafs  through  Doiiay,  though  in  that  town 
they  had  left  a  great  quantity  of  {lores,  together  with  their 
general  hofpital.  Prince  Eugene  and  the  Dutch  deputies, 
understanding;  that  the  duke  of  Ormond  had  bes;an  his 

O  O 

march  towards  Ghent,  began  to  be  in  pain  for  that  city, 
and  fent  Count  Naflau  V/oodenburg  to  him  with  a  written 
apology,  condemning  and  difavowing  the  conduct  of  the 
commandants  of  Bouchaine  and  Doiiay:  But,  notwith- 
ftanding  thtfe  excufes,  the  En^lifh  troops  afterwards  met 
with  the  fame  treatment  at  Tcurnay,  Oudenarde,  and 
Lifle;  infults  which  were  refented  by  the  whole  Britifh 
nation.  The  duke,  however,  purfued  his  march,  and  took 
poiTeiTion  of  Ghent  and  Bruges  for  the  queen  of  England: 
Then  he  re-enforced  the  garrifon  of  Dunkirk,  which  he 
likewife  fupplied  with  artillery  and  ammunition.  His 
conduct  was  no  lefs  agreeable  to  his  fovereign,  than  mor 
tifying  to  the  Dutch,  who  never  dreamed  of  leaving  Ghent 
and  Bruges  in  the  hands  of  the  Engliil},  and  were  nov/ 
fairly  outwitted,  and  anticipated  by  the  motions  and  expe 
dition  of  the  Britifh  general. 

Allies  de-         The  lofs  of  the  Biitifh   forces  was  foon   feverely  felt  in 

feued  at       the  allied  army.     Villars  attacked   a  feparate  body  of  thcir 

trocps  encamped  at  Denain,.  under  the   command   of  the 

earl   of  A'bemarle.     Their   entrenchments  were   forced, 


ANNE.  561 

and  feventeen  battalions  either  killed  or  taken.  The  carl  CHAP, 
himielf,  and  all  the  furviving  officers,  were  made  prifoners. 
Five  hundred  waggons  loaded  with  bread,  twelve  pieces  of  >•*"*/"*"' 
brafs  cannon,  a  large  quantity  of  ammunition  and  provi-  I'~12- 
fions,  a  great  numbc1  of  horfes,  and  a  confiderable  booty, 
fell  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy  :  This  advantage  they 
gained  in  fight  of  Prince  Eugene,  who  advanced  on  the 
other  fide  of  the  Schelde  to  fuftain  Albemarle  ;  but  the 
bridge  over  that  river  was  broke  down  by  accident ;  fa 
that  he  was  prevented  from  lending  the  leaft  afTiftance. 
Villars  immediately  inverted  Marchiennes,  where  the  prin 
cipal  ftores  of  the  allies  were  lodged.  The  place  was 
furrendered  on  the  laft  day  of  July  ;  and  the  garriibn,  con- 
filling  of  five  thoufand  men,  were  conducted  prifoners  to 
Valenciennes.  He  afterwards  undertook  the  fiege  of 
Doiiay  ;  an  enterprife,  in  confequence  of  which^  prince 
Eugene  abandoned  his  defign  on  Landrecy,  and  marched 
towards  the  French,  in  order  to  hazard  an  engagement. 
The  ftates,  however,  would  not  run  the  rifque ;  and  the 
prince  had  the  mortification  to  fee  Doiiay  reduced  by  the 
enemy.  He  could  not  even  prevent  their  re-taking  Quef- 
noy  and  Bouchaine,  of  which  places  they  were  in  poik:f- 
iion  before  the  10th  day  of  October.  The  allies  enjoyed 
no  other  compenfation  for  their  great  lofies,  but  the  con- 
quell:  of  Fort  Knocque,  which  was  furprifed  by  one  of 
their  partifans. 

The  Britifli  minifters  at  the  congrefs  continued  to  prcfs 
the  Dutch  and  other  allies  to  join  in  the  armiftice  ;  but 
they  were  deaf  to  the  propofal,  and  concerted  meafures  for 
a  vigorous  profecution  of  the  war.  Then  the  earl  of 
Stratford  infifted  upon  their  admitting  to  the  congrefs  the 
plenipotentiaries  of  King  Philip  ;  but  he  found  them 
equally  averfe  to  this  expedient.  In  the  beginning  of 
Augu ft,  Secretary  St.  John,  now  created  Lord  Vifcount 
Bolingbroke.,  was  fent  to  the  court  of  Verfailles  incognito, 
to  remove  ail  obftrudtions  to  the  treaty  between  England 
and  France.  He  was  accompanied  by  Mr.  Prior  and  the 
Abbe  Guultier,  treated  with  the  mod  diftinguifhed  marks 
ofrefpecl,  carcffcd  by  the  French  king  and  tha  mr.rquis 
de  Torcv,  with  whom  he  adjufled  the  principal  intereils 
«Ttru>  duke  or  Savoy  and  the  elector  of  Bavaria.  He  fet 
tled  th?  time  and  mnnnrr  of  the  renunciations,  and  agreed 
to  a  iuipenfion  of  at  ins  by  fea  and  land,  for  four  months, 
between  the  crowns  of  France  and  England  ;  This  was 
accordingly  proclaimed  at  Paris  and  London.  The  negc- 
ciatioii  being  ilnifhed  in  a  few  days,  Bolingbrcke  returned 
to  England,  and  Prior  remained  as  refident  at  the  court  cf 
France.  The  ftates-general  breathed  nothing  but  war  : 

VOL.  I.  4  B 


562  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOO  K  1  he    penliohary    Heinllus  pronounced   an  oration  in  their 
aflembly,    rcprefcnting  the   impoffibility  of  concluding   a 
peace  without  lofing  the  fruits  of  all  the' blood  and  treafurc 
they  had   expended.     The   conferences    at   Utrecht  were 
interrupted  by  a  quarrel  between  the  domeftics  of  Mena- 
ger,  and  thofe  of  the  Count  de  Rechteren,  one  of  the  Dutch 
plenipotentiaries.     The  populace  infuhed  the  earl  of  Straf- 
fofd  and  the  marquis  del  Bcrgo,  minifter  of  Savoy,  whofe 
matter   was    reported    to  have    agreed   to   the    armiftice. 
Thefc  obftruclions  being  removed,    the    conferences   were 
renewed,  and  the  Britifh  plenipotentiaries  exerted   all  their 
rhetoric,  both  in  public  and    private,  to   engage  the    allies 
in  the  queen's  meafures.     At  length    the  duke   of  Savoy 
was    prevailed  upon  to  acquiefce  in  the  offers  of  France. 
Mr.  Thomas  Harley  had  been  fent  ambaflador  to   Hano 
ver,  with  a  view  to  perfuade  the  elector  that  it  would    be 
for  his  intereft  to   co-operate  with  her  majefly:  But  that 
prince's   refolution  was  already    taken.     "   Whenever  it 
"  fhall  pleafe  God  (laid  he)   to  call  me  to  the   throne  of 
"  Britain,  I  hope  to  a£t  as  becomes  me  for  the  advantage 
"  of  my   people :  In  the  mean  time,  fpeak  to  me  as   to 
"  a   German    prince,    and    a    prince    of    the    empire.'* 
Nor  was  fhe  more   fuccefsful  in  her  endeavours  to  bririp- 
over  the  king  of  Pruffia  to  her  fcntiments.     In  the  mean 
time,   Lord  Lexington  was  appointed   ambaflador  to  Ma 
drid,  where  King  Philip  folemnly  fwore  to  obferve  the  re 
nunciation,  which   was    approved  and    confirmed   by  the 
cortez.     The  like  renunciation  to  the  crown  of  Spain  was 
afterwards    made    by  the  princes  of  France  ;    and  Philip 
was  declared  incapable  of  fucceeding  to  the   crown  of  that 
realm.     The  court  of  Portugal    held  out   againft  the  re- 
monitrances  of  England,  until  the  marquis  de  Bay  invaded 
that   kingdom  at   the  head  of  twenty  thoufand  men,  and 
undertook  the  fiege  of  Campo-Major,  and  they  found  they 
had  no  longer  any  hope  of  being  aifirled  by  her    Britannic 
majeity.     The  Portuguefe  minifter  at  Utrecht  figned  the 
fufpenlion  of  arms  on  the  yth   day  of  November  j  and   ex- 
cufed  this  frep   to  the  allies,  as  the  pure  effecl:  of  necefiity. 
The    Engliili  troops   in    Spain   were   ordered  to  feparate 
from  the  army  of   Count   Staremberg,  and    march   to  the 
neighbourhood  of  Barcelona,   where   they  were  embarked 
on  board  an  Engliih   fquadron,  commanded  by  Sir   John 
Jennings,  and  traniported  to  Minorca. 

The  campaign  being  at  an  end  in  the  Netherlands,  the 
duke  of  Ormond  returned  to  England,  where  the  party 
difputes  became  more  violent  than  ever.  They  affected  to 
celebrate  the  anniverfary  of  the  late  king's  birth-day,  in 
London,  with  extraordinary  rejoicings.  Mobs  were  hired 
by  both  factions;  and  the  whole  city  was  rilled  with  riot 


ANNE.  563 

and  uproar.  A  ridiculous  fcheme  was  contrived  to  frighten  c  H  A  P. 
the  lord-treafurer  with  fotne  fquibs  in    a  band-box,  which 
the  minifters   magnified  into  a  confpiracy.     The  duke  of 
Plamilton  having  been  appointed  ambailador  extraordinary      *712: 
to  the  court  of  France,  the   Whigs  were  alarmed,  cm  the  Hamilton 
fuppofition   that   this    nobleman  favoured    the   pretender,  ano \Lo\-d 
Some  difpute  arifmg  between  the  duke  and  Lord  Mohun,  M°hjnk 
on  the    fubjecl:  of  a  law-fuit,  furnifhed    a  pretence  for  a  ,^1. 
quarrel.     Mohun,  who   had  been  twice  tried  for   murder, 
and  was  counted  a  mean  tool,  as  well  as  the  Keclor  of  the 
Whig  party,  fent  a  meffage  by  General  Macartney  to  the 
duke,  challenging  him  to  fmgle  combat.     The  principals 
met  by  appointment  in  Hyde-park,  attended  by  Macartney 
and  Colonel  Hamilton.     They  fought  with  fuch  fury,  that 
Mohun  was  killed  upon  the  fpot,  and  the  cluke  expired  be 
fore  he  could  be  conveyed  to  his  own   houfe.     Macartney 
difappeared,  and  efcaped  in  difguife  to  the  continent.     Co 
lonel  Hamilton  declared  upon  oath  before  the  privy-coun 
cil,  that  when  the  principals  engaged,   he  and   Macartney 
followed  their  example:  That  Macartney  was  immediately 
difarmed;    but  the  Colonel  feeing  the  duke  fall   upon   his 
antagonifT,  threw  away  the  fvvords,  and  ran  to  lift  him  up : 
That  while  he  was  employed  in  raifing  the  duke,  Macart 
ney,  having  taken  up  one  cf  the  fwords,  ftabbed  his  grace 
over  Hamilton's  fhoulder,   and    retired    immediately.     A 
proclamation    was    ifllied,    promifing   a    reward    of  500 
pounds  to  thof?  who  mould  apprehend  or  difcover  Macart 
ney;  and  the  duchefs  of  Hamilton  offered    300  pounds  for 
the  fame   purpofe.     The  Tories  exclaimed  againft  this  e- 
vent  as  a  party  duel  :  They  treated  Macartney  as  a  cow 
ardly  afTaffin  ;  and  affirmed   that  the  Whigs    had  pofted  o- 
thers  of  the  fame  ftamp  all   round   Hyde-park,  to   murder 
the  duke  of  Hamilton,  in  cafe  he  had  triumphed   over  his 
antagonift,  and  efcaped  the  treachery  of  Macartney.     The 
Whigs,  on  the  other  hand,  affirmed,  that  it  was  altogether 
a  private  quarrel  :  That  Alacartney  was  entirely  innocent 
of  the  perfidy  laid  to  his  charge  :  That  he  afterwards  fub- 
mitted  to  a  fair  trial,  at  which  Colonel   Hamilton  prevari 
cated    in  giving  his  evidence,  and  was  contradicted  by  the 
teftimony  divers  perfons  who  faw  the  combat  at  a  diftance. 
The  duke  of  Marlborough,  hearing  himfelf  accufed  as  the  Duka  of 
author  of  thofe   party    mifchiefs,  and  feeing  his    enemies  Marl'°°- 

j  •         1         t  1        i  i  rough  re- 

grOW  every  day  more  and  more  implacable,  thought  proper  to  tire^  to  t}.e 

retire  to  the  continent,  where  he  was  followed  by  the  duch-  continent. 
efs.  His  friend  Godolphin  had  died  in  September,  with 
the  general  character  of  an  able,  cool,  difpaiiionate  mini- 
fter,  who  had  rendered  himfelf  neceiTary  to  four  fucceffive 
fovereigns,  and  managed  the  finances  with  equal  (kill  and 
ity.  The  duke  ©f  Shrewsbury  was  nominateed  am- 


564  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  baflador  to  France,  in  the  room  of  the  duke  of  Hamilton 
The  duke  d'Aumount  arrived  •?.>  London  in  the  fame  qua- 
lity  form  the  court  of  Vcrf'ille;  i  about  the  fame  time  tiie 
I/12-  queen  granted  an  audience  to  the  m:-rquis  de  Monteleone, 
v/hom  Philip  had  appointed  one  of  his  plenipotentiaries  at 
the  congrcfs. 

In  vain  the  Britifh  minifters  in  Holland  endeavoured  to 
overcome  the  ohftinacy  of  the  ftates-general,  by  ikernate 
threats,  promifes,  and  arguments.  In  vain  did  they  repre- 
fent  that  the  confederacy  againft  France  could  be  no  longer 
fupported  with  any  profpeft  of  fuccefs  :  That  the  queen's 
air:1,  had  been  to  procure  reafonable  terms  for  her  allies  ; 
but  that  their  oppofition  to  her  meafures  prevented  her 
from  obtaining  fuch  conditions  ?.s  fhe  would  have  a  right 
to  demand  in  their  favour,  were  they  unanimous  in  their 
confutations.  In  November,  the  earl  of  StrafFord  prcfent- 
cd  a  new  plan  of  peace,  in  which  the  queen  promifed  to 
iniift  upon  France's  ceding  to  the  ftates  the  city  of  Tour- 
nay,  and  fome  other  places  which  they  could  not  expect  to 
poflefs,  fhculd  fhe  conclude  a  feparate  treaty.  They  now 
began  to  waver  in- -their  councils.  The  firft  tranfports  of 
their  refentment  having  fubfided,  they  plainly  perceived, 
that  the  continuation  of  the  war  would  entail  upon  them  a 
burden  which  they  could  not  bear,  efpecially  fince  the  duke 
of  Savoy  and  the  king  of  Portugal  had  defcrted  the  alliance: 
Befides,  they  were  daggered  by  the  affair  of  the  new  barri 
er,  fo  much  more  advantageous  than  that  which  France 
had  propofed  in  the  beginning  of  the  conference.  They 
were  influenced  by  another  motive  ;  namely,  the  apprehen- 
fion  of  new  mifchiefs  to  the  empire  from  the  king  of  Swe 
den,  whofe  affairs  feemed  to  take  a  favourable  turn  at  the 
Ottoman  Porte,  through  the  intercefiion  of  the  French  mo 
narch.  The  czar  and  King  Auguflus  had  penetrated  into 
Pomerania  :  The  king  of  Denmark  had  taken  Staden,  re 
duced  Bremen,  and  laid  Hamburgh  under  contribution ; 
Count  Stecnbock,  the  Swedifh  general,  defeated  the  Da- 
nifh  army  in  Mecklenbourg,  ravaged  Holftein  with  great- 
barbarity,  and  reduced  the  town  cf  Altena  to  allies.  The 
The  Grand  Signor  threatened  to  declare  war  sgainft  the 
czar,  on  pretence  that  he  had  not  performed  fome  eflential 
articles  of  the  late  peace  ;  but  his  real  motive  was  an  incli 
nation  to  fupport  the  king  of  Sweden.  This  difpofition, 
however,  was  defeated  by  a  powerful  party  at  the  Porte, 
who  were  averfe  to  war.  Charles,  who  ftill  remained  at 
Bender,  was  deilred  to  return  to  his  own  kingdom,  and 
given  to  underhand,  that  the  Sultan  would  procure  him  a 
fafc  paflagc.  He  treated  the  perfon  who  brought  this  inti 
mation  with  the  moil  outrageous  infolence ;  rejected  the 
propofal^  fortified  his  houfej  and  refolved  to  defend  him- 


ANNE. 

felf  to  the  lad  extremity.  Being  attacked  by  a  confidera-  c  H  A  P. 
b!e  body  of  Turkifh  forces,  he  and  his  attendants  fought 
with  the  nioft  frantic  valour.  They  flew  fome  hundreds 
of  the  aflailhnts  ;  but  at  laft  the  Turks  fet  fire  to  the  houfe: 
So  that  he  was  obliged  ta  futrender  himfelf  and  his  i  u;o\v- 
ers,  who  were  generally  fold  for  flaves.  He  himieif  was' 
conveyed,  under  a  ftrong  guard,  to  Adrianople.  Mean  while, 
the  czar  landed  with  an  army  in  Finland,  which  he  totaS'y 
reduced.  Steenboch  maintained  hitnfelf  in  Tonningen  until 
all  his  fupplies.were  cut  off;  and  then  he  was  obliged  to 
deliver  himfelf  and  his  troops  prifoners  of  war.  But  this 
reverfe  was  not  forefeen  when  the  Dutch  dreaded  a  rup 
ture  between  the  Porte  and  the  Mufcovites,  and  were  given 
to  underftand,  that  the  Turks  would  revive  the  troubles  in 
Hungary.  In  that  cafe,  they  knew  the  emperor  would  re- 
cal  great  part  of  his  troops  from  the  Netherlands,  where 
the  burden  of  the  war  mini  lie  upon  their  fhoulders.  After 
various  cofultations  in  their  different  affemblies,  they  came 
into  the  queen's  meafures,and  figned  the  barrier  treaty. 

Then  the  plenipotentiaries  of  the  four  aflbciated  circles 
prefented  a  remonfrranc'e  to  the  BritHh  minifters  at  Ut 
recht,  imploring  the  queen's  interposition  in  their  favour, 
that  they  might  not  be  left  in  the  miferable  condition  to 
which  had  been  reduced  by  former  treaties.  They  were 
given  to  understand,  that  if  thry  fliould  not  obtain  what 
they  defired,  they  themfelves  would  be  juflly  blamed  as  the 
authors  of  their  own  difappointmcnt  :  That  they  had  been 
deficient  in  furnifhing  their  proportion  of  troops  and  other 
necefTaries  ;  and  left  the  whole  burden  of  the  war  to  fall  up 
on  the  queen  and  the  ftates  in  the  Netherlands  :  That 
when  a  ceffation  was  judged  neceffary  ;  they  had  deferted 
her  majefty  to  follow  the  chimerical  projects  of  Prince 
Eugene :  That  while  fhe  profecuted  the  war  with  the  ut- 
moic  vigour  they  had  acted  with  coldnefs  and  indifference; 
but  when  fhe  inclined  to  peace,  they  began  to  exert  them 
felves  in  profecuting  hoftilities  with  uncommon  eagerneft  : 
That,  neverthelefs,  fhe  would  not  abandon  their  interests, 
but  endeavour  to  procure  for  them  as  good  conditions  as 
their  prepofterous  conduit  would  allow  her  to  demand. 
Even  the  emperor's  plenipotentiaries  began  to  talk  in  more 
moderate  terms.  Zinzendorf  declared,  that  his  mafter  was 
very  well  difpofed  to  promote  a  general  peace ;  and  no 
longer  infifted  on  a  cefiion  of  the  Spanifh  monarchy  to  the 
houfe  of  Aufrria.  Philip's  miniilers,  together  with  thofe 
of  Bavaria  and  Cologn,  were  admitted  to  the  congrefs  ;  and 
now  the  plenipotentiaries  of  Britain  acted  as  mediators  for 
the  reft  of  the  allies. 

The  pacification  between  France   and  England  was  re 
tarded,  however,  by  fome  unforefeen  difficulties  that  arofc 


566  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK   in  adjufting  the  commerce  and  the  limits  of  the  countries 
poffeffed  by  both  nations  in  North  America.     A  long  dif- 
^'"V"1^   pute  enfued,  and  the  duke  of  Shrewfbury  and  Prior  held  ma- 
17 12'       ny  conferences   with   the  French  miniftry  :   At   length    it 
was  compromifed,   though  not  much  to   the  advantage  of 
Great  Britain  ;  and  the  Englifh   plenipotentiaries  received 
an  order  to  fign  a  feparate  treaty.     They   declared  to  the 
minifters  of  the  other    power?,   that  they  and  fome   other 
plenipotentiaries  were  ready  to  fign  their  refpc&ive  treaties 
on  the  i  ith  day  of  April.     Count  Zinzendorf  endeavoured 
to  poflpone  this   tranfaition   until  he  fhould    be  furnifhed 
with  frefh  ir.ftruclions  from  Vienna ;   and  even  threatened, 
that  if  the  ftates  fhould  fign  the  peace  contrary  to  his  de- 
fire,  the  emperor  would  immediately  withdraw  his  troops 
Burr-t.        from  thc  Netherlands.     The  minifters  of  Great  Britain  a- 
greed  with  thofe  of  France,  that  his  Imperial  majefty  fhould 
Lamberty.    have  time  to  confider,  whether  he  would  or  would  not  ac- 
Qmncy.       cept  tne  propofals  ;   but  this  time  was  extended  no   father 
Torcy^'       t'lan  tne  *^  ^ay  °f  June  '•>  nor  would  they  agree  to  a  ceffa- 
Eoling-        tion  of  arm  during  that  interval.     Mean  while,   the  peace 
broke.         vvith  France  was  figned  in  different  treaties  by  the  plenipo- 
Tildar       tentiaries  of  Great  Britain,  Savoy,   Pruflia,  Portugal,  and 
Mil.  Hift.    ^e   ftates-general.     On   the   I4thdayofthe   month,  the 
Hift.  of  the  Britifh  plenipotentiaries  delivered    to  Count    Zinzendorf, 
'  in  writing,  "offers  and  demands  of  the  French  king  for  mak- 

( ,f.--.v  C* 

u  ing  peace  with  the  houfe  Auftria  and  the  empire."  The 
count  and  the  minifters  of  the  German  princes  exclaimed 
ngainft  the  infolence  of  France,  which  hsd  not  even  be- 
ftowed  the  title  of  emperor  on  Jofeph  ;  but  wanted  to  im- 
pofe  terms  upon  them  with  relation  to  the  electors  of  Co- 
logn  and  Bavaria. 

i7J3-,  The  treaties  cf  peace  and  commerce  between  England 
VtnxLt*  anc^  Ffance  being  ratified  by  the  queen  of  England,  the 
parliament  was  affembled  on  the  9th  day  of  April.  The 
queen  told  them  the  treaty  was  figned,  and  that  in  a  few 
days  the  ratifications  would  be  exchanged.  She  faid, 
what  file  had  done  for  the  Proteftant  fucceffion,  and  the 
perfect  friendfhip  fubfifting  between  her  and  the  houfe  of 
Hanover,  would  convince  thofe  who  wifhed  well  to  both, 
and  defired  the  quiet  and  fafety  of  their  country,  how  vain 
all  attempts  were  to  divide  them.  She  left  it  entirely  to 
the  houfe  of  commons  to  determine  what  force  might  be 
neceffary  for  the  fecurity  of  trade  by  fea,  and  for  guards 
and  garrifons.  "  Make  yourfelves  fafe  (faid  fhe)  and  I 
"  fhall  be  fatisfied.  Next  to  the  protection  of  the  Divine 
"  Providence,  I  depend  upon  the  loyalty  and  affection  of 
"  my  people.  I  want  no  other  guarantee."  She  recom 
mended  to  their  prote&ion  thofe  brave  men  who  had  ex- 
pofed  their  lives  in  the  fervice  of  their  country,  and  could 


ANNE.  567 

not  be  employed  in  time  of  peace.     She  defired  they  would  C  H  A  1* 
concert  proper  mcafures  for  eafing  the  foreign  trade  of  the       v- 
kingdom ;  for  improving  and   encouraging   manufactures 
and  the  fifhery;  and,  for  employing  the  hands  of  idle  peo- 
pie.      She   exprefied  her   difpleafure  at  the  fcandalous  and 
leditious  libels  which  had  been    lately  publifhsd.     She  ex 
horted  them  to  confider  of  new  laws  to  prevent  this  licenti- 
oufnefs,  as  well  as  for  putting  a  ftop  to  the  impious   prac 
tice  of  duelling.     She  conjured   them  to  ufe  their  utmoft 
endeavours  to  calm    the  minds   of  men  at   home,  that   the 
arts   of  peace  might  be   cultivated  ;  and   that  groundlefs 
jealoufbs,  contrived  by  a  faction,  and  fomented  by  party- 
rage,  might  not  effect  that   which   their  foreign   enemies 
could  not  accompli fh.     This  was  the  language  of  a  pious, 
candid,  and  benevolent  fovereign,  who  loved  her  fubje6ts 
with  a  truly  parental  affection.     The  parliament  confidcr- 
ed  her  in  that  light.  Each  houfe  prefented  her  with  a  warm 
addrefs  of  thanks   and  congratulation,  exprefling,  in  par 
ticular,  their  inviolable   attachment  to  the  Proteftant  fuc- 
ceflion  in  the  illuftrious  houfe  of  Hanover.     The  ratifica 
tions  of  the   treaty  being  exchanged,  the  peace   was  pro 
claimed  on  the  5th  of  May,  with  the  ufual  ceremonies,  to 
the  inexpreffible  joy  of  the  nation  in    general.     It  was 
about  this  period  that  the  Chevalier   de   St.  George  con 
veyed  a   printed  remonftrance  to  the  minifters  at  Utrecht. 
folcmnly  protefting  againft  all  that  might  be  ftipulated  to 
his   prejudice.     The  commons,  in  a   fecond   addrefs,  had 
befought  her  majefty  to  communicate  to   the  houfe  in   due 
time  the  treaties  of  peace  and  commerce  with  France  ;  and 
now  they  were  produced  by  Mr.  Benfon,  chancellor  cf 
the  exchequer. 

By  the  treaty  of  peace,  the  French  king  obliged  him- 
fe!f  to  abandon  the  pretender,  and  acknowledge  the  queen's 
title  and  the  Proteftant  fuccefiion;  to  raze  the  fortifica 
tions  of  Dunkirk  within  a  limited  time,  on  condition  of 
receiving  an  equivalent;  to  cede  New-foundland,  Hud- 
fon's-Bay,  and  St.  Chriftopher's  to  England;  but  the 
French  were  left  in  poffeffion  of  Cape  Breton,  and  at  li 
berty  to  dry  their  fifh  on  Nevv-foundland.  By  the  treaty 
of  commerce  a  free  trade  was  eftablilhed,  according  to  the 
tariff  of  the  year  one  thoufand  fix  hundred  and  fixtv-four, 
except  in  fome  commodities  that  were  fubjedted  to  new  re 
gulations  in  the  year  fixteen  hundred  and  ninety-nine.  It 
was  agreed,  That  no  other  duties  fhould  be  impofed  on 
the  productions  of  France  imported  into  England,  than 
thofe  that  were  laid  on  the  fame  commodities  from  other 
countries;  and  that  commiffaries  fhould  meet  at  London, 
to  adjuft  all  matters  relating  to  commerce  :  As  for  the 
tariff  with  Spain,  it  was  not  yet  finifheJ.  It  was  flipu- 


568  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK  lated,  That  the   emperor   fhould  pofiefs  the   kingdom    of 
Naples,  the  duchy  of  Milan,  and  the  Spaniih  Netherlands: 

*~~Y~*^  That  the  duke  of  Savoy  fhould  enjoy  Sicily,  with  the  ti- 
I/I3-  tie  of  King  :  That  the  fame  title,  with  the  ifland  of  Sar 
dinia,  fhould  be  allotted  to  the  elcdor,  of  Bavaria,  as  an 
indemnification  for  his  lo;i-s:  That  the'  Itates-general 
fhould  reftore  Lifie  and  it&  dependences:  That  Namur, 
Charleroy,  Luxembourg,  Ypres,  and  Newport  fnould  be 
added  to  the  other  places  they  already  poflefled  in  Flan 
ders  ;  and  that  the  king  of  Pruffia  ihould  have  Upper- 
Gueldre,  in  lieu  of  Orange  and  the  other  edates  belong 
ing  to  that  family  in  Franche-Comte.  The  king  of  Por 
tugal  was  fatisfied  ;  and  the  ift  day  of  June  was  fixed  as 
the  period  of  time  granted  to  the  emperor  for  confideration. 
A  day  being  appointed  by  the  commons  to  deliberate 
upon  the  treaty  of  commerce,  very  juft  and  weighty  ob 
jections  were  made  to  the  eighth  and  ninth  articles,  im 
porting,  That  Great  Britain  and  France  fhould  mutually 
enjoy  ail  the  privileges  in  trading  with  each  other,  that 
cither  granted  to  the  mod  favoured  nation;  and  that  no 
higher  cuftoms  fhould  be  exacted  from  the  commodities  of 
France,  thon  thofe  that  were  drawn  from  the  fame  pro 
ductions  of  any  other  people.  The  balance  of  trade  hav 
ing  long  inclined  to  the  fide  of  France  fevere  duties  had 
been  laid  on  all  the  productions  and  manufactures  of  that 
kingdom,  fo  as  almoft  to  amount  to  a  total  prohibition. 
Some  members  obferved,  that,  by  the  treaty  between 
England  and  Portugal,  the  duties  charged  upon  the  wines 
of  that  country  were  lower  than  thofe  laid  upon  the  wines 
cf  France:  That  fhould  they  now  be  reduced  to  an  equa 
lity,  the  difference  of  freight  wasfo  great,  that  the  French 
wines  would  be  found  much  cheaper  than  thofe  of  Portu 
gal  ;  and,  as  they  were  more  agreeable  to  the  tafte  of  the 
nation  in  general,  there  would  be  no  market  for  the  Por- 
tug;:efewir.es  in  England:  That  fliould  this  be  the  cafe, 
the  Engllfh  would  lofe  their  trade  with  Portugal,  the  mod 
advantageous  of  any  traffic  which  they  now  carried  on : 
For  it  confumeu  a  great  quantity  of  their  manufaciures, 
and  returned  a  yearly  him  of  fix  hundred  thousand  pounds 
in  gold.  Mr.  Nathaniel  Gould,  formerly  governor  of 
the  bank,  afnrmcd,  that  as  France  had,  fine::  the  Revo 
lution,  encouraged  woollen  manufactures.,  r.r.d  prepared  at 
home  fcveral  commodities  which  formerly  they  drew  from 
England;  fo  the  EngliOi  had  learned  to  make  filk  fluffs, 
paper,  and  all  manner  of  toys  formerly  imported  from 
France,  by  which  mear.e,  an  infinite  number  of  artificers 
was  employed,  and  avail  fum  annual!/  i'avecl  to  tlu  na 
tion  ;  but  thefe  people  xvculd  now  be-  reduced  to  begga:  v, 
and  that  money  loft  ?g:iia  to  the  kingdom,  fhoulJ  French 


ANNE.  569 

commoditits  of  the  fame  kind  be  imported  under  ordinary  CHAP. 
duties,  becaufe  labour  was  much  cheaper  in  France  th^ii  v- 
in  England,  confequently  the  Britifh.  manufactures  would 
be  underfold  and  ruined.  He  urged,  that  the  ruin  of  the 
filk  manufacture  would  be  attended  with  another  difad- 
vantage.  Great  quantities  of  woollen  cloths  were  vended 
in  Italy  and  Turkey,  in  confequence  of  the  raw  fiik  which 
the  Englifh  merchants  bought  up  in  thofe  countries ;  and, 
fhould  the  filk  manufacture  at  home  be  loft,  thofe  markets 
for  Britifh  commodities  would  fail  efcourfe.  Others  al- 
ledged,  that  if  the  articles  of  commerce  had  been  fettled 
before  the  Engliih  troops  feparated  from  thofe  of  the  confe 
derates,  the  French  king  would  not  have  prefumed  to  in- 
fift  upon  fuch  terms,  but  have  been  glad  to  comply  with 
more  moderate  conditions.  Sir  William  Wyndham  re- 
flecled  on  the  late  miniftry,  for  having  neglected  to  make 
an  advantageous  peace  when  it  was  in  their  power.  He 
faid  that  Portugal  would  always  have  occafion  for  the 
woollen  manufactures  and  the  corn  of  England,  and  be 
obliged  to  buy  them  at  all  events.  After  a  violent  debate, 
thehoufe  refolved,  by  a  great  majority,  That  a  bill  fhould 
be  brought  in  to  make  good  the  eigth  and  ninth  articles  of 
the  treaty  of  commerce  with  France.  Againft  thefe  arti 
cles,  however,  the  Portuguefe  minifter  prefented  a  memo 
rial,  declaring,  that  fhould  the  duties  on  French  wines  be 
lowered  to  the  fame  level  with  thofe  that  were  laid  on  the 
wines  of  Portugal,  his  mafter  would  renew  the  prohibi 
tion  of  the  woollen  manu faotures,  and  other  products  of 
Great  Britain.  Indeed,  all  the  trading  part  of  the  nation 
exclaimed  againft  the  treaty  of  commerce,  which  feems  to 
have  been  concluded  in  a  hurry,  before  the  minifters  fully 
underftood  the  nature  of  the  fubjeCt.  This  precipitation 
was  owing  to  the  fears  that  their  endeavours  after  peace 
would  mifcarry,  from  the  intrigues  of  the  Whig  faction, 
and  the  obftinate  oppofition  of  the  confederates. 

The  commons  having  granted  an  aid  of  two  {hillings 
in  the  pound,  proceeded  to  renew  the  duty  on  malt  for 
another  year,  and  extended  this  tax  to  the  whole  ifland, 
notwithstanding  the  warm  remonftrances  of  the  Scottish 
members,  who  reprefented  it  as  a  burthen  which  their 
country  could  not  bear.  They  infjfted  upon  an  exprefs 
article  of  the  Union,  ftipulating,  That  no  duty  mould  be 
laid  on  the  malt  in  Scotland  during  the  war,  which  they 
affirmed  was  not  yet  finimed,  inafmuch  as  the  peace  with 
Spain  had  not  been  proclaimed.  During  the  adjournment 
of  the  parliament,  on  account  of  the  Whitfun-holidays,  the 
Scots  of  both  houfes,  laying  afide  all  party-diitinCtions,  met 
and  deliberated  on  this  fubjeft.  They  deputed  the  duke 

VOL.  I.  4  C 


570  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND 

B  O  O  K  of  Argyle,  the  earl  of  Mar,  Mr.  Lockhart,  and  Mr.  Cock- 
burn,  to  lay  their  grievances  before  the  queen.  They  fe- 
****y~*'  prefented,  that  their  countrymen  bore  with  impatience  the 
I7I3-  violation  of  fome  articles  of  the  Union  ;  and  that  the  im- 
pofition  of  fuch  an  infupportable  burthen  as  the  malt-tax, 
would  in  all  probability,  prompt  them  to  declare  the  Union 
diiTolved.  The  queen,  alarmed  at  this  remonftrance,  an- 
fwered,  that  {he  wifhed  they  might  not  have  caufe  to  repent 
of  fuch  a  precipitate  refolution  ;  but  file  would  endeavour 
to  make  all  things  eafy.  On  the  ift  day  of  June,  the  earl 
of  Findlater,  in  the  houfe  of  peers,  reprefeiited  that  the 
Scottifh  nation  was  aggrieved  in  many  inftances  :  That 
they  were  deprived  of  a  privy  -council  ;  and  fubjected  to 
the  Englifh  laws  in  cafes  of  treafon  :  That  their  nobles 
were  rendered  incapable  of  being  created  Britifh  peers, 
and  that  now  they  were  opprefled  with  the  infuppor 
table  burthen  of  the  malt-tax,  when  they  had  reafon  to 
expect  they  fhould  reap  the  benefits  of  peace  :  He,  there 
fore,  moved,  that  leave  might  be  given  to  bring  in  a  bill 
for  difTolving  the  Union,  and  fecuring  the  Proteftant  fuc- 
ceffion  in  the  houfe  of  Hanover.  Lord  North  and  Grey 
affirmed,  that  the  complaints  of  the  Scots  were  ground- 
lefs;  that  the  diflblution  of  the  Union  was  impracticable 
and  he  made  fome  farcaftic  reflections  on  the  poverty  of 
that  nation.  He  was  anfwered  by  the  earl  Eglintoune, 
who  admitted  the  Scots  were  poor,  and  therefore  unable  to 
pay  the  malt-tax.  The  earl  of  Hay,  among  other  perti 
nent  remarks  upon  the  Union,  obferved  that  when  the 
treaty  was  made,  the  Scots  took  it  for  granted,  that  the 
parliament  of  Great  Britain  would  never  load  them  with 
any  impofition  that  they  had  reafon  to  believe  grievous. 
The  earl  of  Peterborough  compared  the  Union  to  a  marri 
age.  He  faid,  that  though  England,  who  muft  be  fuppofed 
the  hufband,  might  in  fome  inftances  prove  unkind  to  the 
lady  {he  ought  not  immediately  to  fue  for  a  divorce,  the 
rather  becaule  fhe  had  very  much  mended  her  fortune  by 
the  match.  Hay  replied,  that  marriage  was  an  ordinance  of 
God  ;  and  the  Union  no  more  than  a  political  expedient. 
The  other  affirmed,  that  the  contract  could  not  have  been 
more  folemn,  unlefs,  like  the  ten  commandments,  it  had 
come  from  heaven  :  He  inveighed  againft  the  Scots,  as  a 
people  that  would  never  be  fatisfied  ;  that  would  have  all 
the  advantages  refulting  from  the  Union,  but  would  pay 
nothing  by  their  good  will,  although  they  had  received 
more  money  from  England  than  the  amount  of  all 
their  eftates.  To  thefe  animadverfions  the  duke  of  Argyle 
made  a  very  warm  reply.  "  I  have  been  reflected  on  by 
"fome  people  (faid  he)  as  if  I  was  difgufted,  and  had 
"  changed  fides  ;  but  I  defpife  their  perfons,  as  much  as  I 


ANN    E.  571 

"undervalue  their  Judgment."  He  urged,  that  the  malt-  CHAP. 
tax  in  Scotland  was  like  taxing  land  by  the  acre  through-  V' 
out  England,  becaufe  land  was  woith  five  pounds  an  acre 
in  the  neighbourhood  of  London,  and  would  not  fetch  fo 
many  {hillings  in  the  remote  counties.  In  like  manner, 
the  Englifti  malt  was  valued  at  four  times  the  price  of 
that  which  was  made  in  Scotland;  therefore,  the  tax  in 
this  country  muft  be  levied  by  a  regiment  of  dragoons. 
He  owned  he  had  a  great  {hare  in  making  the  Union,  with 
a  view  to  fecure  the  Proteftant  fucceflion;  but  he  was  now 
fatisfied  this  end  might  be  anfwered  as  effectually  if  the 
Union  was  diflblved  ;  and,  if  this  ftep  {hould  not  be  taken, 
he  did  not  expect  Ions;  to  have  either  property  left  in  Scot 
land,  or  liberty  in  England.  All  the  Whig  members 
voted  for  a  difiblution  of  that  treaty  which  they  had  fo  ea 
gerly  promoted;  while  the  Tories  ftrenuoufly  fupported  the 
meafure  againft  which  they  had  once  argued  with  fuch  ve 
hemence.  In  the  courfe  of  the  debate,  the  lord-treafurer 
obferved,  that  although  the  malt-tax  were  impofed,  it 
might  be  afterwards  remitted  by  the  crown.  The  earl  of 
Sunderland  exprelTed  furprize  at  hearing  that  noble  lord 
broach  a  doctrine  which  tended  to  eftablifti  a  defpotic  dif- 
penfing;  power,  and  arbitrary  government.  Oxford  repli 
ed,  his  family  had  never  been  famous,  as  fome  others  had 
been,  for  promoting  and  advifmg  arbitrary  meafures.  Sun 
derland,  conf.dering  this  expreilion  as  a  farcufm  levelled  at 
the  memory  of  his  father,  took  occafion  to  vindicate  his 
conduct;  adding,  that  in  thofe  days  the  other  lord's  family 
was  hardly  known.  Much  voilent  altercation  was  dif- 
charged.  At  length  the  motion  for  the  bill  was  rejected 
by  a  fmall  majority,  and  the  malt-bill  afterwards  palled 
with  great  difficulty. 

Another  bill  being  brought  into  the  houfe  of  commons, 
for  rendering  the  treaty  of  commerce  effectual,  fuch  a 
number  of  petitions  were  delivered  againft  it,  and  fo  many 
iolid  arguments  advanced  by  the  merchants  who  were 
examined  on  the  fubjcdt,  that  even  a  great  number  of 
Tory  members  were  convinced  of  the  bad  confequence 
it  would  produce  to  trade,  and  voted  againft  the  miniftry 
on  this  occafion;  fo  that  the  bill  was  rejected  by  a  majority 
of  nine  voices.  At  the  fame  time,  however,  the  houfe  a- 
greed  to  an  sddrefs,  thanking  her  majefty  for  the  great  care 
fhehad  taken  of  the  fecurity  and  honour  of  her  kingdoms  in 
the  treaty  of  peace;  as  alfo  for  having  laid  fo  good  a  foun 
dation  for  the  intereft  of  her  people  in  trade.  Theylikewife 
belbught  her  to  appoint  commiilioners  to  treat  with  thofe  of 
France,  for  adjufting  fuch  matters  as  fhould  be  neceflary  to 
be  fettled  on  the  fubject  of  commerce,  that  the  treaty  mi^ht 
be  explained  and  perfected  for  the  good  and  welfare  of 


572  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

BOOK   her  people.       The   queen   interpreted    this   addrefs   into 
a  full    approbation    of  the   treaties    of  peace  and   com- 

V-""Y"S-'  merce,  and  thanked  them  accordingly  in  the  warmeft 
J7J3-  terms  of  fatisfaclion  and  acknowledgment.  The  com 
mons  afterwards  defired  to  know  what  equivalent  fliould 
be  given  for  the  demolition  of  Dunkirk  ;  and  fhe  gave 
them  to  underhand,  that  this  was  already  in  the  hands 
of  his  moft  C'nriftian  majefty  :  Then  they  befought  her 
that  flic  would  not  evacuate  the  towns  of  Flanders  that 
were  in  her  pofleffion,  until  thofe  who  were  entitled  to  the 
fovereignty  of  the  Spanifh  Netherlands  fhould  agree  to 
fuch  articles  for  regulating  trade  as  might  place  the  fub- 
je&s  of  Great  Britain  upon  an  equal  footing  with  thofe 
of  any  other  nation.  The  queen  made  a  favourable  an- 
fwer  to  all  their  remonftranccs.  Such  were  the  fteps  ta 
ken  by  the  parliament  during  this  feffion  with  relation  to 
the  famous  treaty  of  Utrecht,  againft  which  the  Whigs 
exclaimed  fo  violently,  that  many  well-meaning  people 
believed  it  would  be  attended  with  the  immediate  ruin  of 
the  kingdom  :  Yet,  under  the  ftiadow  of  this  very  treaty, 
Great  Britain  enjoyed  a  long  term  of  peace  and  tran 
quillity.  Bifhop  Burnet  was  heated  with  an  enthufiaftic 
terror  of  the  houfe  of  Bourbon.  He  declared  to  the  queen 
in  private,  that  any  treaty  by  which  Spain  and  the  Weft- 
Indies  were  left  in  the  hands  of  King  Philip,  muft  in  a 
little  time  deliver  all  Europe  into  the  hands  of  France: 
That  if  any  fuch  peace  was  made,  the  queen  was  betrayed, 
and  her  people  ruined  :  That  in  lefs  than  three  years  fhe 
would  be  murdered,  and  the  fires  would  blaze  again  in 
Smithfield.  This  prelate  lived  to  fee  his  prognoftic  dif- 
zppointed;  therefore,  he  might  have  fupprefled  this  anec- 
ciote  of  his  own  conduct:. 

On  the  25th  day  of  June,  the  queen  fignified,  in  a 
meflage  to  the  houfe  of  commons,  that  her  civil  lift  was 
burthened  with  fome  debts  incurred  by  feveral  articles  of 
extraordinary  expence ;  and  that  fhe  hoped  they  would 
empower  her  to  raife  fuch  a  fum  of  money  upon  the  funds 
for  that  provifion,  as  would  be  fufficient  to  difcharge  the 
incumbrances,  which  amounted  to  five  hundred  thoufand 
pounds.  A  bill  was  immediately  prepared  for  raifing  this 
fum  on  the  civil  lift  revenue,  and  pafled  through  both 
houfes  with  fome  difficulty.  Both  lords  and  commons  ad- 
dreired  the  queen  concerning  the  Chevalier  de  St.  George, 
who  had  repaired  to  Lorraine.  They  defired  fhe  would 
prefs  the  duke  of  that  name,  and  all  the  princes  and  ftates 
in  amity  with  her,  to  exclude  from  their  dominions  the 
pretender  to  the  imperial  crown  of  Great  Britain.  A 
public  thankfgiving  for  the  peace  was  appointed  and  ce 
lebrated  with  great  folemnity  -,  and  on  the  i6th  day  of 


ANNE. 


573 


July,  the  queen  clofed  the  feflion  with  a  fpeech,  which  was  CHAP. 
not  at  all  agreeable  to  the  violent  Whigs,  becaufe  it  did  v- 
not  contain  one  word  about  the  pretender  and  the  Protef- 
tant  fucceffion.  From  thefe  omiflions  they  concluded, 
that  the  dictates  of  natural  affection  had  biulTed  her  in  fa 
vour  of  the  chevalier  de  St.  George.  Whatever  fenti- 
ments  of  tendernefs  and  companion  fhe  might  feel  for  that 
unfortunate  exile,  the  acknowledged  fon  of  her  own  father, 
it  does  not  appear  that  {he  ever  entertained  a  thought  of 
altering  the  fucceffion  as  by  law  eftablimed.  The  term 
of  Sacheverel's  fufpenfion  being  expired,  extraordinary 
rejoicings  were  made  upon  the  occafion.  He  was  defired 
to  preach  before  the  houfe  of  commons,  who  thanked 
him  for  his  fermon  ;  and  the  queen  promoted  him  to  the 
rich  benefice  of  St.  Andrew's,  Holbourn.  On  the  other 
hand,  the  duke'  d'Aumont,  ambaflador  from  France,  was 
infulted  by  the  populace.  Scurrilous  ballads  were  pub- 
limed  againfl  him  both  in  the  Englifh  and  French  lan 
guages.  He  received  divers  anonymous  letters,  contain 
ing  threats  of  fetting  fire  to  his  houfe,  which  was  ac 
cordingly  burned  to  the  ground,  though  whether  by  ac 
cident  or  ddign  he  could  not  well  determine.  The  ma- 
giftracy  of  Dunkirk,  having  fent  a  deputation  with  an 
addrefs  to  the  queen,  humbly  imploring  her  majefty  to 
fpare  the  port  and  harbour  of  that  town,  and  reprefenting 
that  they  might  be  ufeful  to  her  own  fubjecls,  the  memo 
rial  was  printed  and  difperfed,  and  the  arguments  it  con 
tained  were  anfwered  and  refuted  by  Addifon,  Steele,  and 
Mainwaring.  Commiilioners  were  fent  to  fee  the  forti 
fications  of  Dunkirk  demolished.  They  were  according 
ly  razed  to  the  ground  ;  the  harbour  was  filled  up  ;  and 
the  duke  d'Aumont  returned  to  Paris  in  the  month  of 
November.  The  queen,  by  her  rernonftrances  to  the 
court  of  Verfailles,  had  procured  the  enlargement  of  one 
hundred  and  thirty-fix  Proteftants  from  the  gallies :  Un- 
derftanding  afterwards,  that  as  many  more  were  detained 
on  the  fame  account,  (he  made  fuch  application  to  the 
French  miniftry,  that  they  too  were  releafed.  Then  fhe 
appointed  General  Rofs  her  envoy  extraordinary  to  the 
king  of  France. 

The  duke  of  Shrewfbury  being  nominated  lord-lieu 
tenant  of  Ireland,  aflembled  the  parliament  of  that  king 
dom  on  the  25th  day  of  November,  and  found  the  two 
houfes  fiill  at  variance,  on  the  oppofite  principles  of 
Whig  and  Tory.  Allan  Broderick  being  chofen  fpeaker 
of  the  commons,  they  ordered  a  bill  to  he  brought  in,  t;, 
attaint  the  pretender  and  all  his  adherents.  They  profe- 
cuted  Edward  Lloyd,  for  publifhing  a  book  entitled, 
"  Memoirs  of  the  Chevalier  de  St.  George  ;"  and  they 


574  HISTORY  OF  ENGLAND. 

fc  O  O  K  agreed  upon  an  addrefs  to  the  queen,  to  remove  from 
the  chancellorfhip  fir  Conftantine  T'hipps,  who  had 
countenanced  the  Tories  of  that  kingdom.  The  lords, 
however,  refolved,  That  Chancellor  Phipps  had,  in  his  fe- 
veral  Nations,  acquitted  himfelf  with  honour  and  integrity. 
The  two  houfes  of  convocation  prefented  an  addrefs  to  the 
fame  purpofe.  They  likewife  complained  of  Mr.  Molcf- 
worth,  for  having  infulted  them,  hy  faying,  when  they 
appeared  in  the  caftle  of  Dublin,  "  They  that  have  turned 
"•  the  world  upfide-down  are  come  hither  alfo ;"  and  he 
was  removed  from  the  privy  council.  The  duke  of 
Shrewfbury  received  orders  to  prorogue  this  parliament, 
which  was  divided  againft  itfelf,  and  portended  nothing 
but  domeftic  broils.  Then  he  obtained  leave  to  re 
turn  to  England,  leaving  Chancellor  Phipps,  with  the  arch- 
bifhops  of  Armagh  and  Tuam,  juftices  of  the  kingdom. 

violent  dif-  The  parliament  of  England  had  been  diflblved;  and 
^e  e^ec^i°ns  were  managed  in  fuch  a  manner  as  to  re 
tain  the  legiflative  power  in  the  hands  of  the  Tories : 
But  the  meeting  of  the  new  parliament  was  delayed  by 
repeated  prorogations  to  the  loth  day  of  December;  a 
delay  partly  owing  to  the  queen's  indifpofition ;  and  partly 
to  the  contefts  among;  her  minifters.  Oxford  and  Boling- 

.  O 

broke  were  competitors  for  power,  and  rivals  in  repu 
tation  for  ability.  The  Treafurer's  parts  were  deemed 
the  more  folid ;  the  Secretary's  more  fhining ;  but  both 
minifters  were  afpiring  and  ambitious.  The  firrt  was 
bent  upon  maintaining  the  firft  rank  in  the  adminiftration, 
which  he  had  poflefled  fince  the  revolution  in  the  miniftry  ; 
the  other  difdaincd  to  act  as  a  fubaltern  to  the  man  whom 
he  thought  he  excelled  in  genius,  and  equalled  in  import 
ance.  They  begun  to  form  feparate  cabals,  and  adopt 
different  principles.  Bolingbroke  infmuated  himfelf  into 
the  confidence  of  Lady  Mafham,  to  whom  Oxford  had 
given  fome  caufe  of  difguft.  By  this  communication,  h° 
gained  ground  in  the  good  opinion  of  his  fovereign, 
while  the  treafurer  loft  it  in  the  fame  proportion.  Thus 
ftie  who  had  been  the  author  of  his  elevation  was  now 
ufed  as  the  inftrument  of  his  difgrace.  The  queen  was 
fenfibly  affected  with  thefe  diflentions,  which  ftie  inter- 
pofed  her  advice  and  authority,  by  turns,  to  appeafe  :  But 
their  mutual  animofity  continued  to  rankle  under  an  ex 
terior  accommodation.  The  intereft  of  Bolingbroke 
was  powerfully  fupported  by  fir  Simon  Harcourt,  the  chan 
cellor,  fir  William  Wyndham,  and  Mr.  Secretary  Brom 
ley.  Oxford  perceived  his  own  influence  was  on  the 
wane,  and  began  to  think  of  retirement.  Mean  while, 
the  -earl  of  Peterborough  was  appointed  ambaflador  to  the 
king  of  Sicily  ;  and  fet  out  for  Turin.  The  queen  re- 


ANNE. 


575 


tired  to  Windfor,  where  /he  was  feizcd  with  a  very  dan-  C  H  A 
gcrous  inflammatory  fever.  The  hopes  of  the  Jacobites  v- 
vifibly  rofe  :  The  public  funds  immediately  fell :  A  great 
run  was  made  upon  the  bank,  the  directors  of  which 
were  over whel -red  with  confirmation,  which  was  not  a 
little  increafed  by  the  report  of  an  armament  equipped  in 
the  ports  of  France.  They  fent  one  of  their  members  to 
reprefent  to  the  treafurer  the  danger  that  threatened  the 
public  credit.  The  queen,  being  made  acquainted  with 
thefe  occurrences,  figned  a  letter  to  fir  Samuel  Stancer, 
lord  mayor  of  London,  declaring,  that  now  fhe  was  re 
covered  of  her  late  indifpofition,  fhe  would  return  to  the 
place  of  her  ufual  refidence,  and  open  the  parliament  on 
the  1 6th  day  of  February.  This  intimation  fhe  fent  to 
her  loving  fubje&s  of  the  city  of  London,  to  the  intent 
that  all  of  them,  in  their  feveral  Itations,  might  difcoun- 
tenance  thole  malicious  rumours  fpread  by  evil-minded 
perfons,  to  the  prejudice  of  credit,  and  the  imminent  ha 
zard  of  the  public  peace  and  tranquillity.  The  queen's 
recovery,  together  with  certain  intelligence  that  the  ar 
mament  was  a  phantom,  and  the  pretender  {till  in  Lor 
raine,  helped  to  afiuage  the  ferment  of  the  natior,  which 
had  been  induftrioufly  raifed  by  party-writings.  Mr. 
Richard  Steele  publifhed  a  performance,  intituled,  "  The 
"  Crifis,"  in  defence  of  the  Revolution  and  the  Protef- 
tant  eftablifhment,  and  enlarging  upon  the  danger  of  a 
Popifh  fucceflbr.  On  the  other  hand,  the  hereditary  right 
of  the  crown  of  England  was  afferted  in  a  large  volurre, 
fuppofed  to  be  written  with  a  view  to  pave  the  way  for 
the  pretender's  acceffion.  One  Bedford  was  apprehended, 
tried,  convicted,  and  feverely  punifhed,  as  the  publifher  of 
this  treatife. 

While  England  was  harrafied  by  thefe  inteftine  commo 
tions,  the  emperor,  rejecting  the  terms  of  peace  propofed 
by  France,  refolved  to  maintain  the  war  at  his  own  ex- 
pence,  with  the  afiirfonce  of  the  empire.  His  forces  on 
the  Rhine,  commanded  by  Prince  Eugene,  were  fo  much 
outnumbered  by  the  French  under  Villars,  that  they 
could  not  prevent  the  enemy  from  reducing  the  two  im 
portant  fortrtfies  of  Landau  and  Friburg.  His  Imperial 
majcfty  hoped  that  the  death  of  Queen  Anne,  or  that  of 
Louis  XIV.  would  produce  an  alteration  in  Europe  that 
might  be  favourable  to  his  intereft  ;  and  he  depended 
upon  the  conduct  and  fortune  of  Prince  Eugene  for  fome 
lucky  event  in  war.  But,  rinding  himfelf  cfifappointed  in 
all  thefe  expectations,  and  abfolutely  unable  to  fupport  the 
expence  of  another  campaign,  he  hearkened  to  overtures 
of  peace  that  were  made  by  the  electors  of  Colo^n  and 
Palatine  ;  and  conferences  were  opened  at  the  caftle  ©f 


__ 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 

Los  Angeles 
This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  below. 


Form  L9-32m-8,'57(U8680s4)444 


3  1158  00983  2741 


A     000  006  298     4 


